Ford EB Falcon

Ford Falcon (EB)
Ford Fairmont (EB) sedan
Overview
Manufacturer	Ford Australia
Also called	Ford Fairmont (EB)
Production	August 1991 – August 1993
Body and chassis
Class	Full-size
Body style	4-door sedan 5-door station wagon
Layout	Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Related	Ford Fairlane (NC) Ford LTD (DC)
Powertrain
Engine	3.9 L Ford I6 (petrol; EB I) 4.0 L Ford I6 (petrol; EB II) 5.0 L Windsor V8 (petrol)
Transmission	4-speed M85LE automatic (3.9 I6) 4-speed M91LE automatic (4.0 I6) 4-speed M95LE automatic (V8) 5-speed manual
Chronology
Predecessor	Ford Falcon (EA)
Successor	Ford Falcon (ED)

The Ford Falcon (EB) is a full-size car that was produced by Ford Australia from 1991 to 1993. It was the second iteration of the fifth generation of this Australian-made model and also included the Ford Fairmont (EB)—the luxury-oriented version of the Falcon.

Visually, the 1991 EB Falcon remained nearly identical to its predecessor, including carrying over the 3.9-litre Ford straight-six engine and four-speed M85LE automatic. The most noticeable changes were the transfer of the Ford emblem from the tip of the bonnet to the grille and a full-length applique bridging the gap between the tail lights, featuring reversing lamps on both sides of the rear number plate. Additionally, the C-pillars air vents were removed. The return of the V8 engine since its demise in the Ford Falcon (XE) of 1982 was welcomed by the motoring press, however, the 5.0-litre Windsor unit did not reappear in the utility variants until the "EF-shaped" XH series of 1996. The V8 was paired to the four-speed M95LE automatic transmission. There were also changes to the front suspension geometry, giving the EB a much better level of grip and steering feel. With the new model, Ford re-introduced the sports orientated GT specification level, an exclusive 250 unit run celebrating the 25th anniversary of the first original Falcon GT. The first XR6 and XR8 sports models appeared in the EB Series.

The model range of the first series on sale from August 1991 comprised the following variants:

Falcon GL sedan

Falcon S wagon

Falcon S XR8 sedan

Fairmont Ghia sedan

The revised Series II (EB II) model, appearing in showrooms in April 1992, saw the six-cylinder engine upsized by 35 cubic centimetres (from 3949 cc to 3984 cc). This brought the nominal total swept capacity to 4.0 litres. The automatic transmission was updated to the M91LE specification, and the electronics were also improved, and there were tweaks to the styling. The base model now had body-coloured bumpers, and the previously matte black plastic exterior door handles were now given a glossy finish. The update reportedly cost A$1 million.