As Ford shuts down its production plant in Australia, die-hard enthusiasts vow to keep memories of the iconic car alive.

It's a sad week for the blue bloods of Australian car culture.

But members of the Falcon GT Club of Victoria say the memory of these iconic cars, embedded in the Aussie landscape since the first Falcon was produced here in 1960, will remain alive and strong long after manufacturing ends.

It's like a religion. I'm not real religious, but if there was to be one that's what I'd have...It's a sad day. It's an end of an era. Phil Grant, 1967 XR GT Falcon owner

Phil Grant has been a Ford fan for as long as he can remember.

He spent 15 years hunting for this classic, credited with starting the Ford vs Holden car war.

"[It was] the first V8 Falcon made by Ford Australia — the first of the Australian-made box shape GT Falcons," he says.

"It won Bathurst in 1967 as well under the hands of Harry Firth and Fred Gibson, just cool come in gold.

"My father was always into cars, he always wanted one, and he passed away a couple of years ago. So I sort of bought that in the memory of him."

My uncle had an XB GT back in the day. I remember sitting on his lap in a farm area and driving his car on his lap. And from then on I said when I grow up I've got to have one of those cars. Tony Ferrante, 1970 XW GT and 1974 XB GT Coupe owner

Tony Ferrante has always known he'd one day have a Ford muscle car.

"When I drive these cars it just brings my younger days back to me, I just love driving them; the old car smell, the petrol fumes on your clothes, the rugged drive, opposed to these new cars that do nothing for me," he says.

"They mean a lot to me. But also I want to fulfil my kids to enjoy them as well, which they do, and keep the tradition going."

It's the sound, in this particular car it's the bonnet hood shaker, and just the aggressive appearance of a Ford muscle car. Jason Horder, 1971 XY GTHO Phase 3 owner

Jason Horder bought this car from a family friend in 1998.

The GTHO is the ultimate muscle car and is valued at around $500k+ for a car of this quality.

"This is one of only three in its original true blue colour. It was bought in 1971 and I actually had the privilege of looking after it as a five year old boy, right up until I actually purchased the car."

Mr Horder grew up in a panel shop, still owned by the family, and it was there that Ford culture became an integral part of his life.

"It's been a part of my life from day dot really. It's all I know.

"Always Ford. My father had 10 to 12 GT Falcons as we grew up. We used to get dropped off at school and stuff in GT Falcons and once that sort of happens to you as a youngster, you can't not keep it going. It's in your blood.

"It's certainly an end of an era. We had the privilege of seeing the different models over the years, the improvements.

"These were particularly built for the Aussie climate and conditions.

"And now we're just not going to have any of that. We're going to have imported cars now. So it's a real shame."

It's keeping the culture going. A lot of the kids only see the new cars, they don't see the old ones. And they don't realise that in the old days you could put eight people in this and go driving without seatbelts. Peter Van Meurs, 1971 XY panel van owner

Peter Van Meurs bought the factory V8 panel van off his brother in law in 2002, and has spent a lot of time and money lovingly restored it.

"You just don't see them anymore," he says.

"I just love them, it's old school driving, it's hard driving, it's tiring. It's a lot different to a new car. The kids love it, you get a lot of waves, and it brings back a lot of memories for the old guys.

"They're memories you just want to hold."

All the Falcons, they have that unique Australian flavour. While they're not manufacturing these cars anymore, they're still here for us to drive, to pamper, nurture, to be enjoyed and to be passed down to the next generation. Andrew Grey, 1982 Falcon XE ESP owner

Andrew Grey was 15 when this car rolled off the line of Ford's Broadmeadows assembly plant.

"I had posters on my bedroom wall and just really wanted one when I grew up.

"What's unique is the condition of it, it's sort of like a brand new car. It's almost like you're in a time warp when you drive around in this car.

"It was significant because it was the last of the V8s of the era."

"It takes you back to the day, the memories of growing. But also it's just a really nice car to drive in its own right, irrespective that it's old. It sounds fantastic — the modern cars don't have that sound. It's just feels like a really genuine, honest car. Some of the modern cars don't have that feeling."

While many Australians have in more recent times moved away from this style of family sedan, he says he is keen to make sure that the uniquely Australian car is also part of his son's childhood memories.

"I can remember growing up, our family would holiday up in Queensland and we would drive from Melbourne to Queensland.

"Dad had a XC Fairmont GXL. It was a fantastic car to do that trip in, big spacious, comfortable, powerful. So the memories of that holiday are intertwined with that car.

"I have a son that's 11 and it's great to see how much he likes the car. He'll say 'dad can we drive the noisy car today?'. You can see that interest getting passed down to the next generation.

"It's definitely sad. It's an end of an era.

"But I also reflect on how lucky we. It really has been a really significant time in terms of the cars themselves, they've been great cars, and the contribution it's made culturally — it's really been a really strong part of Australia's culture."

If you cut me I actually bleed blue. You're either red or blue. And fortunately I'm blue. Jason Howell, 1992 EB and 1997 EL GT owner

Jason Howell added both of these cars to his Ford collection in the past five years.

"They're an anniversary model — the EB being the 25th anniversary and the EL being the 30th anniversary, so they're limited in build numbers. So it sort of makes them a little bit more special, I believe.

"I've got a collection that I'm fairly happy about.

"They mean just about more than anything really. I have to be careful how I say that."

The GT brand to me is just heritage. It's an Australian folklore with muscle cars. Dan Demiris, 2008 GT Cobra owner

Daniel Demiris says he bought the car as a gift to himself after some health issues.

"This particular model, the later model doesn't have the chrome bumper, so I suppose there's a little bit of change from the traditional GT.

"But with the Cobra stripes and being a GT, I sort of liked the mix of being a muscle car of the XC and also GT brand.

"There was 400 of these built. They previewed them at Bathurst in 2007 on the Sunday, they did a lap in them, and pretty much all the dealers around the country had taken orders and had sold out."

It's a piece of history for me. It's pretty special. Steven Clarke, 2014 FG GT Falcon owner

Steven Clarke bought the last GT Falcon ever built in 2014 for $236,000, as part of an online auction raising money for the Breast Cancer Foundation.

He also got to pick the colour and help build the engine.

"It's model number 500," he says.

"It's fantastic driving a super-charged car and having the last GT Falcon ever built in Australia, even more fantastic.

"V8s, that's where the power is and that's where it is in your heart."