1965 Ford Falcon

This second generation Ford Falcon Futura Convertible rolled out of Ford’s assembly plant in Lorain, Ohio in October 1965, destined for a customer in Philadelphia. The original owner specified the exterior in a dark Twilight Turquoise iridescent paint and the interior vinyl trim in the lighter Turquoise - a bold choice even for the mid-sixties.

The vendor understands that it is powered by Ford’s 200cu-in (3.3-litre) Fairlane straight-six with a single-barrel Holley carburettor which gives 120hp and a theoretical top speed of 96mph. This car has a 3-speed ‘Cruise-O-Matic’ dual-range gearbox, meaning that depending on which dot the shift marker points to, you are either limited to 1-2 or get the full 1-2-3 gear shift.

This Falcon was imported and registered in the UK in 1996, and in 2015 it underwent a full body-off restoration, repaint and retrim in the white over red you see today. This was done whilst in the ownership of a Bristol-based collector who subsequently sold it on to its next owner in Leicester who bought such cars annually to take to and show at the Goodwood Revival.

The current owner, who has a small collection of American cars, bought the Falcon from him in June as a fill-in whilst he waited for parts for his convertible Mustang. Despite the Falcon being in the best aesthetic and mechanical condition of all his cars, it was only meant to be temporary and he now wants to move it on.

PLEASE NOTE: the UK V5C registration document states an engine capacity of 2673cc whereas the engine is understood to be the original 200cu-in which would be 3273cc. Whilst it’s most likely that it was incorrectly registered when brought to the UK, we have been unable to confirm this.

Stood back, the white exterior with its red coach-line and chrome trimmings looks not perfect, but pretty good. Up closer, you’d probably describe the paintwork as being in a fair-to-good condition. It is unclear who carried out the respray from its original dark turquoise to white but it looks as though it was done by a gifted amateur rather than a body shop professional. There are areas where the paint seems to have been applied more thickly and others, such as around the edges of some panels, where coverage is a little thin. (Given the nature of cars like these at this age, you will understand we are being a bit picky in our description)

There are the beginnings of rust appearing on the panel seams and rear ends of the sills where they meet the wheel arches and there’s a few blemishes such as a hairline crack in paint on the rear deck but overall there are no evident significant issues and the Flacon should provide fun for many years to come with little attention.

In terms of panel gaps and shutlines, alignment isn’t too bad for an American car of this era. If we were to be picky, we’d say that both doors seem to sit a little high at the rear (accentuated by the side trims) and the bonnet shut line is slightly skewed as is the front bumper. However, these are things that someone with a little time and patience to fettle could probably improve.

The white fabric folding roof was replaced during the restoration and appears in good condition and whilst the canvas could probably be fitted a little tighter to take out the wrinkles in the rear window, it is watertight and functional and, let’s face it, only there for rain emergencies. As with most convertibles, the car looks at its best when the roof is folded away and it packs neatly under a smart red vinyl tonneau.

The chrome bumpers, badges and trims seem very good - most of these are understood to have been replaced during the restoration through Topspeed Automotive near Brooklands; specialists in US car parts. A California Malibu Beach window sticker adds a bit more Americana to a car that already shouts of stars and stripes.

The Falcon sits on 14-inch steel wheels with Ford factory wire wheel covers and all are fitted with American Bronze whitewall radial tyres. The chromed wheel covers look generally in good order with just light scratching around the rim and a few knocks on the ‘spinners’. The tyres appear to have a sufficient tread and aside from a few sidewall scuffs they present in a reasonable condition.

The interior of the car, so visible to the outside with the roof down, is a wonderful riot of bright red, from the vinyls of the seats and door cards, and the metal door surrounds and dash, to the plush carpets and diamond-quilted floor mats. The instrument panel, standing out in a silvered finish, really evokes period America against the wall-to-wall red.

The steering wheel comes from a Falcon Sprint (the V8 powered sister car) but doesn’t detract and is in keeping with the rest of the interior, which in any case is not the originally fitted Turquoise upholstery - just as well in our view!

Whilst the donor interior is very strong it isn’t perfect. The dash panel alignment is not perfect and there’s also an oversupply of paint around the heater controls. Although not normally visible, when the driver’s half of the front bench seat is tilted for access to the rear, the back seam of the seat base has come unstitched and is currently held fast with duct tape so would benefit from proper attention. The parking brake handle also appears fractured but functional. Not a tiny list, but bear in mind how much ‘stuff’ is inside a car like this, and it doesn’t appear unreasonable!

As ever, you don’t have to take our word on the condition of this stylish convertible and we always encourage a personal inspection. Use the ‘Contact Seller’ option to make an appointment to see the car in Bristol or otherwise set up a one to one call with the vendor to discuss it in more detail.

Under the hood (it is American after all) the engine bay is very simplistic. It presents like a textbook in basic mechanics with easy access to all components thanks to the yawning chasms around the block that nowadays would be computer-designed to be filled with all manner of electronics and modern ancillaries. All looks tidy and in good order with air cleaner and rocker cover painted in Old Ford Blue. The ignition leads look fairly recent along with various other renewed cables and hoses. An authentic-looking reproduction FoMoCo screen wash bag completes the period look - although we don’t see why Ford couldn’t design in a plastic tank in the ‘60s, there’s plenty of room for one.

Under the car, all appears very clean and in fine fettle. The exhaust downpipes are heat wrapped for improved performance and the suspension and steering components all look clean and tidy. The gearbox sump, prop shaft, diff and rear axle are all still pleasingly painted blue from the resto and remainder of the exhaust also looks either stainless or recently renewed. The chassis and floor have good underseal coating applied.

In the trunk (catching on?) the carpets and linings look recent and are clean and tidy. Under them, the metal cover over the fuel tank appears in a fair condition with just a little area of paint crackle. The catches and hinges all look fine and rust free. Inside the boot are the full-size spare wheel and some newly removed parts from the braking system and fuel tank sender, along with a class runner-up rosette from the Bristol Classic Car Show of 2018.

The Falcon has a very recent MOT valid until June 2021. The online MOT history shows less than 2,000 miles driven since 2006 when records began. There was a slight hiccup in 2010 when the tester must have been having a bad day and likely entered the mileage from a completely different vehicle but those before and after seem to validate the mileage as correct. There were a few missed tests in the last fourteen years where the car was presumably SORN and a few failures. The only one of note being some corrosion around suspension mounts in 2014 which was presumably sorted as it doesn’t appear in subsequent (or prior) reports.

Cars of this age aren’t legally required to have an MOT but we always recommend them as an independent view on roadworthiness and safety and it’s good to see a Historic class vehicle that continues to be tested annually.

The body-off respray and restoration of 2015 is documented in a photo album which comes with the car, along with a number of expired MOT test reports and recent invoices for parts and work done.

In mid-June of this year, immediately prior to the most recent MOT and the current owner’s purchase of the car, the brake system was fully overhauled with many parts replaced including the master cylinder. Issues with the carburettor were resolved, the gearbox kick-down sorted and the fuel-tank sender unit replaced. This work was done by DMH Motor Repairs in Warwickshire who are so deliciously old school that they still write out their job sheets and invoices by hand.

At the time of writing, the car is back in the garage having a small leak in the radiator sorted, but this will be done well in time for the end of the sale.

For those who like the easy-going style of convertible ‘Yank Tanks’ but feel that their sheer size renders them rather awkward for the UK’s roads, then this ‘65 Falcon Convertible is the car for you. At around 4.6m long and 1.8m wide, it’s only the same size as a current model Ford Focus Estate, but its uncomplicated shape, two doors and drop top give it an enlarged road presence.

As can be seen in the short video, the engine starts and runs well and the vendor reports that there are no issues with how it drives now that the recent works have been done. He drove it from Leicester to Bristol on the day of purchase and he says it held the road well, was effortless with its power steering and maintained an easy 70mph cruise on the motorway. He’s since taken it on trips of 40+ miles with “no bother!”

As an imported model never sold in the UK, you won’t find so many Falcons around, let alone convertibles, so we think this good-looking car in its appealing (if not original) colour combination will fetch between £12,500 and £18,000. You don’t have to live in Malibu or Miami to enjoy cruising in this car with the family or five of your mates - it would still turn heads in Morecambe or Margate - and whilst it’s not concours, it can clearly hold its own in a provincial show.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Bristol; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

This vehicle is not with us at The Market’s HQ near Abingdon, which means we have had to rely on the owner’s description of it, in conjunction with the photographs you see here, to compile the listing.

With this in mind, we would encourage potential bidders to contact the owner themselves and arrange to view the car in person, or to arrange a dedicated video call in which they can view the car virtually and ask questions.