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The last great Aussie muscle car: The Unicorn
On this episode of In My Garage, RAC Patrol Richard meets Greg and his one-of-one Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III.
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On this episode of In My Garage, RAC Patrol Richard meets Greg and his one-of-one Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III.
Published
4 min read
Text size
Published
Text size
Legends describe the unicorn as a mystical, elusive creature – so rare that it can only be seen by a maiden of pure heart. What the fairytales don't mention, however, is that unicorns do exist, and some even come with a roaring V8 engine.
By the early 70s, Australian car manufacturers were locked in an arms race: a battle for who could build the biggest, most powerful muscle car. Holden had the Monaro GTS350, Chrysler was cooking up the Valiant Charger R/T E49, and Ford had the Falcon GT range.
But in 1971, Ford released a car that is considered to be the peak of the whole affair – the Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III.
Just a year later, growing public and political concern around increasingly powerful road cars brought that chapter to a close. The Phase III's would-be successor, the Phase IV, was axed before reaching full production, helping cement the Phase III's status as one of the defining icons of Australia's muscle car era.
Only 300 Phase IIIs were ever built, each one required simply to satisfy Ford's Bathurst homologation rules. Officially rated at 300 horsepower, many speculated the real number sat closer to 380 – enough to make it the fastest four-door production car in the world at the time. It backed up the bravado on the track too, taking out five of the top six placings at the 1971 Bathurst 500, with Allan Moffat driving one to victory. But one of the rarest of all GTHO Phase IIIs, nick-named The Unicorn, is parked right here in WA, in Greg's aptly retro-themed garage.
Legend has it that The Unicorn was originally produced as a special order for the Rothmans cigarette company, painted Rothmans Blue (later renamed Bold Blue by Ford), and intended as a promotional giveaway prize. But the managing director liked it so much he decided to keep it for the company, handing out a Vermillion Fire XY GT instead. Fitted with rare factory extras like cloth inserts, an 8-track cassette player and even a sunroof, The Unicorn has been a collector's car from the beginning with only 38,000 miles on the clock.
For Greg, the GTHO Phase III has been a childhood dream. He calls his love for the cars "a family thing – we were what you'd call traditional petrol heads." Growing up in Adelaide, a young Greg would hear a V8 roar past his house at the same time every night. He convinced his mum to let him go and see it. It was a GTHO. "It triggered something in me," he says. "I thought, when I get old enough, I'll buy one of those."
That early obsession eventually turned into an ambition to win best originally maintained car at the GT National Titles. Greg bought his first GTHO in 2004, sold it, and bought a better one in 2010. He placed second on two occasions and worked hard to improve the car, before realising what he really needed was the best Phase III out there.
He found it, and spent years meticulously preserving its originality, ensuring every detail remained as close to factory specification as possible. Since then, Greg has taken out multiple national titles for the best originally maintained GTHO with The Unicorn, and he's got his sights set on defending his title at the 2027 National Titles right here in Perth.
Like the mythical creature that inspired its nickname, The Unicorn has spent decades proving just how rare it really is. What began as a one-off promotional car became one of the most sought-after Phase IIIs in the country, carefully preserved and cared for by owners who understood its significance.
Perhaps there's some truth to the old legend after all: rare treasures have a way of finding people willing to devote their hearts to them. Today, this unique piece of Australian motoring history sits proudly in the garage of a passionate West Australian, ready to inspire the next generation of enthusiasts.
Meet Greg and get an even closer look into his rare GTHO Phase III on In My Garage on the Horizons by RAC YouTube channel.
