1964 Ford Falcon – Classified of the Week

As the 1950s came to a close, the American carmakers were quickly coming to realise that the market was rapidly turning off the idea of big, wayward machines. In the ‘50s it was all about the chrome, the fins, the rocket age and the excess that came with it. More metal was better. However, by the time the 1960s were knocking on the door, however, attitudes had changed. The cars were now too big, too cumbersome and compared to the little cars that were appearing from Europe and Japan (though not yet in the numbers the ‘70s would see,) the American cars were also incredibly expensive to run. The manufacturers needed a solution if they were going to retain sales. In Ford’s case, that meant a new compact car – the Ford Falcon.

The Falcon was and still is a brilliant car. It was compact, it was powerful if you went for a V8 model and it was exceptionally handsome. You’d think then, it would have been a roaring success. And it was, until 1964 when the second-generation Falcon came out. This second Falcon simply didn’t sell well at all. And why? Was it a bad car? No, far from it. In fact it was a great car. The reason it didn’t sell was actually Ford’s fault – it released the Mustang the same year. And as you know, the Mustang did pretty well. In fact, since 1964 Ford has sold and built and sold some 10,000,000 Mustangs. Good for Ford, but bad for the Falcon. We overlooked it, and that’s a shame. 

Ford didn’t quietly usher the Falcon off though, in fact it tried desperately to keep the little car fresh and exciting, which brings us to this week’s chosen classified. What you’re looking at here isn’t just a 1964 Ford Falcon, it’s a 1964 Ford Falcon Sprint, complete with 260 V8 and two-speed Ford-O-Matic transmission. This was the package Ford put together to entice buyers, and a few were. The Sprint boasted that 260 V8, it also had stiffer suspension, a throatier exhaust and special trim and paint options. It was a baby muscle car, in essence.

The car we’ve found here is supposedly completely original and has never been welded, which is a remarkable achievement if true. It’s obviously had some paint and polish over the years, and the vendor states that he’s fitted the new wheels, though he still has the original set complete with new rubber. He also has a whole host of parts to go with the car, which should make future upkeep that little bit easier. The suspension and front brakes have been rebuilt, and the rear air shocks have been renewed, too. This car is on the button, numbers matching and ready to go. 

At just £23,500 we think this Ford Falcon represents solid value. It certainly seems to be in wonderful condition, you get all those parts and you also get something that, in our opinion, is a little bit cooler than a ‘64 or ‘65 Mustang. Yes, the Mustang won on the sales floor against the Falcon, but that was more to do with how good the ‘stang was, not that the Falcon was bad. The Falcon was, in fact, a very good car, and this particular one is a great reminder of that fact. Get it bought.