The Windsor V8-Powered Ford Wagons America Never Got

Ford's legendary 5.0-liter Windsor V8 powered countless American icons, Fox-body Mustangs, F-150s, Broncos, and Crown Victorias. But the Blue Oval never sold a Windsor-powered wagon in the U.S. Instead, Australian buyers got exactly that in the mid-1990s.

0-liter Windsor V8. This engine produced 228 horsepower at 4,500 rpm and 294 lb-ft of torque at 3,000 rpm. The wagon was rated to tow up to 5,071 pounds with a braked trailer, depending on configuration.

In the 1994-1996 EF generation, a five-speed manual was offered with the V8 in wagons. But starting with the EL generation in October 1996, all non-XR8 V8 cars came only with a four-speed automatic. The XR8 performance sedan was never offered as a wagon, so a V8 with a stick shift disappeared from wagon body styles.

Ford Australia did not track V8 wagon production numbers until the EL generation. In 1996, it built just 40 V8 wagons, 10 Falcon GLi and 30 Fairmont. In 1997, that rose to 104 total (36 GLi and 68 Fairmont). Across the entire EL generation, only 144 V8 wagons were made. For the earlier EF generation.

Ford's records didn't separate sedans from wagons, but based on EL wagon take rates, estimates suggest fewer than 300 EF V8 wagons were built, bringing the combined total to roughly 440.

These wagons are now eligible for U.S. import under the 25-year rule, but finding one is extremely difficult. They're rarer than a Tasmanian devil, according to enthusiasts on Australia's Ford Mods forum.