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Raptor Chapter has instituted a moratorium on new members.
"For many people, the Falcon is best known as the physical forbearer to the Mustang. While true, we'd assert this lineage is most properly viewed as an extensive sidebar to Falcon's history, not the focus. A more accurate emphasis of the Falcon's story is its role as a game-changer-one of several cars on the front wave of a shift to smaller, more economical American cars. No less than three new compacts hit the market in October 1959-the Chevrolet Corvair, the Plymouth Valiant, and the Ford Falcon. The Falcon was arguably the most conservative, but soon established itself as the leading seller of the segment.
The Falcon was touted right out of the gate as "The New Size Ford" and promoted for its economy-both at the pump, and in price. Amazingly, early promotional material claimed mileage possibilities of more than 30 mpg. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to realize such economy left performance by the side of the road, verified in the fact that the lone powerplant at the start was a 144ci inline six, making an optimistic 90 horsepower. Nevertheless, it didn't take long for performance buffs to take notice, realizing the lithe size and weight of a compact translated into potential that could never be realized in a two-ton fullsize. Initial attempts to race and muscle up the new Falcon occurred within months of the new model's intro, and have continued ever since. Ironically, timing was such that the car rarely had a true high-performance model in the offering, but that has never kept enthusiasts from building the car into a legitimate contender in a variety of competitive environs. The Falcon went through its first complete makeover when the '64 models bowed in late 1963. More chiseled and square-edged than its predecessor, the car appeared larger than before, though truthfully was only incrementally so. A large variety of body styles continued with two sedans, two wagons, sedan deliveries, Rancheros, convertibles, hardtops, and vans. A 200ci six-cylinder arrived in 1964, while the 289 followed in 1965."- mustangandfords.com