* 1 OF 178 BUILT – FACTORY 5.8L 4-SPEED MANUAL
* MATCHING NUMBERS EXAMPLE – 76,817 KLMS – SERVICE BOOKS
* LAST MODEL WITH CLEVELAND 351 V8 WORLDWIDE

One of the most desirable and hardest-to-find Australian performance sedans of the early 1980s, this 1982 Ford Falcon XE ESP Ghia 5.8 sits at the very top of the ESP hierarchy.

Powered by the legendary 5.8-litre (351ci) Cleveland V8, this car represents the final production run of Cleveland-powered Falcons — the last of the big Australian V8s offered anywhere in the world.

Even more significant, this example is one of just 178 factory-built 5.8-litre 4-speed manual cars, a specification regarded as the most collectible of the XE ESP range.

Finished in Chestnut over Charcoal Grey paintwork with the highly desirable Sierra Tan Scheel sports interior, it presents as a matching-numbers, original specification car, showing just 76,817 kilometres and accompanied by its original service book.

The manual transmission transforms the driving experience, delivering a far more direct, mechanical connection, while the Geelong cast and assembled Cleveland V8 provides the unmistakable sound and torque that defines the 'Big Clevo' soundtrack.

The ESP (European Sports Pack) brought together refined handling, executive comfort and understated styling, making it one of the most usable performance Falcons of its time — and in 5.8 manual form, one of the most sought-after.

Low kilometre, documented, matching-numbers 5.8 manual ESPs with service history are exceptionally scarce.

A top-tier example of Australian V8 performance — ready to drive, show or simply own as a future investment.

Opportunities to acquire examples of this calibre are exceptionally rare, and this may well be one of the finest XE ESP Ghia 5.8 examples offered to the Australian market in recent years.