Back at the height of Australia’s van craze during the late-1970s, Holden enjoyed sales and cult success with the Sandman panel van, but as it happens in the local motoring industry Ford also set-up a rival model.
The Sundowner wasn’t as successful compared to the Sandman and due to this is very much a rare sight on the roads these days, but Ford’s version is a special piece of kit.
Similar to the Sandman, the Sundowner featured bright colours and sharp paint work, bubble sharp window, spoiler, driving lights, sports steering wheel, driving lights, alloy wheels with XC-XD panel vans coping the treatment.
Escort and Transit van variations were also sold.
Lasting until 1982, approximately just 250 were produced though it is hard to decipher if this is accurate due to the numbers being hard to trace.
Featuring a 351 Cleveland motor, the Sundowner wasn’t particularly focused on performance rather a cruiser for young drivers.
Now highly sought after for restorations and with parts hard to come by the Sundowner is rising in value together with the Sandman as well as Chrysler’s version titled the Drifter.
With the 1980s heralding the end of the van craze due to the fuel crisis, while in response Holden launched its downsized Commodore model and Chrysler to the Japanese-sourced Sigma, both new models did not include a panel van version.
Ford continued to build a large Falcon with the XD and the Sundowner continued until 1982, with as little as 90 being produced in the last run.
Although it proved the end of Ford’s special edition panel vans, limited edition ute models including the Splash of the mid-1990s and the Lowndes version during the 2000s have continued this among others in the 40 years since.