As of 21st August, 2004, this car is now owned by Mark, whose desire for an Australian Ford hardtop was kindled, like for so many of us, by Mad Max. Congratulations on getting the car, Mark.

Originally owned by Malkie, this is a very intriguing car in many ways, not the least of which is that it is a Landau, the luxury LTD version of the hardtop coupe. Based originally on the XA coupe, and then as production stretched through the the XB years, on the XB, it nevertheless retained the P5 LTD styled front with its impressive disappearing head lamps, the squared off rear quarterlight window and the full width tail lamps. Inside, it has the unusual and unique feature of leather bucket seats front and rear.

Malkie owned this car since 1986 when he bought it in Glasgow, and, although it was first registered in May, 1976, decoding the VIN shows that the car was built in September, 1973. Quite where the gap came from remains one of the myths or fables of these cars, but a story I have heard from several sources so it may well be true.

The story is that someone, or some dealer, in Glasgow ordered four XB GTs and two Landaus in 1973 and had them shipped over to the U.K. En route, the person, or dealer, went bust and when the cars arrived, they were put into storage at the docks for over two years before they were discovered and put on the road, thereby accounting for the gap between production and registering. As possibly the sole survivor of that group, you could say that maybe it really is a myth and that Malkie’s car maybe was used in Australia before shipping, except that I used to own one of the GTs and it was consecutively registered to Malkie’s car, and I have seen another GT that was consecutively registered to my own. That gives three cars, two GTs and a Landau, that were in Scotland in the early to mid eighties which must have been registered simultaneously with the DVLA in May, 1976.

Interesting.

As for Landaus in the U.K, three others have been seen at various times over the past years, and one low mileage example was advertised for sale as recently as 2002.

Mark flying the Ford flag at the 2004 Bathurst Bash at the Ace Cafe in London.

Landau features

Head lamp doors closed

Head lamp doors open

Rear leather bucket seats

Mark has been very heavily involved with ressurecting his XA ute, but that isn’t to say that the Landau has been neglected. He picked up a Ford 4100 carb through ebay and fitted it to the car. As with things automotive, there were snags, but craftily over come.

The Holley off, the Autolite not fitting the manifold snag.

Spot the difference ?

The solution, some carefully crafted MDF.

Installed, and reports are, it is running better than with the Holley.

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