May 23^rd, 2000

The Falcon convertible? Yes, it did exist
(HRB 333, where are you?!)

LEWIS Bandt, Ford's famous designer who was the father of the coupe utility, was also famous for having produced a Falcon convertible with a steel retractable top.

This little-remembered milestone occurred when he was given the task of producing six special cars for the Miss Australia Quest of 1964.

Working in conjunction with Geelong bodybuilding company, Bodycraft, Lew designed the convertible  using a Falcon utility as the base.

The utility back was ideal for storing the steel roof which folded in two and slid back into the tray. This was then covered by a steel panel which was hinged at the back.

But the electrics division obviously wasn’t called in for such a limited production run, because the roof was raised and lowered manually, quite a task considering the weight of the steel top.

As the utility only had the front bench seat, Lew designed a panel to separate the rear section which held the top and installed a rear bench seat from the sedan.

Unfortunately, no-one knows exactly what happened to these six very special Falcons. The only existing photos show one had the Victorian registration number HRB 333.