YJT444, seen here in the hands of Ian Hill during the 1984 2GO International Rally was the last of the factory BDA’s built by Colin Bond’s Ford Australia Rally Team.
It is the most significant “Works” Rally Car surviving in it’s original form from Australia’s “Golden Era of Rallying” Built by Colin Bond’s Australian Ford Works Rally Team as a sister car to IYK000 and YJA444 for Bjorn Waldegard (the 1979 World Rally Champion) to compete in the 1979 Southern Cross Rally. Waldegard won 18 of the 35 stages, finished second in 7 and 3rd in two. Although he broke an axle in one of the final stages and did not finish, this was regarded as one of the greatest performances ever seen on the Southern Cross.
YJT444 was then driven by Colin Bond in the 1980 Australian Rally Championship coming second in the series to George Fury in the “Works” Datsun Stanza. The car also won the 1980 Castrol International Rally, driven by Greg Carr who beat Ari Vatanen (the 1980 World Rally Champion) by 40 seconds. It features in the famous 40 Split Seconds rally film. In its final outing for the “factory” team it was driven by Greg Carr to second place in the 1980 Southern Cross Rally.
When the Ford “Works” team was disbanded in 1981 YJT444 was sold to Ian Hill who actively campaigned the car . In 1983 he won the Alpine Rally and the Dunlop 2GO Rally placing 4th in the Australian Rally Championship although he only competed in two events.
In 1987 Ian sold the car to Peter Watkins in South Australia who later sold it to Gary Rainsford. In 2021 Gary sold YJT444, still largely in original condition, to David Bond from Victoria.