The XP, released in 1965, saw the Fairmont introduced as an upmarket variant. The XP was the "make or break" Falcon: Ford's future in Australia depended on this car succeeding. Ford's deputy managing director Bill Bourke conceived a promotion for the new model which was a risk: demonstrate the XP's strength by mercilessly driving a fleet of XP Falcons around Ford's You-Yangs testing grounds for at over . The gamble paid off with the Falcon winning the "Wheels" Car of the Year Award. A three-speed automatic progressively replaced the two-speed and front disc brakes were introduced as an option (standard on Fairmont and hardtop models).