Ford Australia
Falcon XB GT hardtop "V8 Interceptor" Pursuit Special (Mad Max film car)

Why it matters

The black Pursuit Special is the defining car of the Mad Max films and one of the most famous Australian cars ever filmed. It is a genuine Falcon XB GT hardtop, an Australian-only model, reworked by local designers and fabricators on a small budget. It is the only Pursuit Special to survive both films.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

The production bought the XB GT hardtop from a Melbourne repossession lot. In 1977 it was transformed to a brief from art director Jon Dowding: Ray Beckerley of Graf-X International painted it and fitted the Weiand blower, Ford designer Peter Arcadipane added the Concorde nose, and roof and tail spoilers taken from a raced Monaro were installed. The blower was a prop driven by a small electric motor.

After Mad Max (1979) the car found no buyer and passed to mechanic Murray Smith, who sold it back for Mad Max 2 (1981). It lost its nose, gained twin fuel tanks in place of the boot and was abandoned after filming, ending up in an Adelaide Hills wrecking yard. An enthusiast rescued and restored it; it toured Australian shows and was displayed at Birdwood from 1990 to 1992.

In 1992 it went to the Cars of the Stars museum in Keswick, England, and in 2011 the whole collection was bought for the Dezer collection in Florida. It was offered for sale in 2020 and is displayed at the Orlando Auto Museum at Dezerland Park.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   Screen Gems, Part 4: Pursuit Special from Mad Max Level C

   • 2 Pursuit Special coupés: the original car (both films) plus one stunt double built for Mad Max 2 and destroyed in filming

   Accessed 2026-11-12
2. 2
   Screen Gems, Part 4: Pursuit Special from Mad Max Level C Retro Rides

   • A stunt double was built but was destroyed during filming
   • supercharger was a prop, belt turned by a small electric motor
   • a real 351-cubic-inch V8

   Accessed 2026-11-12
3. 3
   Original Mad Max Interceptor hits the market Level C Street Machine · 2020-02-07

   • 351ci V8, Top Loader, nine-inch rear

   Accessed 2026-11-12