We’ve ranked Peter Brock’s best looks and tallied Dick Johnson’s greatest colour schemes, this week it’s Allan Moffat’s turn.
Read more: Peter Brock's Top 05 liveries
For years he was the ‘black hat’ villain to Peter Brock’s ‘white hat’ hero, but these days Moffat is viewed for what he truly is - an Australian touring car legend. Throughout his career Moffat was renowned for his tenacity and attention-to-detail, so naturally he competed in some memorable racing cars.
Read more: Top 5 best-looking Dick Johnson touring cars
We’ve limited ourselves to the 10 best from across a career that spanned the 1960s to the ‘90s, predominantly (but not always) in Fords. Here are our top picks…
10. 1979 Ford XC Falcon GS500
By the late ‘70s the Ford Dealer Team had dissolved but Moffat stayed loyal to the blue oval (renaming his team Allan Moffat Racing). For the ‘79 season his Falcon Hardtop seemingly took inspiration from the Ford Capri run by German team Zakspeed, with a black base highlighted with bright yellow, orange and red flashes.
Regardless of inspiration, while not his most memorable look this machine looked great and definitely earned its place on this list.
9. 1978 Ford XC Falcon 'Cobra'
For some, the XC Falcon ‘Cobra’ was largely just a ‘run-out’ special, but for others it’s one of the most memorable looks and most desirable Falcons of the era. Inspired by the Shelby Mustangs that raced in the ‘60s, these Cobra Falcons were finished in white with twin stripes down the length of the car.
Moffat shared his new Cobra with Jacky Ickx at Bathurst in ‘78 to try and repeat their win the year before. They didn’t finish but the striking livery was a winner in its own right.
8. 1974 Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop
Despite shipping his XB Falcon to the US to test with Ford’s engineers and teaming for Ford’s German ace, Dieter Glemser, Moffat failed to repeat his ‘73 Bathurst win the following year. But thanks to his striking ‘Brut 33’ livery, the car and the year is memorable none-the-less.
The beautiful blue machine was finished with huge ‘33’ numbers on the bonnet, doors and roof, with subtle but stylish red detailing giving way to the Australian flag motif on the rear quarter panels. It’s a case study in ‘70s style and that secured its place on our list.
7. 1982 Mazda RX-7
Having raced Ford’s throughout his career, Moffat made the switch to the radically different Mazda RX-7 in 1981. It proved a shrewd move as the smaller, lighter Japanese sports car proved more-than-a-match for the V8-powered Holdens and Fords.
It helped that he had major backing from cigarette brand, Peter Stuyvesant, and the resulting livery became an instant classic. The combination of the white base with two different shades of blue helped to highlight the shape of the compact Japanese coupe, with Moffat’s bright red #43 completed the look.
This Mazda era was a successful period for Moffat too, winning the ‘83 ATCC title as well as the ‘82 and ‘84 Australian Endurance Championships and second at Bathurst in ‘83.
6. 1974 Ford Mustang Boss 302 ‘Union Travel’
While his Trans-Am Ford Boss Mustang was no longer eligible for touring car racing in Australia since the introduction of Group C rules in 1973, Moffat understandably didn’t want to stop racing his American machine.
For the 1974 Australian off-season, Moffat struck a deal to race in New Zealand with sponsorship from the Union Steam Ship company. While not his most famous look, the blue and white paint scheme in Union’s colours perfectly suited the lines of the Boss Mustang and earned it a spot on our list.
5. 1992 Ford EB Falcon
He may not have been driving by the time the new V8 era of touring car racing returned in early 1990s, but Moffat was still running one of the best presented teams in pitlane.
From 1993 to ‘96 Moffat’s team enjoyed sponsorship from Cenovis Vitamins and produced a livery that stood out amongst the new field of Commodores and Falcons. The black base served to allow the bright yellow livery, signage and matching wheels to really pop.
No matter where it was in the field, Moffat’s Falcon stood out in all the right ways.
4. 1972 Ford XY Falcon GT-HO Phase III
If this was a list of Moffat’s greatest cars, then this would almost-certainly be at the top of the list, but we’re just judging the paint schemes this time. Even so, this is clearly one of the best-looking cars he drove in his career and has become a genuine icon of Australian motorsport.
Ford may be known as the ‘blue’ brand but Moffat’s red - or should I say, Vermillion Fire - Phase III is perhaps the greatest Australian car to wear the blue oval badge. The beautiful red was contrasted by the black bonnet stripes, black strip down the flanks with ‘Super Roo’ plus the white-on-black number rondel and the sign-writing with period-perfect drop shadow.
3. 1973 Ford Mustang Boss 302 ‘Brut’
No longer eligible for the ATCC, Moffat began racing his Boss Mustang Trans-Am in the Australian Sports Sedan series. It also got a fresh look for this new stage of its racing career, with the famous Coke signage dropped in favour of a gorgeous silver and green scheme for new backer, Brut.
Predominantly silver but with Brut’s signature dark green running down the bonnet and on the roof and upper boot lid, this livery is as stunning as it is unique.
2. 1977 Ford XC Falcon GS500
This was when the man was arguably at the peak of his powers in Australian touring car racing. The 1977 Moffat Dealer Team was a powerhouse and looked like it, with its livery that was spot on for the era. The paint scheme perfectly formed to the shape of the XC Falcon Hardtop, with the white base giving way to blue and red stripes down the flanks and then the black upper deck.
It helps that this look carried Moffat to not only his memorable one-two finish at Bathurst, but also that year’s ATCC crown.
1. 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 'Coke'
You may have noticed a repeat contender on this list. Evidently there was something about the shape of his Boss Mustang that just lent itself to memorable liveries.
The unforgettable ‘Coca-Cola’ livery isn’t really much of a paint scheme, with the car predominantly red with only some black highlights. But that’s precisely why it’s so great - it’s a case study in ‘60s cool and simplicity.
The black highlights along its doors, air-intakes and spoiler perfectly highlight the muscular shape of the Trans-Am Mustang, without being too much. The white sign-writing for ‘Coca-Cola’ and ‘Allan Moffat Racing’ are both era appropriate and make a striking impact.
Simple. Striking. Iconic.
Honourable mentions
There are several other great looking rides that Moffat graced during his career but we want to highlight a few more. His 1973 Ford XA Falcon GT only narrowly missed the cut with its elegantly simple sky blue and white look.
Another near-miss, and one that may have been controversial for a man who spent the majority of his career in Fords, is his 1987 Rothmans-backed Holden Commodore VL SS Group A. It was a great-looking car that really made the best of the VL shape - not to mention left Holden’s mark on the world stage.
There's also a soft spot for his ANZ-backed Ford Sierras in the final years of his driving career. While not flashy, the white cars, blue signage and gold racing wheels made for a clean, well-presented look that was a common trait throughout his career.
Let us know what you think? Did we get it right or miss your favourite? Comment on Australian Muscle Car's Facebook and Instagram pages.
.jpg&q=70&h=226&w=176&c=1&s=1)
