I think AU owners can agree that the most impressive part of this car is the fact that the window went up on its first go!

You need to own an AU for awhile, you'll get to fall in love with the looks as well

If you start getting messages from shady dudes in Sombreros it's because of this ultra rare Burrito AU.

Plenty of AUs here in New Zealand, mine is a V8 wagon daily driver. Love it!

I love how the au drives... driven a lot of falcons, and I gotta say the au was light and nimble with a positive feel.. great car

I love these unusual factory ordered cars. One of my mates ordered a BA from the factory with the 5.4 and a 5 speed manual. He loved that car and really regrets trading it so the wife could get a new car because he knows it’s extremely unlikely he could ever find another one.

Ford spent an incredible amount of money designing the AU. Some of my customers were Ford evaluation designers. I heard lots of and saw interesting stuff. Sadly I predicted to one of the engineers that the engineering side of things was spot on but there was no way anybody will buy them with that body shape. I had a 12/98 forte, one of the first. Daughters had series2 and series 3 SR. Fantastic reliable cars all of them, in fact sold the series 2 to a mate who got it up to 650000 ks and then on sold it. It never had the head off or gearbox or diff touched. He actually sold it to a mechanic who was impressed by the way it still run. I saw the backpackers starting to buy them quite a few years back and said to my wife all they want is a vehicle they can put gas in and drive anywhere in Australia. The AU is the one to do it no sweat, hence the rise in price from $800 to $3000. Very good review thanks.

LOL. your Face when you started the Car. Thats why you do what you do...Pure Joy

Love AU’s I have a series 2 v8 Fairmont myself painted in the great meteorite has 270,000ks and doesn’t burn any oil. Has some nice tickford options aswell. They are a great car.

My time with my 2001 series 2 AU Futura has passed 18 years ....Totally unstoppable..she's running just as good as the day I brought her home from the car yard with already 60,000 kays in April 2003...Just spent the most I've ever spent on her recently with new front brake calipers with one starting to stick . Quite corroded on closer inspection so spent $600 to fit brand new ones for peace of mind ..One alternator five years ago , one power steering pump kit , one inlet manifold gasket and a couple of steering boots and one front left wheel bearing and a couple of window switches is it . Other than tyres , batteries , bulbs and exhausts , services etc of course . Nothing else has caused any grief . THE MIGHTY AU ..Thanks again Jon for a wonderful video...I love them .

Mate The AU is highly underrated. The series 1 AU falcon with shark tooth grill is the slipperyst Vehicle ever produced In Australia with a co efficient drag of .29 As comparison other vehicles rate at VL groupa A .32 VT commodore .33 Porsche 997 GT2 .32 1993 Supra .32 19988 Nissan 200 sx .32

Love the interceptor wheels, car looks like an unmarked police car

Ross is gunna blow up. The Best Aussie car reviews. Love it!

Wicked video mate love the Au's!!!!

A great review! I have two AUs, both Fairmont wagons. One (that's my daily drive) is a 4 litre six with dual fuel that's just a few thousand kilometres short of 500,000 all up! It's very economical but still has plenty of power, especially if you switch it back to petrol. The other is a quite rare example with the same Windsor 5 litre V8 as in your review car but it only comes out on weekends, strictly running premium 98. Just like you experienced, the engine is awesome. It is probably the most perfectly balanced and solid wagon I've ever driven, an absolute delight and joy to drive on the open road. In Fairmont spec level these are brilliant touring cars and with the wagon, super practical too.

This is one of the nicest cars you've reviewed. I love my v8 Au mines a s1 Fairmont though

You found a really clean and rare example of the AU, good on you Jono! Many years ago I owned a very clean Intech powered Futura that I bought off my parents quite cheap, and I admit admit at the time, they were really put down in their looks, to somewhat I agree with you they are starting to come of age! Cheers for sharing...

You are 100 percent right when you said AU Falcons keep going. Mine has 598,000 KMS on the clock.

The styling finally ageing to today's design language.

Ross, thats the best looking falcon you've had. Those steel wheels lowered with reasonable paint. Truly it should be the start of the new mad max film. Just gorgeous. Fkn luv it.

I daily drive my AU windsor wagon everyday. I love that sound

V8 Falcons & Fairlanes of any era are worth money!

I just know #MotoringBox will be watching 😉

The Au is my favourite model of all the Fords. Yes I do own one 😁

That's a beautiful example of the AU! I am privileged enough to own a series 1 AU Falcon 5.0l ute, and I love it. I had the motor stroked and it only goes out on nice days.

Just think what the MHC fellas could do with this bad girl. Cleanest AU forte I have seen in years glad you got a chance to review it.

Great info, basically every Falcon has got a good thing about it, and while to not everyones taste they sure as hell were a well engineered vehicle that is more reliable than basically anything you can buy brand new today. Great review, keep the Falcon ones coming.

series 3 au falcon we one of the best falcon produced.. known fact... regardless of appearance.

I have owned alot of falcons from xy to fg11, but I still love my au in the back shed. Great reveiw

My stepdad has one of the manuals, bog stock and in immaculate condition. Love the Windsor v8s

just found a AU Fairmont Ghia been in a front ender and the interior stripped, but still has the 302 in it as well as the drive line. paid $1350 and will be rebuilding it

Australia’s national car right here

Just bought an au Fairmont wagon with 121000 kms so just a baby. My job is to look after it just as much as the other owners have and still be my daily driver

That was quick for a auto Windsor , I should know as I’ve got one, mines a Fairmont..definitely a cult classic the au Telling u now that ford did a special auto quick shift in the v8 boxes.. btw au xr8’s are goin through the roof

A bloke that gets it , just how important the AU is , it's simply an incredible engineering feat.

I had an AU2 6 cyl work car with a BENCH SEAT , yep you could fit 6 people in it party style, I was on my to work and stopped at the lights and a charade hit me from behind doing about 70k, pushed in the rear almost into the back seat, cabin was intact. The guy in the charade was f....d, people were trying to save him. They pulled the rear of the AU back out and I drove it for another 6 months lol

I love my AU 2 Fairmont Ghia V8. It sounds great, not as sharp sounding as the modern DOHC 8's. The fairmonts also look bang on with a tickford bodykit. It really transforms the look of the car.

My s3 Fairmount ghia has had a terrible life from being thrashed to very little service history always got me home. Only reason it’s parked up now is because a wagon is more practical. It was my pops car who’s since passed and I just couldn’t sell it for any amount of money.

Awesome vid mate and a great piece of Australian motoring history right there

Great video as usual short and sweet I have grown to like them, a nice set of wheels would make that AU look a million bucks Tony

The TS50 that you reviewed is still my favourite looking falcon ever and really want one the in red

Just bought an AU series III xr6, absolutely love it. How can you hate an AU?

Just a tit bit for you mate. AU was the last Falcon that you could "tick the box" so you could option a V8 in any variant. When you ticked the V8 box the LSD was part of the option. So the 101 units you speak of were all that were ordered that way, they didn't just build Forte V8s. They had to be special ordered. You want to find RARE!- there must be a V8 manual wagon survivor out there somewhere.

Hey Mate,the mighty AU & a rare one too,I'm not keen on their look for me the BF & FG MK1 are my favourites,but I do highly admire their reliability & this one sounds beautiful as well,also hats off to the the owner it looks brand new very nice condition,you've hit the bullseye once again Johnny,everyone hurry up & get this man to 100k he deserves a KZfaq award to hang up on his wall lol,take care buddy.

Had one !! 2000 Series 2 AU Forte, Factory Optioned V8, Auto, No Cruise control, and only front power windows Black in colour and one owner vehicle. Bought it in 2003 with 19,000kms Regrettably sold it for a new BA Turbo when it came out Would own it again instantly !

Nice work. You need to search for an EB GT. The return to a platform that was moth balled for 20 years. I can remember, as an apprentice the Royal treatment that the customer and car received and 40 technicians all wanting to do the predelivery on the first GT.

Gotta love the AU!!!

The series 3 XR8 is the most desirable one and skyrocketing in price . I regret selling my series 3 XR8 ute . When you nailed it the thing wanted to go sideways. It was the 200kw tickford .

The AU copped flack from every direction including many Ford nuts, LARGELY undeserved in my opinion. I had a AU2 XLS ute for many years, that was a pleasure to drive, had ample power from stock IMO, was mechanically sound (apart from a couple of batteries), huge tray in the back, and looked great.

I recently upgraded to a 2014 g6e turbo,i still have an au xr6,and something about them i just can't get past they drive mint when well maintained.And can easily say no doubt driving my au across Australia without any issues ....Definitely earned their position in Australian motoring history...If you havent driven one do yourself a favour

The quality of the videos with the amount you’re putting out is outstanding mate keep it up definitely my favourite KZfaq at this point in time !

Those wheels are _beautilitarianful!_ 👀

Great engine those Windsor’s, you are absolutely correct when you say the AU’s get better with each passing year, l tell you what they may not be the most neck snapping in the acceleration department but they deliver a smooth type of power that is enjoyable, l have had a few cars like that in the past and still have a genuine bog standard EB S-XR8 in my small collection, other Aussie cars l have had in the past now many years ago that have a similar type of enjoyable power include my VR SS commodore with that great injected 304 V8 Holden engine & the 273 V8 in my VE VIP Chrysler and VC Valiant Regal, cheers for the real interesting road test.

UP THE AU ❤️

Mum's got a manual AU XR6 that I had a sports exhaust put on for her and she loves it. Every so often she'll go past parked cars just to set off their alarms due to the bass from the exhaust. I definitely get my hoon behavior from her.

Loved all my AU's Series 2 inlines and XR8 220 absolute bulletproof sherman tank strength and no door creek and wobble going into big potholes or rough roads Bullet proof reliability because they were over engineered 💥💥💥

Credit to the owner he/she kept it mint 🤙🏼

I got a 2001 au2 xls v8 wood floor trayback ute, the paint is cactus, the wood floor has the colour of a dead ghost gum, the cd player stuffed, radio is scratchy but it still turns over first time and never missed a beat.

Drove my old au wagon with 430 000 km on the clock without oil In her for a whole day and she didn’t cease up 🤨😆 mate was howling about it. Never broke down on me once either and It was at that moment I realised how durable au were and why taxi AUs get upto a million Ks on the clock sometimes.

1st gear....I rest my case. Mint car!

What a crazy cool car! Thanks for another great video mate. I have had an Au2 fairlane with the straight 6 for 11 years now. Awesome unstoppable cars from the early 2000's!

Even as an AU XR8 owner and fanatic, that V8 Fortē's getting me excited. I don't think I've seen one that clean since 2002.

Great review Mate love it! I at the time owned an Ef manual simply because I hated the front styling of the series 1 but would have owned a series 2. Then Tickford treated us to the TE50’s I loved those, more than the XR’s. Watching this has got me wanting a Au series 2 again 👌

love it mate, a real gem.

Over east they are starting to use Au's for cheal drift cars. Luke fink,mhc, keep it reet etc. Never did i ever think Au's would become desirable sought after or expensive but hey they are durable and reliable as hell and the ugly factor just kinda adds to the cult following haha

The rev at the start.. haha your face made me laugh!!!

I’ve had 2 AU’s, series 1 AUXR6 in galaxy blue and series 2 AU2XR8 in sillouette, both manuals, loved em both

My work ute is a base model AU series 1 but fitted from factory a 5 litre V8 and 5 speed box,as rare as.Skinny steel wheels and sunviser,lovely to drive.

My Dad had the AU II it sounded great and was very comfortable to drive. However the AU is the car that almost closed Ford 😂 the looks were just not selling and everyone had a Head bump as when you got in you would hit your head 😁 Car had 210k when was sold 🙂 was replaced with a Territory 🇦🇺

Bloody awesome video and awesome car!!! I have a s1 Windsor au forte and S3 Windsor Fairmont ghia. I can tell you now the Forte is my favourite. I would love to know how many s1’s produced. I remember reading somewhere that the WA police force Ordered a few V8 S1 fortes and mine being a opt20 again I wonder how many they had. My old man owned an XB back in the day and said how everyone was hating on the XA XB falcon and loving the kingswood. Turns out those x series weren’t so bad after all. Loving those early Xseries sexy coke bottle lines. AU’s definitely going to be classics too...

Love the vids ross! Theres quite a few AU V8s on trademe in New Zealand right now.

Not sure what aftermarket exhaust it has fitted, but it sounded awesome at the 10.50 mark. I had an XH XR8 ute with a straight through exhaust and couldn't get it to sound half as good.

My Series 3 220kw XR8 is sitting in the shed. Still puts a smile on my face.

Good vid Ross, i have watched a few, i have an EB Fairmont 5.0 and an AU Fairmont Ghia 5.0 slightly hopped up, you can notice the difference between the two in performance, but at the same time, they are luxury cars, and that's the beauty of the V8 option if you just want cruising in comfort.

I have an immaculate 2002 sr with 112k on clock also 2001 forte with just under 400k on clock love em both wouldn't trade them for anything.

After owning the AU S3 Ghia model 6 Cylinder reliability is in the AU's DNA. apart from replacing some old suspension parts and getting the exhaust worked on everything else about it runs like a clock and it drives to how I feel and some days I really get the shits it has the power to keep up with me ;) cruise control can be scary at times especially coming up hills. it pulls you over them hills and i have to turn it off because otherwise it sits up peoples ass as they struggle to get up the hill. the exhaust turns heads sounds louder than it should be as it needs work otherwise lol amazing car proud to have it as my first car after passing the license test :).

I love my AU3.

That SOUND! what a beast.. would make for a fun runaround car///skid car ;P

I have a spare AU Fairmont in the shed the missus wants me to sell as i have a BA daily and a BF Fairlane weekender. I have to fight tooth and nail with her to keep it. I know it's taking up room we don't have but im finding it hard to part with. I also know it will be a regretful sale years down the line. Engine has some topend issues and that's why im not daily driving it. Also has classic clear coat fade but other then that it's fairly immaculate.

I have a sneaking suspicion that this AU was ordered as a Police Traffic optioned vehicle (for unmarked highway duties). Although I didn't notice any holes for radios etc, in the dash and centre console. Making this a definite rarity and collectible Ford. Hat's off to its lucky owner! .

They have grown on me. At the time I thought that in the future we might think that they look good.

Its a V8 so its got my endorsement

Love the AU's, I have 2 myself but thinking about the 0-100 time you ran made me realise you really should get a G-tech Pro or at least use an app on your phone because the time here seems a bit quick and thinking about why instantly made me realise the speedo could be out 10% or more especially considering that time is about bang on for what this car should be doing 0-90. But my love for the AU is not about acceleration times, it's actually the opposite and how the AU makes you not care about acceleration times by realising it's possibly the most enjoyable car ever to drive at legal speeds on public roads and in traffic. It's also why the auto is the better option.

The 5.0 was a good honest V8. Had one in an EB Fairmont. Also had an AU III Forte as a company car. The steering on the AU was the best of any Ford and tbh the AU was the most economical Falcon I ever owned.

I have a S1 V8 Fairmont wagon with 350k on the clock, and a S1 6cyl futura wagon with 600k. Great cars, easy to modify and cheap to run!

my old man owns an 302 v8 au falcon xls ute with the t5 manual, daily and race driver

very sweet ride...I'd trade my FG xr6T ute for an AU XR8 just for the au xr8 look

This car... probably my dream car!

sexy example of an AU

Superb car I owned a Au v8220 kw for 4 years 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

I bought brand new au ll xr8 ute. Slow but did 280,000 kys with no problems to motor, but diff got changed under warranty and so did gearbox.

great little motor ..I use my Windsor as a daily ..nice work mate

Very nice AU indeed. The steelies look great and it's such a nicely kept example of that model year. Please do a review of a VT 5.0 litre if you can Jon!

Man I love AUs. It sucks that they're dropping like flies due to rust these days 😭 I'd love to find a super clean example for my next car, but I think that's going to take some real searching, and cost a premium. Could be worth it, though!

Love it! Always been a die-hard ford guy never really liked the au but I agree they are looking good with age

I will second your attestment to the au & between my partner & I , we have had a lot of cars over the years , Holden & ford , the taxi pack au dedicated lpg wagon is the only one I will cry for if I have to part with it .

These engines in the XR8 cars were improved. They were said to have been "hand built" and if you have a Windsor in an XR8 you'll see the name of the individual said to have built your particular motor, stamped on a plate in the engine bay. (I saw 3 and each time the mechanic in question hapoened to have a name of Greek origin) There were 3 versions of the Windsor in XR8s, the first being 175kw, the series 2 having 185kw and the final edition having 220 or 225kw (can't remember exactly but we all called it 300hp in the old money)

Yes yes yes yes AU! Faaaark yeah tough as nails reliable and can say Australia without AU.

I have owned three Au's, one manual that I sold for $800. Man I miss it haha.

I had a 2001 AU 2 Fairmont Ghia...with the good 6 in it... absolutely gorgeous to drive...got stolen with only 100,000 KMS on it..Bastards...mint condition too.