Bye Bye Ford Falcon for Australia??

[mafia_boy]

Source!

THE all-Australian Ford Falcon could soon be a thing of the past, the world president of the American car-makers has warned.

The Falcon marks 50 years on Australian roads this year, but speaking at the Detroit motor show, Ford boss Alan Mulally said only one large car platform would be built for all world markets under the company's One Ford program.

"The best thing for Ford is to bring our scale and volume (to the market)," Mr Mulally told Fairfax newspapers.

"(Car-makers) who make one vehicle, a different vehicle for one country, I think those days are gone, because you can't compete with the global companies and Ford's going to be a powerhouse globally."

The likely successor for an Australian designed and engineered Falcon is a car based on the American Ford Taurus, which unlike the Falcon is a front-wheel drive car.

The Taurus was imported to Australia in the late 1990s with little success.

Mr Mulally would not say if Ford Australia would play a leading role in developing the large car platform, or whether a local version of the global car would be built in Australia.

Ford Australia president Marin Burela told Fairfax he hoped Australian engineering talent would be used for the project.

A decision on whether the world cup would be front- or rear-wheel-drive was at least a year away, he said.

"The all-new Falcon doesn't have to come into play until the end of 2014, early 2015, and we don't have to make a decision until 2011 on what that vehicle will be, in terms of styling, technologies " he said.

Mr Mulally said Ford Australia may help to develop the rear-wheel-drive Mustang platform.

The Ford Falcon was introduced to Australia in 1960.

The car has been the mainstay of Ford's Australian manufacturing operations.

Ford Australia employs about 4700 people at its Victorian plants, 2300 of whom were factory floor workers and 2400 in areas such as engineering, administration, marketing and product design.

Panels and engines for the Falcon and its Territory wagon variant are produced at Geelong, with assembly housed at Campbellfield, in Melbourne's north.

Falcon was the fifth-highest selling car in Australia in 2009, with 31,023 sales compared with 44,387 sales for the top-selling Holden Commodore.

Flagging sales because of higher fuel prices have hurt the Falcon and the Australian large car sector in recent years.

Opinions & thoughts?

 

[Boffin]

Holden will win even easier. The VE is world class - I'd like to see Ford beating it - but is has always been a Falcon and Commedore. From a holden person, that's sad that the Falcon's going.

 

[Jay]

Maybe Touring car races will open up a little now here in Australia. Although it could get worse.


Wonder what all the Falcon fans are going to do now. I imagine Holden and HSV will tone itself down aswell as there will be no real direct HSV and SS competitor

 

[TheBigMan045]

Hopefully the new platform will be able to be coverted to rear wheel drive. Ford is in real danger of losing their loyal customer base with them losing the XR8 from the lineup, using a turbo 4 cyl engine and maybe commiting the cardinal sin of going FWD

 

[Paulie]

This would really suck, and compared to the Falcon the Taurus is nothing special, the SHO is so heavy it would probably have similar handling to a Statesman . This would be really bad news, I seriously don't like the path Ford has been heading down, cut Australia from this, bad design language that. Take the LV Focus for example, great looking hatch, its successor unveiled just the other day is hideous by comparison, and what's more, they promised us to build some here, but they canned that idea.
On the other hand, with FPV rumoured to be developing a model called the GT-H (what, not O?) with a supercharged version of the new 5.0L, the potential risk that they will never have such an opportunity again having lost the Falcon platorm could push it into production, so I'm all up for another Aussie super sedan. BUT, were the Falcon to die, what the hell happens to FPV? Surely they wouldn't just re-badge a SHO an FPV? FPV do everything in-house, it's all such a worrying prospect. If we lose the Falcon there will be public protests without doubt down in Victoria at Broadmeadows. I would do what I could to help protest.

Maybe Touring car races will open up a little now here in Australia. Although it could get worse.


Wonder what all the Falcon fans are going to do now. I imagine Holden and HSV will tone itself down aswell as there will be no real direct HSV and SS competitor

They'd either use the Taurus shell, or drop out, and unless V8 Supercars can get more manufacturers in, it could spell the end of V8 Supercars as we know it, and the beginning of a mainstream Australian GT championship or something.
I wouldn't worry about Holden's SS or HSV, it's not hard to tell that HSV have been aiming for Europeans for quite a while now, especially with the new E2 GTS having suspension set up for handling and not traction off the line for drag racing, and apparently the Clubsport GXPs have nothing to do with Ford's GS (yeah right ) and is in response to the market on the whole.

 

[Jay]

I wouldn't worry about Holden's SS or HSV, it's not hard to tell that HSV have been aiming for Europeans for quite a while now, especially with the new E2 GTS having suspension set up for handling and not traction off the line for drag racing, and apparently the Clubsport GXPs have nothing to do with Ford's GS (yeah right ) and is in response to the market on the whole.

I'm not worried, it's just I don't think HSV will push anymore boundries as it wont have FPV to poke them. Potential Euro market doesn't poke them then the same way.

 

[TheCracker]

Maybe Touring car races will open up a little now here in Australia. Although it could get worse.


Wonder what all the Falcon fans are going to do now. I imagine Holden and HSV will tone itself down aswell as there will be no real direct HSV and SS competitor

V8 Supercars are getting less and less based on the road cars they're ment to look like. I can see them based on the same chassis in the future with Ford and Holden shells and engines used to differentiate them.

 

[Paulie]

V8 Supercars are getting less and less based on the road cars they're ment to look like. I can see them based on the same chassis in the future with Ford and Holden shells and engines used to differentiate them.

V8 Supercars haven't really changed in 15yrs.

 

[TheCracker]

They're about ready for an overhaul then aren't they

 

[Paulie]

They're about ready for an overhaul then aren't they

Yep, new cars come in 2011 or 2012 season. Possibly new manufacturers too, but that remains to be seen.

 

[Jay]

V8 Supercars are getting less and less based on the road cars they're ment to look like. I can see them based on the same chassis in the future with Ford and Holden shells and engines used to differentiate them.

Honestly I agree, there has been talk of a full tubular frame to be used, already you see recently in V8 Supercars more and more tube bars being incorporated, like across the windscreen.

This is the "Although it could get worse" scenario I was talking about in my earlier post.

 

[Paulie]

Honestly I agree, there has been talk of a full tubular frame to be used, already you see recently in V8 Supercars more and more tube bars being incorporated, like across the windscreen.

This is the "Although it could get worse" scenario I was talking about in my earlier post.

Those bars are added for safety, what's wrong with that?

 

[Jim Prower]

It's quite sad indeed. Either the Falcon will have to be re-built into a Global platform (something that competitor Holden has failed at in the US, though I personally think that's because it was the wrong car all along) or it'll have to go away completely. I think that'd be a waste of a great car.

Y'know, it WOULD make a GREAT P71, if the next-gen would go global.

As for V8 Supercars, if Ford leaves, perhaps they'll let Dodge run the Charger or something. Maybe BMWs and Mercedes, too.

 

[Sniffs]

lets see how long it takes for ford to repeat the "Probe" debacle in australia...

 

[Omnis]

Wish we would've gotten the Falcon instead of the Taurus.

 

[Jay]

We've had the "everythings oval" Taurus here already, didn't spark a big fire under anyone and dissapeared.

Those bars are added for safety, what's wrong with that?

It's spreading until it turns into a full tube car like a stock car (which has/is being considered), thats whats wrong.

It's quite sad indeed. Either the Falcon will have to be re-built into a Global platform (something that competitor Holden has failed at in the US, though I personally think that's because it was the wrong car all along) or it'll have to go away completely. I think that'd be a waste of a great car.

New Camaro is based of the Zeta.

 

[Sniffs]

Omnis: forgot your car history? the Mustang came from the Falcon as a sporty coupe. when the falcon name left american shores, it emigrated to Australia.

 

[Tornado]

But Ford Australia doesn't really compete with global companies... I mean, I could understand Mullaly's position if the Falcon lost money and/or was under constant threat from cars that actually are based on worldwide designs. But neither of these things really happen. Ford Australia is left to its own devices making a tidy profit on its own designs and the Falcon and Commodore swap places with being the best selling cars in the region.

 

[Omnis]

Omnis: forgot your car history? the Mustang came from the Falcon as a sporty coupe. when the falcon name left american shores, it emigrated to Australia.

I'm not talking about history, I'm talking about vehicles.

I'd rather have one of these:

Than one of these:

 

[Shant J.]

While the Taurus isn't a bad car, it's crap compared to the Falcon.

 

[Paulie]

It's quite sad indeed. Either the Falcon will have to be re-built into a Global platform (something that competitor Holden has failed at in the US, though I personally think that's because it was the wrong car all along) or it'll have to go away completely. I think that'd be a waste of a great car.

Y'know, it WOULD make a GREAT P71, if the next-gen would go global.

As for V8 Supercars, if Ford leaves, perhaps they'll let Dodge run the Charger or something. Maybe BMWs and Mercedes, too.

Holden failed? In what way? They made an awesome car that scared Americans wouldn't buy because of fuel costs, or is this about the Zeta chassis off which the Commodore is based? Not Holden's fault that GM promised them the world and only gave them a box of lollies because of fuel cost fear mongering.

But Ford Australia doesn't really compete with global companies... I mean, I could understand Mullaly's position if the Falcon lost money and/or was under constant threat from cars that actually are based on worldwide designs. But neither of these things really happen. Ford Australia is left to its own devices making a tidy profit on its own designs and the Falcon and Commodore swap places with being the best selling cars in the region.

Commodore has been Australia's number one seller for almost 2 decades, often followed by the Corolla, especially in recent times, but the Falcon still does very well and there's no reason to can it.

 

[TheBigMan045]

In fact i cant see why it wasnt exported to the states as the new taurus. Only problem is that the FG chassis wasnt LHD designed unlike the VE which was and is GMs shining light. Chassis is the basis for the Camaro, the Statesman is loved in the middle east, was exported to the states abeit under the doomed Pontiac brand

 

[Paulie]

Also remember, the FG wasn't an entirely new chassis design, it's a big revamp of the AU-BF chassis. Maybe by the time they want the Falcon global or dead they'll have a LHD capable, all new chassis ready?

 

[zed300]

It's a shame as the BA and FG series are good cars.
Almost all previous models were a good reason to do what Ford wants to do now. The irony
With no competition, Holden is likely to faze into front wheel drive dominant cars.
Only the diehard will want a rear wheel.(like me ) Maybe a 4WD will become the major part of sales. Only time will tell.
V8Supercars will have to change their base format rules, as currently they must be a production car body to compete.

 

[Paulie]

I really don't think Holden will go FWD any time soon. Maybe when petrol is all gone. Holden have always been more considerate towards the enthusiast.

 

[GT Pro]

I heard this coming from a long time ago. Alas, I tried to bury it at the back of my mind. I am a Holden man but the latest incarnation of the Falcon and related FPVs are, dare I say, one of the most beautifully designed Australian cars ever. Yes, more so than its Holden counterpart.

 

[somebody]

Two questions:

1: What happens to the Ute? Will any replacement vehicle have millions of dollars spent on it to design, test, build, and market a utility variant?

2: What about the Territory? This RWD / 4WD SUV is based on the Falcon chassis. What will Ford give us to replace this?

 

[Paulie]

Two questions:

1: What happens to the Ute? Will any replacement vehicle have millions of dollars spent on it to design, test, build, and market a utility variant?

2: What about the Territory? This RWD / 4WD SUV is based on the Falcon chassis. What will Ford give us to replace this?

1. They would rely on the Ranger

2. There are numerous SUVs in USA that could replace the Territory.

 

[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.

 

[Jim Prower]

Holden failed? In what way? They made an awesome car that scared Americans wouldn't buy because of fuel costs, or is this about the Zeta chassis off which the Commodore is based? Not Holden's fault that GM promised them the world and only gave them a box of lollies because of fuel cost fear mongering.

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.