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	Allan Moffat's XW GTHO Phase I General Data Make Ford Model XW GTHO Phase I Date of Manufacture 1969 Number Made 260 Engine Engine Type 351 Windsor Number of Cylinders 8 Cubic Capacity 5763cc Horsepower 330bhp Aspiration 600cfm Holley Gearbox Number of Gears 4 Transmission Type Wide Ratio Top Loader Wheels and Suspension Suspension Type Front Independent Angle Poised Ball Joints, Coil Springs, Koni Telescopic Dampers, Wishbones and Anti Roll Bar Rear Hotchkiss type with Semi-Elliptic Leaf Springs, Koni Telescopic Dampners, Live Axle and Anti Roll Bar Brake Type Front 11.25" Discs Rear 10" Drums Wheel Type Front Kelsey Hayes Riveted 12 Slots (factory race cars were painted chrome) Rear Kelsey Hayes Riveted 12 Slots (factory race cars were painted chrome) Wheel Size Rim Width Front 14 x 6" Rim Width Rear 14 x 6"		In 1969 Ford called in the big American Al Turner to run the struggling competition division, Ford Special Vehicles. His objective was to beat Holden and win back the Bathurst crown. The weapon was the Falcon GTHO, later to be called the Phase I. Ford special vehicles prepared three Phase I's to compete in the endurance races at Sandown and Bathurst. Of those three HO's this is the only one to have survived. It was campaigned by the then up and coming star Allan Moffat. First race was the Sandown 300, Moffat teamed up with John French for a very cold 3 hour race. It was the debut of the new GTHO and there were more than a few worried faces in the Ford camp when the cars of Bib Stillwell and Ian Geoghegan both had engine trouble in the practise sessions. Whatever problems the other cars had didn't affect the HO of Moffat and French as they started from pole position and went on to lead the race to the checkered flag. It was the first win for the GTHO, also the first time in Australia that a car led an endurance race from start to finish. Ford was off to a good start. Bathurst '69 was shaping up to be another great race for the HO's. The main opposition was the Holden GTS Monaro's and Chrysler Valiant Pacers. After the dominating show at Sandown, Ford was heavily backed for another race win. Fate was to play a cruel hand to Turner when he made a change to new 'stickier' Goodyear tyres over the race proven XAS Michelins. This decision crippled the Ford team. Testing had showed that the Goodyear race tyres made the HO's quicker and a lot easier to drive. It would have seemed a logical decision to use the Goodyears.. Once again Ford grabbed pole position, this time with Ian and Leo Geoghegan. It was looking to be a re-run of the Sandown race. Moffat had Porsche racer Alan Hamilton as a co-driver. The start of this, his first ever Bathurst race didn't go as planned however, as on the first lap he had to pull over when the gearbox became stuck between gears. Although annoyed at the time, that small delay had Moffat miss the drama that occurred when the pack of cars hit skyline and Bill Brown put his HO on its roof. The resulting carnage involved at least 12 cars, most being unable to continue the race. Things started to go wrong for the Ford team just over an hour into the race when the Gibson/Seton HO pitted early for tyres and gas. Then the Geoghegan brothers leading HO blew a rear tyre across the top of the mountain. Extra tyre stops now became mandatory for the HO's. Moffat's car was still running well, he had raced on these same tyres before and was fully aware that a smooth driving style would make them last for his planned pit stops. With the Gibson /Seton car rolling after a blown tyre, a very concerned Turner called Moffat in for the extra stop. Due to that pit stop, Moffat finished 4th. Without that stop Moffat would have won his first Bathurst. A small consolation was that he had set the fastest lap of 2 min 52.1. The HO's next outing was the 20 lap Series Production race at Sandown in November. Ford made up for Bathurst by trouncing the Monaro's, Moffat winning from the Geoghegan sister car and 3rd place taken by Tom Roddy's HO.

			February had a series of races run as support events for the Tasman Championship. It was appropriately called the Tasman Touring Series. First race was at the Surfers Paradise International Raceway in Qld. Moffat was at the circuit a week before everyone else arrived, doing some serious testing of both the GTHO and his Mustang. Come race day he won the first short event from Ian Geoghegan (GTHO) and Colin Bond (Holden Dealer Team GTS Monaro). The main race was to finish the same with Moffat having an easy win after both Geoghegan and Bond blew rear tyres. Once again he claimed the fastest lap and a new class record. The extra knowledge Moffat had gained from his earlier testing had paid off. Second race in the series was at Sydney's Warwick Farm. The race became a hard one for Moffat when he tried a radical overtaking manuvere of the leading Geoghegan HO. He was put out onto the grass and overtaken by the leading pack. Then began the chase that had him eventually finishing 2nd behind Bond's Monaro. The final parts of the race were in the wet and the Bridgestone shod HO could not compare with the Monaro and its superior Firestone rubber. Bond gave Holden a much-needed victory. Once again Moffat set the fastest lap as well as a new lap record for Series Production.

			The third and final series race was held at Sandown. The Ford factory cars of Moffat and Geoghegan occupied the front row with the Monaro's of Bond and Bob Jane in behind. At the first corner it was Geoghegan who led with Moffat in behind, and they slowly built a lead over the chasing Monaro's. This began a great duel between the two factory racers that would have surely put the wind up team-boss Al Turner. With the championship on the line, the two big Fords were bumper to bumper, Geoghegan literally pushing Moffat's car up the straights! The next dozen laps were closely fought; swapping positions lap after lap much to the delight of the large crowd attending. I can only imagine Turner's relief when Geoghegan had to pit believing he had lost all oil pressure, a quick check showed it to be a faulty gauge. He was quickly out again, this time in behind brother Leo in his Valiant Pacer. Thinking that Leo was going too slow he gave him a gentle push over the back parts of the circuit. Leo was to later comment that the Valiant had never been so fast over Lukeys and down through the esses! One hundred mile's later the race was over with Moffat the clear victor, retaining his unbeaten record for series production at Sandown. He also, more importantly, clenched the Tasman Touring Car Series over Holden driver Bond. Some months passed till May, when the HO fronted at Warwick Farm. The race resulted in an unusual retirement after a throttle linkage broke. (He still managed to post the fastest lap of the race.) Then in June he contested the 2UE series race. The Main competition was Bob Morris in a GTS Monaro. Bob just pipped Moffat for pole position but come race time Moffat got the early lead. Morris hounded the red HO for the rest of the race but could never find a way through. Moffat led across the line with Morris just a couple of seconds behind him. The HO once again managed the fastest lap and a new Lap record.

			July was another race and another win, this time at Mallala in S.A. It was not without some drama though, a front tyre had thrown a tread and Moffat nursed the HO home just in front of Leo Geoghegan's Pacer. The HO's Final race was August 16th at Calder Raceway. The day was wet and blistering cold, Moffat was on Pole with tyre king, Bob Jane's, Monaro there to keep him honest. It was a dramatic race with the slippery conditions causing havoc throughout the field. Jane was equipped with the latest wet tyres and they were working quite effectively. At half distance he passed Moffat and didn't look back, eventually winning the one-hour race by just under 20 seconds. The old HO still managed the fastest lap though. It was now only a couple of months till the new GTHO would be ready to race. The new HO was to be called the Phase II and would push Moffat on to even greater success.

			Ford retained the HO converting it back to a road car. In 1972 it was sold to John Oates who shipped the car to New Zealand. John bought the car knowing its race history. The car still had the wired sump plug as well as holes in the floor where the roll cage had been. It passed through a number of owners in N.Z. till 1998 when Terry Healey of the Old Timer Garage saw the car advertised for sale. He went over and acquired the car for GT enthusiast David Bowden.

			Upon it's return to Australia it has had a thorough restoration back to how it raced in October 69'. It has won car of show at the Qld. All Ford day as well as best Phase I HO at the 2001 Falcon GT nationals. But the car is not just a show pony, in April 2001 it participated in the touring car legends demonstration in Adelaide. Old Ford Team driver Leo Geoghegan was its designated driver, he later commented that it was the finest GT Falcon he had ever driven. Although over time the Phase I has not been as prominent as the Phase II and III, GTHO competition cars, it is the car that well and truly built the foundations for the GTHO legend.

			The full evolution of these great competition cars is portrayed on the Four on the Floor poster featuring the Phase I, II, III & IV GTHO factory race cars of Allan Moffat.