Scott Regan saved this 302-powered XC
convertible from the scrap heap, having spent a
good decade in a paddock in the Hunter Valley.
Scott spent the next four years restoring the
car, which had been engineered when it was
first built. He and his brother drove both the
convertible and Scott’s other coupe (parked
behind) from the Central Coast
I
F YOU’RE a car guy or girl, odds are that your world stops
for one weekend each year for the Bathurst 1000. It’s a time
for hanging with mates and sinking a few cold ones in front
of the TV – or better yet, on the Mountain itself.
For Ford fans, not many Bathurst moments rank as
highly, or burn as brightly in the memory as the Moffat Ford
Dealers team 1-2 win in 1977 in their XC Falcon hardtops. It
was a decisive victory, with the third-placed Torana of privateer
Peter Janson a lap behind. But the win wasn’t without a little
controversy, thanks to Allan Moffat pulling rank as team owner.
Despite his car suffering a lack of brakes and increasing lap
times, Moffat instructed Bond to stay behind him in second
place in the #2 car as they rolled across the finish line together.
In subsequent years, Moffat has been quoted as saying he has
no regrets over the decision to keep the faster Bond back. For
his part, Bond has said that he wishes he’d broken rank and
powered on for the win.
Regardless, it was an iconic moment in Australian racing, and
it has been bringing Falcon coupe owners together every two
years since 2007 for the Hardtop Anniversary.
The 2017 Hardtop Anniversary was particularly special in that
it celebrated not only the 40th anniversary of that Bathurst win,
but also a decade of the event itself. Traditionally held in Echuca
in Victoria, the 2017 event moved to its spiritual home, Mount
Panorama. This meant a change in dates and activities, but the
new location also helped attract additional entrants. Around 150
XA/XB/XC coupes converged upon the Mount, coming fromFOR FORD FANS, NOT MANY
BATHURST MOMENTS RANK AS HIGHLY AS
THE MOFFAT FORD DEALERS
TEAM 1-2 WIN IN 1977
A