Bye Bye Ford Falcon for Australia??

  • Thread starter Thread starter mafia_boy
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Sniffs
I wouldn't depend on the Ranger/Mazda B's. even americans are fed up with that platform, and a couple years ago, US Ford was talking about dropping the Ranger/B platform for a "midsize" type and revive the "F100" designation.

as far as I can tell, Australia is the only place that still uses the Ute type body. america dropped it's last Ute after MY 88, and Subaru's attempt (TWICE) in the US market to bring up a Ute. they're precieved as "fake trucks" here. america leans to either Saloons/Sedans, BoF pickups/SUV's, and sport coupes. anything else is oddly considered "for women to carpool in".

I'll cross fingers for you.
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Well don't get me wrong, I love me an Aussie Ute that can do work AND go fast (duh, I drive one :lol:), but in terms of the sales they'd actually make on performance versions of Falcon Utes, it'd be small, workhorse duty could be taken care of by Rangers which IMO may even do it better. Next gen Rangers have also been spied testing, they look a LOT bigger.

Jim Prower
I can kinda see where you're getting at, but I feel the G8 would have been better as an Impala. It was placed in a brand which had lost it's direction by the time it came out. I feel that had it been a Chevy, it would have appealed to a broader audience than the Firebird Faithful.
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Apparently Lutz has been quoted AGAIN at the motor show on in USA at the moment as saying the Commodore could go back to USA as a high performance Chevy sedan, but would still be limited numbers, and by the sounds of that, only V8s (like that's a problem :dopey:). I wouldn't hold my breath until it happens of course though. He also said the Camaro is likely to still come to Australia :D, but we wouldn't get it cheap like you guys do.:( Apparently RHD is a high priority for the Camaro right now.
 
Paulie
Well don't get me wrong, I love me an Aussie Ute that can do work AND go fast (duh, I drive one :lol:), but in terms of the sales they'd actually make on performance versions of Falcon Utes, it'd be small, workhorse duty could be taken care of by Rangers which IMO may even do it better. Next gen Rangers have also been spied testing, they look a LOT bigger.
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Interesting...will the warmed-over-and-over-and-over '88 Ranger for the U.S. go away finally?
 
since paulie has stated that test mules have been spotted, mabey a midsize revival of the F100 is coming up here. and Rangers date from 83! we got it as a replacement in the US for the Courier after 82, they wanted something homegrown. besides, chevy did it, and they wanted to to play catch-up.
 
I'll see if I can find the pics.👍

Edit: Link

I think they look bigger, maybe it's just the ride height playing tricks on my eyes.:odd: Sounds like this one is developed here in Oz too.

Is your Ranger the PK Ranger as well?

PK Ranger:
Ford-PK-Ranger_QT_OV_MAIN.jpg
 
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they do not specify body designations or platforms for anything to the public, here. although we're getting a bit better at that, we generally don't know what the body designations are. but, like the US version of the focus, the platform is dated on our last rangers (though whether it dates from the 93 rebody, or the 01 rebody, we don't know).

the only ones I know of that would know US automotive and other platforms for more recent ones are industry insiders.
 
Paulie
I'll see if I can find the pics.👍

Edit: Link

I think they look bigger, maybe it's just the ride height playing tricks on my eyes.:odd: Sounds like this one is developed here in Oz too.

Is your Ranger the PK Ranger as well?

PK Ranger:
Ford-PK-Ranger_QT_OV_MAIN.jpg
Click to expand...

Nope. the basic frame dates from the '80s. and the suspension, for that matter, the early '90s...

Ranger09.jpg


old truck is old. At least they don't still use the Pinto engine...
 
uh, I think they might have in the first gen and refresh (and spread it to the tempo-topaz). ford is dang stubborn to change in the US. that'll probably change, now. and if I remember rumors right, your "PK" platform might be ripe for being F100ed (they mentioned Australia)

got it. apparently, the idea was killed. nothing works
http://www.motortrend.com/features/auto_news/2009/112_0901_ford_f_100/index.html
and the US Ranger's platform is apparently T6

they killed the F100 idea because they were thinking tow rating and cargo rating like sporty guys think zero to sixty/one hundred and top end speeds. they can't find anything that works to keep US Truck Guys "happy"
 
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addition: I think I got it. they're so busy trying to keep up with accord, camry and corolla's scroogy fuel consumption that we're probably gonna get dropped to the focus alone, pretty soon. they may be thinking in the same vein down under. thus, the potential falcon/Ute kill
 

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