the CHIcken coupe

You’re a bachelor and a Ford man, and you’ve been counting the days until the XA GT-HO Phase IV is released. Then the 1972 Super Car scare erupts and Australia’s Big Three are in meltdown… what to do? What any of us would do… we find what would have been Ford’s fastest, most powerful production car ever produced and HOLD on to it forever!

Over the years, many of us had heard about, or even seen the odd photo of the Chicken Coupe, an XA GT hardtop that had been parked for decades inside, well – a chicken coop. All kinds of gossip and hearsay has been said about its origins, and how it came to be behind the chicken wire. For the first time ever, here is the real story behind the Chicken Coupe, and its humble owner, who’s still very passionate about the car, despite its sad condition. This GT is very special in more ways than anyone knows, and not just because it’s the ‘Chicken Coupe’ barn-find…

IT’S SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL

“As soon as I saw it I had to have it!” remembers Gordon, from his home in Queensland. “I was 31 years-old and a Telecom Technical Officer, driving a satin red XP Falcon. Like everyone else, I was expecting the Phase IV to be released… and in a hardtop—I couldn’t wait!” Gordon wets his lips then shakes his head. “Then the Super Car scare hits the front page of newspapers, claiming every young bloke would jump behind the wheel and instantly wrap themselves around a telegraph pole at 160 miles per hour!” Gordon shakes his head. “But then I heard about a special GT with GT-HO options. Ford was getting rid of all the Phase IV parts under the radar… and I wanted one.”

“I’d seen the manager of Metro Ford, driving this incredible looking MacRobertsons-Old-Gold XA GT hardtop” —Gordon’s eyes suddenly become young again— “The manager had parked the hardtop in the middle of the showroom floor and it drew everyone like moths to the flame.” Metro Ford, located at Spring Hill, a suburb of Brisbane, were known as the ‘Big Guys’, “That’s what they called themselves back then,” tells Gordon. The manager had been using the big Falcon every night to commute home, which drummed up sales with increased foot traffic to the showroom. As a demo, it had a few hundred miles on the clock up until then.

“The moment I realised it was one of the specials, my heart raced!” Gordon swallowed the lump in his throat. “I could have bought a GT-HO Phase 3 for less, but I wanted the XA, so I got a $1,000 trade-in on the XP and handed around $7,000 for the hardtop!” Gordon smiles as he connects with the past. 

So, from 1974 onwards, Gordon, aged 31 years old, was the first registered owner of what was later to be known as the ‘Chicken Coupe’. “I drove it everywhere.  If I was at work, I parked it down the back under a shady tree. All the blokes that worked at Telecom kept an eye on it for me.” Gordon had certainly come a long way since stepping up from a VW Beetle as his first car, then from the XP onto the XA.

Gordon was born in Brisbane in 1942, coincidentally in the same month as his RPO was built. “I went to school in Toogoolawah, and my mother worked part-time for PMG – the Post Master General, which later became Telecom. Mum worked two jobs to keep us going… I was going to go for ‘Seniors’ (Year 12 - Ed) but we didn’t have a high school at that stage, so I would have had to catch the train,” tells Gordon, adding, “but Mum couldn’t afford the rail ticket, so she asked if I’d be interested in sitting the PMG entrance exam.” Gordon came 77th in the exam, and started with PMG (now Telstra. -Ed) in 1959, staying on for 40 years.

Just after a year of ownership, Gordon used his GT as a wedding car… at his own wedding. Life moved quickly, a wife, kids and work. “I worked down at Batlow, NSW for a time, and remember pulling over for coffee. It was lightly snowing, and the temperature change blew the ceramic water pump seal, so I had to stop at every gully, creek and dam to top up the radiator. I had water in a bucket pouring it in every chance I got, all the way home!”

In 1988, Australian Insurances skyrocketed… especially if you owned a high performance vehicle. “I just couldn’t afford the insurance premium for the GT,” remembers Gordon, “so I parked it. I always intended to get it back on the road but time moved on very quickly,” Gordon scratches his chin.

REGULAR PRODUCTION OPTION 83

In 1973, Ford Australia quietly released 250 specially equipped GTs with the RPO 83 (Regular Production Option) which were fitted with a 780cfm carburetor and HM headers from the intended GT-HO Phase IV program. Of these, 130 were sedans and 120 were hardtops. The first Falcon XA GT RPO 83 hardtop scheduled from the production line in May 1973, was a Red Pepper with white trim and cloth inserts, sold new by Brian Pollock Motors, of Phillip, ACT. The last RPO 83 hardtop scheduled was a Brambles Red example with black trim sold new by Thompson Ford of Parramatta, NSW. Because of the Ford strike in 1973, final production of the RPO 83s was delayed until August.

Gordon’s RPO 83 hardtop is painted in rare MacRobertsons Old Gold, a rich orange hue, the corporate colour of MacRobertson, the chocolate confectionary company (see the breakout story on the history of MacRobertson – Ed), and was fully optioned with power steering, integrated air, power windows, 2-piece sports road wheels, 8-track radio/stereo tape player, front and rear spoilers, factory fitted rear louvre and tinted side glass. Topping off these options, is the coveted Regular Production Option 83 – which incorporated components from the stillborn GT-HO Phase IV parts bin!

BACK TO THE PRESENT

“I knew about the XA GT RP0 83, but not its exact location,” says Ford hardtop tragic, Troy Postle, from Queensland. “When I had heard rumours about it being sold, I had to know for sure.” Troy nods his head. “So I thought… I’m going to find it.”

“I asked around and narrowed the search. The GT RPO 83 had been documented before, but its exact location was kept a secret, and for good reason. It’s one of only two in this colour… adding to its uniqueness, is that only 120 XA GT RPO83s were ever produced.” Troy smiles. “I remember when I spotted the unmistakable XA GT bonnet sticking its nose out from under the small corrugated shed. There was chicken wire around the shed,” Troy nods, “I parked my own XA GT hardtop to show I was an enthusiast. I looked at the path that lead to Gordon’s front door and it was covered in long grass, perfect snake country. I made it to the front door then knocked a couple of times.”

“Yeah!” Gordon poked his head out of the front window and studied Troy with a curious eye. “I’m Troy… and that’s my XA GT hardtop out front—” Troy indicated with a lazy thumb over his shoulder— “I’d love to talk to you about your hardtop.” Gordon smiled and glanced at Troy’s car. “Just give me a second!”

Gordon inspected Troy’s immaculate XA GT hardtop, then lead Troy to his own pride and joy. “I’ve owned it since new. People keep pestering me to sell it to them — I reckon I’ve had over 500 offers!” Gordon rubs his chin. “One bloke even offered to take it off my hands for nothing!” Gordon glanced up at Troy. “I suppose you want to buy it too?” Troy smiled back. “No Gordon… I just love Fords, and especially hardtops!”

Gordon nodded and took a calming breath. He looked around his quiet property then back at Troy. “Everyone keeps telling me what I should be doing with it. I’ve thought about restoring it but then all the memories would be washed away.”

OLD GOLD

Troy nodded and studied the rare car behind the chicken wire, which stared back with one broken driving light lens, and the other dull from sun fade. Looking sad, the old Falcon’s wings have truly been clipped over time. Surrounded by old soft drink cans and bottles, its tyres sit deflated on American alloy racing rims which were long ago swapped over from the factory option 52 mags. There is rust in the bonnet, along the A-pillar and around the boot – and the big Falcon’s panels are dented on the drivers’ side door and quarter, even the rear valance panel is jutting out on the left from being caught on something.

Looking beyond the dust and cobwebs, this RPO was graced with unique dealer fitted side-winder stripes which start at the GT 351 badge at the fenders, and sweep over its flanks at the rear. The mark of a hardtop with good bones, is to find it still fitted with the original stainless wheel arch moulds, and to its credit, they’re still fitted – even the left hand rear one, which is usually the first to go from accident damage.

Opening the door, Troy was met with the stench of a rat party that had been going on for years. Giant rat poo is all over the interior, and we wonder if these rats aren’t the size of a small kangaroo! Gordon remarks, “The rats have gotten in there and chewed the wiring, they have gotten into my other car too.” Inside everything is pretty much standard, even the 8-track stereo has been frozen in time with Elvis’ Rock’n’On hits in the tape deck. The front passenger seat is no longer in the car, Gordon takes up the story, “The seat rail had broken, and my passenger would almost fall into the back seat on acceleration, so I took the seat out.” Gordon’s work mates thought this was hilarious, and made fun that he looked like a chauffeur. The front seat, and the factory rear louvre have been put away for safe keeping. This RPO was upgraded at Metro Ford with orange flavoured ‘Hawaiian’ cloth inserts, which is another unique ‘Day Two’ mod setting this car apart from others. Fast glass is factory fitted.

The engine bay is as close to bog stock as you’d expect, with the big 351cid Cleveland V8 and its 4V Big Port heads nestled nicely within, “The heads have never been off,” nods Gordon. Even the original HM headers are still fitted! The ID tags have never been removed, and wiping away the dust reveals paint code Y157 – MacRoberstons Old Gold. Crouching down, and looking underneath, the sturdy 9-inch diff is covered in grease and grime, but Gordon states she’s a genuine Detroit Locker unit. 

Isn’t it funny that just about every old car that has had long term ownership, almost always has the ‘token’ hessian sack in the boot! What is it with that? – What was its purpose? Or will this forever remain part of the mystique of old cars?… Needless to say, there is more giant rat poo in the boot too, concealing the long range fuel tank beneath. On the left, we see the dealer fitted electric aerial patiently waiting to provide its services once again – ‘Power me up Scotty!’

The hardtop has now been parked up for 31 years, which is near double of that it had spent on the road beforehand. Since 1988, Gordon had been driving a HQ which is fitted with a 253cid V8, but that too has been parked under a tree for ages.

Gordon steadied himself and looked lovingly at his GT time capsule. “They reckon the car needs this and that. That it should be tucked away so no one will see it.” Gordon took another breath. “This car is my memories. If I sold it I would be selling part of my family… it’s staying where it is.” Gordon smiled warmly. “Anyway… if I moved it away or covered it up, no one would pop in for a chat… which I don’t mind on the odd occasion.”

The Latest news

Sadly, Gordon passed away in late 2019, leaving all of his belongings including his beloved car to his family. They made the tough decision to sell Gordon’s RPO83 hardtop, putting the car to auction and offering the car ‘as is’. After some incredible interest in the car across Australia, including a number feature stories on the nightly news channels, the car was sold for $300,909 to an anonymous enthusiast in South Australia. What is next for the Chicken Coupe? Stay tuned to Survivor Car Australia for any further developments!