The perfect tow car

In an era when only the top few touring car teams enjoyed the luxury of enclosed transporters, the arrival of Russell Norden’s unique 4.9-litre XC Falcon V8 panel van tow car and trailer was big news.

The newly crowned 1979 Formula Ford ‘Driver to Europe’ Series winner credited part of his success that year to the specially-built combo used to transport his Mawer 004 single-seater to each round of the series.

“When you’re travelling the sort of distances I do to get to race meetings, you want a tow car and trailer that work together instead of fighting against each other,” he said. “What I’ve got is a great towing team that is so stable and predictable that long drives are more a pleasure than a chore.”

He described it as the perfect tow car combination and to prove this he suggested some hot laps of the Oran Park short circuit for a story in Racing Car News magazine. This was with the van towing the trailer, with the Formula Ford onboard.

Norden’s best flying lap time in this format was 62.7 seconds over the short circuit. As a comparison, Norden drove the Falcon minus trailer around in 59.9 seconds during the same session.

“With his usual self-confidence and skill, Norden thundered around the circuit as if he was in a hot road car,” noted RCN. “From the passenger seat, apart from the slowish pick-up out of corners, it was almost impossible to tell that there was a trailer on the back.

“In fact, so carefully is the whole thing set up that to get it handling properly we had to stop in at the pits and put the heavy racing tool-box in the back to achieve the weight distribution and load it normally runs with.”

His lap time of just over 60 secs was achieved without any dramas. “Even when you try to upset it (which Norden did at one stage) it settles back to its normal stability very quickly - there’s no worries about maintaining control,” the mag concluded.

Norden bought the 4.9-litre V8 Falcon van brand new from Jubilee Ford in Five Dock, Sydney in 1977 and did a complete renovation in time for his title-winning ‘79 season.

From the factory options list he chose the T-bar three-speed automatic, limited slip diff, four-wheel disc brakes and GS Rally Pack.

He then added aftermarket accessories including an auxiliary fuel tank, air-conditioner, CB radio, Super Snooper radar detector, fire-extinguisher, Recaro rallye seats and Momo sports steering wheel.

Cibie headlights with night driving lamps were also installed. A cowl induction bonnet scoop, Hurricane mag wheels and Bridgestone radials completed the package.

The stock 302cid Ford V8 was given a Wade cam, Holley four-barrel carb, HM headers and dual exhausts. Norden’s Formula Ford engine man, Paul Knott, also fettled the van’s V8 so that both engines were in top tune.

Russell Norden (circled) and his Gotcha Formula Ford.

Selby’s set up the van’s suspension specially for high-speed towing and Caravan Accessories installed the Hayman-Reece towbar system so that it was in perfect balance with the race car on the trailer. This system included a load leveller and anti-sway device.

Norden, only 25 at the time, was a sharp operator with a background in advertising. In fact, he managed to secure sponsorship for the van first, including some dollars from Jubilee Ford and Recaro. Bonds, makers of Gotcha t-shirts and undies, came in later to sponsor the total package.

This was regarded as one of the most impressive sponsorship deals in Australia at the time and automotive designer David Bentley was hired to create matching signage for the van and the trailer.

At the time this story appeared in November 1979, the XC van was already for sale. Norden had decided to run Formula 2 in 1980 and for that series was creating a new tow car, based around a new XD Falcon van fitted with a turbocharged six.

The ‘perfect’ XC tow car was available for $11,000 and given its history you’d like to think it’s still around somewhere. The championship-winning Mawer Formula Ford was also for sale, but its asking price was only $8,000.