Rare Ford Taunus XL fastback surfaces after four decades hibernating on blocks
Published on Oct 05, 2025 at 6:27 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Oct 02, 2025 at 2:40 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
This rare 1971 Ford Taunus XL fastback spent 40 years on blocks in a garage before finally being rescued.
The Taunus was introduced way back in 1939, with a production run that lasted until 1994.
The car was produced by Ford Germany and was sold throughout Europe.
And this poor old 1971 model spent the last four decades in a barn in France.
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The 1971 Ford Taunus XL spent decades parked
It takes a brave person to snap up a car that’s been parked for years, like the man who bought this abandoned 1985 Porsche 944, or the guys who decided to rescue this 1935 Chevy truck that hadn’t moved for half a century.
British car enthusiast and YouTuber Alex was also bold enough to take on one of these projects.
He recently bought this 1971 Ford Taunus XL fastback that spent the last 40 years on blocks in a garage in France.
In a clip uploaded to his Roadtrip Revivals channel, he explained that the car had been with the same family since it was new.
Despite its extended time off the road, the car’s bodywork appeared to be in pretty solid condition – most likely due to the fact that the garage it was stashed in was warm and dry.
The Taunus’s odometer showed 22,990 miles, but Alex reckoned that was probably its second time around.
Of course, with the car being out of action for so long it needed some TLC.
But Alex was up to the job and carried out a number of repairs and replacements, including refitting the radiator, putting in a new timing belt, fresh fluids, and a new ignition.
But would the car drive again?
With the hard work done, it was time to take the old Taunus XL fastback to the streets, but with so long parked, would it even go?
Much to Alex’s delight, the 1971 Ford Taunus XL fastback kicked into life and took to the road with ease.
“Oh, it runs really good,” he said. “It seems happy.”
“The ride is sublime, it just floats along. It really feels like an American car, actually.”
With the car up and running again, Alex said his next task was to take it on a 600-mile journey back to the UK.
Best of luck with that.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
