Welcome to our “Hall of Muscle” a constantly changing exhibition of the celebration of the Australian Muscle Car.
1971 Ford Falcon XY GT
Widely regarded as one of the greatest Australian muscle cars of all time, the XY Falcon GT was launched in November 1970. Ford further enhanced the Cleveland 351 cubic inch (5.8 Litre) V8 by adding a bigger Autolite 600 cfm four-barrel carburetor and raising the compression ratio to 11.0:1. Externally, the XY GT retained the matte black bonnet panels, grille and rear panel and Super Roo decals but introduced the iconic ‘Shaker’ bonnet scoop for the first time. Ford also improved the GT’s braking capabilities by installing bigger Kelsey-Hayes discs up front. The vehicle on display was built in February of 1971 and has had just three owners since new. It has been restored to factory specification of an ‘Electric Blue’ exterior with a black vinyl interior. It was extensively restored by Rodney Plowman Restorations of Adelaide, South Australia.
1974 Holden Torana L34
Graham Parsons started his motor racing career in 1964, racing a Ford Cortina GT. It was one of only three cars he raced in his thirteen-year career – all with number 25, chosen by Graham, because he was 25 years old when he bought his first racing car. Graham had some success with his Cortina, establishing a new record for the under 1.5 litre touring car class at the famous Penguin Hillclimb and winning a Tasmanian touring car division two championship, in what would have been the equivalent of today’s two litre improved production sedan class. He won many races on his home circuit at Symmons Plains, a number of them in wet condition, despite not owning a set of wet weather tyres. Somehow Graham was always able to find someone who would lend him a second-hand set of tyres – such was the respect in which he was held by his fellow competitors. Graham also loved racing at the Longford Grand Prix Circuit before its demise, where he also met with some success. After racing his Cortina for eight years, he upgraded to a Holden Torana GTR XU-1, which he campaigned for two years with mixed success. Although he didn’t finish the 1973 Symmons Plains round of the Australian Touring car Championship, the outing lit a fire for Graham, who now had a taste of racing the best in the country. The following year he came of age in the national series, finishing fourth at the Symmons Plains round, won by Peter Brock in a similar car. In 1975, Graham made the big step of purchasing a brand-new Holden Torana SLR-5000 L34, with the aim of competing in the Australian Touring Car Championship. At the time, it was a significant investment and Graham borrowed money from his life insurance to purchase the car. It proved a good choice and at the opening round of the 1975 championship at Symmons Plains, Graham looked set for a home track victory, leading for 23 laps of 40, before fading brakes forced him to ease back, eventually finishing seventh. Peter Brock wanted to lease Graham’s car for the next round, but Graham refused. Graham was able to hold his own against the best in the country – against the likes of Colin Bond, Alan Grice, Allan Moffat, John Harvey and Peter Brock – with a number of top 10 finishes at mainland circuits, including Sandown, Calder and Winton. Finishing every race was important to Graham and at one round of the championship at Calder when the gear knob came off in his hand, he continued to drive, finishing the race with a massive hole in his glove and a severely blistered and bloodied hand. Graham was never blessed with a factory or sponsor-backed budget and was often competing with standard parts and little or no development, compared to some of the more noted drivers. While he may not have won as many races as he would like, Graham was always determined, and raced hard – sometimes too hard – delighting and entertaining those watching. In 1977, he finally hung up his helmet, handing the keys of the L34 to his up and coming son, David.
1982 Ford Falcon XE Grand Prix
When Ford stopped making V8 Falcons in Australia in 1982, Dick Johnson saw a niche for a performance Ford to keep up with Peter Brock's Commodore road cars. Working with turbocharging guru David Inall, they produced a turbocharged performance version of the 4.1 litre six cylinder Falcon that produced 190kW - enough to run the standing 400 metres in the mid-14 seconds. Lowering and stiffening of the suspension produced a car that handled nearly as well as it went. Enkei alloy wheels and a unique body kit achieved the desired look. Inside, Scheel sports seats trimmed in Grand Prix grey fabric, extra gauges and Dick Johnson signature steering wheel gave the Falcon an exclusive look. Tru Blu paintwork of Johnson's then-current race car was used. The car on display is build number 17.
1974 Holden HQ Kingswood Utility
Introduced in 1971, the HQ Holden marked a major step forward for Holden with its new chassis, fresh styling and much-improved ride quality, quickly becoming one of Australia’s most iconic workhorses. Its toughness, simplicity and wide range of body styles made it a common sight on farms, worksites and streets across the country. The HQ Ute on display was purchased new in Launceston, Tasmania. It has been in the current owner’s possession for over 15 years and served as a daily driver for three years before undergoing a full Street Machine–style rebuild by Del City Kustoms in Shearwater. After completion, it was displayed at the 2022 Meguiar’s Motorex event in Melbourne. It now runs a 454-cubic-inch V8 topped with a BDS 8-71 supercharger. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a Reid TH400 transmission and a 9-inch, 35-spline differential. The ute rides on 20-inch Boyd Coddington wheels, staggered at 8 inches wide up front and 12 inches at the rear, giving it at least a chance at traction.
2003 Ford Falcon BA XR8 Coupe
The BA Falcon represented a 500 million dollar investment and 24000 hours of engine and durability testing. Germany's Nürburgring test track was used for some suspension testing. Ford never offered a coupe version of its BA Falcon. The car on display was built by Dreamtech a Melbourne based company who specialise in building stretched limousines. The most challenging part of the BA Coupe build was ensuring the side impact protection complied so the car could be registered in any Australian state. The ‘B' pillars have been moved 250mm rearwards, the chassis has been reinforced internally and new doors have been manufactured 250mm longer to suit. New custom door trims, rear trims, windows, weather strips, door rubbers and headlining all had to be produced. The car on display BA Coupe Number One was shown by Dreamtech at the Melbourne International Motor Show in 2003, and was received very positively.
2002 Holden Monaro – Brock Tribute
This 2002 Monaro tribute was built by a Tasmanian enthusiast “Steve”, to honour the car Peter and James Brock drove in the 2002 Targa Tasmania. The idea was sparked during a Brisbane-to-Tasmania road trip with his brother-in-law, where a visit to the now-closed Brock Experience reignited Steve’s passion for Holden and the Brock legacy. Already owning a Devil Yellow Monaro, Steve sourced a Red Hot manual model to replicate the original. With help from respected specialists including Jason White of White Hot Motor Sports, the car was fitted with a rally-spec roll cage, Recaro seats, a racing-style steering wheel, shortened shifter, and performance pedals—all matched to the Brock car’s setup. The build became a deeply personal journey after Steve lost his son during the process. He chose to finish the project in his memory, completing the car in late 2022. This tribute stands as a celebration of Holden history, Peter Brock’s legacy, and a father’s dedication through grief.
1974 Ford Falcon XB ‘Brut 33 Tribute’
Allan Moffat OBE was born in Canada in 1939, moving to Australia at age 17, Moffat became an icon of Australian motor racing during the 1970s and 1980s. In the early 1970s, Allan Moffat developed project ‘B52’ – the XB Falcon Hardtop was sent to the United States of America, to be developed and tested at the same ‘Kar Kraft’ premises where the legendary Trans Am Mustang was developed. The vehicle was tested over 2000 kilometres, reaching speeds of over 160mph. On return the car achieved a win at the Sandown 250 in 1974. The vehicle on display was built as a tribute to the car that won at Sandown. At Bathurst the same year he did not have the same success, and after a multitude of engine and gearbox problems he was forced to retire after 92 laps. The car was later repainted into the #25 Thorn Red car. Unfortunately, a transporter fire in Murray Bridge (80 kilometres out of Adelaide) destroyed the car in 1976. Allan Moffat passed away on the 22nd of November 2025. He is remembered as one of the most influential and successful figures in the history of Australian motor racing. The Falcon on display started life as a six-cylinder, automatic Fairmont. It was purchased by the current owner in 2013, in poor condition and requiring a lot of work. He initially intended to use the car for the occasional track day, however once he got the car painted he decided it was too good to risk damaging on the racetrack. The car only competed in one race while wearing the exact livery the owner was replicating (Sandown 250 in 1974), and so extensive research was undertaken to ensure the smallest of details were represented. The vehicle is powered by a 351 Cleveland V8, fitted with 2V heads and 4V valves and roller rockers. An ASR sump and an ICE ignition system, fed by twin side-draught Weber carburettors. It is fitted with race seats, a six-point harness and a bolt-in roll cage
1967 Ford Falcon XR GT
In May 1967, Ford Australia launched the vehicle that started the muscle car war in Australia, the XR GT. Indistinguishable from the standard car at a glance, the XR GT heralded the dawn of Australian motorsport’s golden era. Equipped with full sports suspension, ZA Fairlane bucket seats, and a wood-rim steering wheel, the 289 Windsor V8 was coupled to a four-speed manual gearbox. This gave the XR GT the performance to match its quietly menacing looks. Due to homologation rules in place at the time, the XR GT was launched for general sale to an excited public. In October 1967, however, the reason for the XR GT’s creation became clear when it won the ‘King of the Mountain’ title at Bathurst, setting the benchmark for a new generation of Australian muscle cars.
1970 Valiant VG Pacer
It was Ford that kicked off the power wars of the late-'60s, with the V8 powered XR Falcon GT. Not to be left by the wayside Chrysler Australia released its own low-cost, red-hot version of the Valiant. Featuring a high-performance six-cylinder engine and three-speed manual gearbox, the Pacer was aimed firmly at the youth market, previously ignored by Chrysler. Although lacking the V8 power of its rivals the Pacer could race to 180km/h and, at $2798, was a lot cheaper - $400 less than a basic GTS Monaro. The VG Pacer arrived in 1970 powered by a high-performance, two-barrel version of the new Australian made 245cu.in (4.0-litre), six-cylinder Hemi engine. A 'Mod Pack' comprising black bonnet patches and 'spoiler stripes' was available to spice up the exterior.