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With the surplus of revitalized muscle cars on the road today, it takes something unique to make any one of them a real standout. Looking at just how many were turned out between 1964 and 1973 by Ford, General Motors, Chrysler and AMC, the production numbers are overwhelming. Today only a handful of the extremely rare models draw attention, and therein lies the problem for prospective buyers shopping for something really unusual-what's a good pick (at an affordable price)?
Phil Newell of Portland thinks he might have the solution, especially if the idea of owning a muscle car from "down-under" sounds intriguing. A native of Hobart, Tasmania, he won the state drag racing championship in a Datsun 510. Newell's company, Aussie Car Imports, Inc. (www.aussiecarimports.com), has several divisions through which he can locate and import Australian-built coupes, sedans, wagons, vans and "utes" (similar to Rancheros and El Caminos).
 Detroit's Big Three built muscle cars exclusively for Australia during the 60s and 70s and some are now considered genuine collectibles. These cars were conceived as little more than homologation specials-built in low-volume numbers to comply with racing regulations. They featured oversize engines, performance suspension and brakes, and unique aerodynamics aimed at racing or road performance. American auto writers billed some of these cars as the best in their class. For example, Newell says that the GM Torana XU-1 was billed as the "world's fastest six-cylinder", and the Chrysler Charger E37, E38, E49 series as 'the world's fastest coupe'.
I recently hooked up with Phil and two of his customers to experience several examples of his Aussie Coupes at Portland International Raceway. These guys spent the summer cruising to shows around the Pacific Northwest and their cars proved to be sidewalk magnets wherever they traveled.
As Australians drive "on the wrong side of the road", the cars are right-hand drive. Though I've driven literally hundreds of cars in my lifetime, this was the first time I have done so from the opposite side of the car. It really takes no time at all to become accustomed to negotiating the road from this position, though it took some effort to become comfortable left-handing a 4-speed gearbox. Phil reports that a fun side effect of owning one of these machines are the looks coming from passing motorists, who become obviously confused by watching a car pass by with apparently no driver behind the wheel!
Ford Australia arguably built the most well known Aussie-the "Interceptor"-that was made famous in the hi-octane movie "Mad Max" starring Mel Gibson. The car modified for the film was a 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT Hardtop/Coupe that came standard with a 300-horsepower, 351 top-loader. The chief modification for the movie was a Concorde front end and a "for looks only" supercharger poking through the hood. One of the cars I drove was a replica of the Interceptor owned by Bill Brown of Estacada. Other cars I had a chance to examine were the Falcons owned by Bill Albright of Portland and Newell's personal Falcon. As you can see from the photos, the Australian Falcon design closely resembled American Mustangs and Torinos from the early '70s.
Thus far, Newell has delivered over ten of the Aussie Coupes to customers throughout the United States. Originals in good condition go for as little as $10,000, including shipping. Any repairs or modifications are made before the cars are shipped, and many of their mechanical components are shared with the U.S. production models.
Bringing them into the country is fairly simple-as long as the car is at least 25 years old it is exempt from U.S. emissions requirements. Besides the Ford offerings, customers may also pursue products built by Chrysler and Holden (GM of Australia). Holden Monaro coupes are powered by Chevy's 327 engine.
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