What exactly is a Ford Landau? The story behind Ford's luxury coupe

Cover star returns

Rob Giangrave's supercharged, Godzilla-powered Ford Landau features on the cover of Street Machine's latest issue — marking his second appearance after his twin-turbo XR Falcon ute starred back in October 2021.

But the feature car raises an interesting question: what exactly is a Landau, and how does it differ from the XA Falcon hardtop that formed its foundation?

Ford's luxury play

According to Street Machine, the Landau occupies a unique place in Ford Australia's history. Built on the XA Falcon hardtop platform, the Landau was positioned as Ford's answer to the luxury coupe market — a segment that was heating up in the early 1970s.

The distinction wasn't just a badge. Where the standard XA hardtop offered sporty two-door motoring, the Landau added a layer of luxury and prestige that Ford hoped would attract buyers looking for something more refined than a GT, but with the same sleek pillarless design.

What made it different

The Landau package transformed the XA hardtop with upmarket trim, luxury appointments, and distinctive styling cues that set it apart from its more common sibling. It was Ford's attempt to capture the personal luxury car market that American manufacturers had been mining successfully for years.

The full story explores whether Ford's gamble paid off and digs into what makes these cars desirable today — beyond their obvious potential as foundation for wild builds like Giangrave's modern monster.

Street Machine's September issue is available now, featuring the full feature on Rob's Landau build and the complete history of these distinctive Australian Fords.