Like We Didn't Know: Ford RWD Sedan For 2008?

  • Thread starter Thread starter YSSMAN
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...The Fairlane concept apparently won't wear that name when it hits production sometime in the near future. They haven't said anything either way as to what is going to happen, but I think we can all agree that this whole "F" thing with the cars and "E" thing with the trucks is pretty stupid.
 
GT4_Rule
GTO was not made in volume as noted in the last GTO thread. Also even though it was slow at the beginning it picked up sales quickly and in 2005-2006 model it reached its best year. So I don't think you should include the GTO in that list.
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The GTO would have been made in volume if it sold well, which it unfortunately didn't. This isn't like the Solstice, which is being artificially held back in sales (and strangely enough I see more of them than I do GTO's).
 
Onikaze
I would say Fairlane, but they showed that Fairlane vanish concept which kinda worried me.

Falcon hasn't been used over here for years, it sounds "cool" to a young guys ears "Yeah, just got a new Falcon."
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How about the Maverick, and make it a 'Mustang lite' (if that's indeed what the old Maverick was). Funny enough, the original replaced the Fairlane, and had available inline-6 and V8.
 
harrytuttle
The GTO would have been made in volume if it sold well, which it unfortunately didn't.
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Due to US labour unions Holden could only import 18,000 GTO's to the US per year anyway (which they assumed to sell easy), so if they did sell well that was the limit per year.
 
GM had to adjust sales figures for the car after the first year's slow sales, but afterwards they sold every one of them, and they are sure to do the same with the last of the '06s.

Ford should have plenty of the success with their Fairlane in the US, as it would either be sold as a replacement to the Crown Victoria (thusly seeing fleet sales to the Police and Federal Government), or as a limited-sales sedan that could bring back the glory of Ford in the 1960s, much as the LX and Zeta cars will do for it's competition.
 
I see the Fairlaine (or whatever they would call it for the US) a limited production car if made in Australia like the GTO was, not sure if labour unions would be the same with Fairlane but even if there were not, Ford Australia already stated they don't have a large capacity to supply the US. Which would be hard to make it a widely accepted fleet car for Police and government as well as civilian use.
 
I would assume they may follow the GM model where some will be produced in Australia and others in either the US or Canada. I think the Zeta models are still going to be built in their respective homes in Australia, while some (like the Camaro) will be built in it's old Canadian home.

Although nothing is offical on the car, it would seem more likely that they may choose to make it more of a limited production car for the US alike how the latest GTO was, but if it is meant to replace the Crown Victoria, I just can't see that happening.
 
YSSMAN
I think the Zeta models are still going to be built in their respective homes in Australia, while some (like the Camaro) will be built in it's old Canadian home.
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Unless the US Zeta models (excluding Camaro) are going to be pretty much a rebadged Holden model I highly doubt they would be built here. Then again if the Impala (or another high sales model) was to be a rebadged Holden sold in the US, our factories here really don't have the capacity to supply the US with a full fledged high sales model. Holden would have to open a new factory but if they were to do that it would probably be easier and cheaper to build or use an existing factory in the US with the Zeta based Assembly lines.

The cars I believe Australia may make for the US would be possibly the next generation Pontiac GTO (as we would have it as Monaro once again) and the Statesman/Caprice sold as a Buick as has been romoured. If all this were to happen I would expect GM to be over the Labour union problems it had when releasing the 2004 GTO, rumour has it that our Omega based Statesman was set to reach the US at that time as well but because the 18,000 car restriction that idea was dropped.




EDIT - oh sorry this thread was about Ford. :lol:
 
Well, it is still on topic, sorta...

(As the thread-starter, I don't mind, as it all kinda pertains to the same overall topic)

The last details I had read of the production of the Zeta models had indicated that some of the Aussie models could be built in the US, as it largely depends on how GM wants to sort out the process. I would assume you are for the most part correct on the Monaro and GTO being built in the same factory, but if my assumptions are correct, you would also be building out Monte Carlos (I'm hoping for a name-change to Chevelle now).

Chances are, our Commodores are going to be built in Canada alike the current W-Body cars that they will replace. However, nothing has been offical, but production could also move to Tennessee given how low the output has been at the Spring Hill plant.
 
M5Power
Are you joking? In not one year did it ever reach sales goals, and it was cancelled after a laughably short run due to complete and utter lack of demand or anything even remotely resembling an interested buyer. The GTO is the biggest flop of those three vehicles.
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Half of the people that knows about cars say that. And I tell them, over and over, that Holden Monaro was being phrased out, and that was the only reason why it was cancelled.
 
VIPERGTSR01
Due to US labour unions Holden could only import 18,000 GTO's to the US per year anyway (which they assumed to sell easy), so if they did sell well that was the limit per year.
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That one's completely false - it's a rumor started by Australians - and Wikipedia debunks it completely:

There is no truth to the rumor that the limit is a limit agreed upon between GM and the UAW as to how many vehicles GM can import on a yearly basis. - from the Pontiac GTO page

The sales goal was 18,000 - there was then and is now no limit on the number of vehicles GM can import yearly with the federal government or the auto unions.

GT4_Rule
And I tell them, over and over, that Holden Monaro was being phrased out, and that was the only reason why it was cancelled.
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:lol: Sure. :lol:
 
M5Power
That one's completely false - it's a rumor started by Australians - and Wikipedia debunks it completely:
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Well I heard that straight from Holden, I guess they were lying and Wiki proved them wrong..


Whatever the case on the news tonight they said Holden is hoping the VE will sell well (obviously) and if it doesn't they will look deeply into export markets, it looks they want to keep the factorys going strong where ever they sell the cars.


M5Power
:lol: Sure. :lol:
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The Holden Monaro was being phased out, late 2005 they increased shifts on the Monaro to make as many as they can before they stopped production to make room for other projects.

Holden actually had/has too many niche models of the same car, Monaro was the first to be cancelled.
 
VIPERGTSR01
Well I heard that straight from Holden, I guess they were lying and Wiki proved them wrong..
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I promise promise promise that statement is not accurate.

The Holden Monaro was being phased out, late 2005 they increased shifts on the Monaro to make as many as they can before they stopped production to make room for other projects.

Holden actually had/has too many niche models of the same car, Monaro was the first to be cancelled.
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I know the vehicle was slated to be cancelled anyway, but why lie? The GTO did absolutely disgustingly. They predicted 18,000 sales and to quote WikiPedia: Sales of the 2004 GTO were below expectations, forcing the brand to cut production to just 12,000 per year. I further quote Harry Tuttle to bring it all into perspective: The GTO would have been made in volume if it sold well, which it unfortunately didn't.
 
M5Power
I know the vehicle was slated to be cancelled anyway, but why lie? The GTO did absolutely disgustingly. They predicted 18,000 sales and to quote WikiPedia: Sales of the 2004 GTO were below expectations, forcing the brand to cut production to just 12,000 per year.
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I lied? Holden sold about 25-35% less GTO's in the US than expected, yes thats not a success but I never said it was.

M5Power
I further quote Harry Tuttle to bring it all into perspective: The GTO would have been made in volume if it sold well, which it unfortunately didn't.
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Yes it would have been build in full factory volume (18000 according to that wiki GTO article) if GM could sell them, no doubt.

Would have 18000 per year sales of a lower profit car would have saved Monaro? (The GTO, which is much lower profit per car than the Holden Monaro, yes we get ripped off)

No, I don't believe those extra (5000 or so per year) cars would have saved the old 1990's Omega based Monaro with full on Zeta production that just started.
 
Why don't we let the "successes" of the Omega-GTO just go allready... We know its comming back, so don't worry about it. If they weren't partially successful with the car, why is GM and Ford so concerned about cross-developing their Australian and American cars?
 
VIPERGTSR01
I lied? Holden sold about 25-35% less GTO's in the US than expected, yes thats not a success but I never said it was.
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No that's just a figure of speech, I suppose, or more appropriately a manner of speaking - it's common in my area of the country. Right before people deliver a crucially stunning statement of truth (:sly:) it's not uncommon for them to say "why lie?" or the slightly more common "I'm not going to lie." For instance, if I was talking to a B9 Tribeca, I would say, "why lie? You're the ugliest thing I've seen since I saw a photo of MistaX" to which it might reply, "I'm not gonna lie, you're no looker yourself" or perhaps "that may be true, but I'm not gonna lie - you sure are tasty," which it would say as it was eating my feet off with its snout.

By the way you're right - had the GTO sold those remaining 5000 units it probably wouldn't have saved the Monaro. But I bet they'd still be making the GTO.

Either way I bet the GTO turned a profit, despite discounts and lowish sales. It would've been hard for it not to have turned a profit, considering all the work was done eight years ago in Australia and all they really had to do was slap a new front end on.

YSSMAN
If they weren't partially successful with the car, why is GM and Ford so concerned about cross-developing their Australian and American cars?
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Anything to get Ford off the hook of actually spending money.

Actually of all the brands to shy away from Australia, Ford should be the one - the other car whose picture I posted was the Mercury Capri, a little-known convertible out of Australia that Ford attempted to pawn off in the US as a sports car. They ended up taking a substantial loss on it and no one would deny its absolute and colossal failure. In fact, it was Mercury's last unique product.
 
M5Power
No that's just a figure of speech, I suppose, or more appropriately a manner of speaking - it's common in my area of the country. Right before people deliver a crucially stunning statement of truth (:sly:) it's not uncommon for them to say "why lie?" or the slightly more common "I'm not going to lie." For instance, if I was talking to a B9 Tribeca, I would say, "why lie? You're the ugliest thing I've seen since I saw a photo of MistaX" to which it might reply, "I'm not gonna lie, you're no looker yourself" or perhaps "that may be true, but I'm not gonna lie - you sure are tasty," which it would say as it was eating my feet off with its snout.
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Ah I see.

M5Power
"why lie? You're the ugliest thing I've seen since I saw a photo of MistaX"
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Haha, More like "why lie? You're the ugliest thing I've seen since I saw black box" :p

Or whatever Bergin calls that photo.
 
On the name? let's follow Dodge's lead and call it a "Torino" (but, dear god, let's keep the "Gran" emblem out of the lineup...BAAAD Disco-era memories...)
 
Fairlane, maybe.

I just think it would be a shame to not use the Falcon name, as it hasn't been seen in the states in decades, and it sounds "cooler" than Fairlane.
 
Well, Falcon would be great, but you KNOW Ford's not gonna do that, because they'll feel a different name is necessary in this market.

Here's hoping they don't, and also leave the Torino as a 2-door coupe...

Fairlane...it's always sounded old-man-car-ish to me. Even when they had 427s. still, it'd be alright.
 
VIPERGTSR01
Haha, More like "why lie? You're the ugliest thing I've seen since I saw black box" :p
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A couple of weeks ago John made the horrible mistake of giving Dana the phone when I called him. The first thing I said to her when I got on was "John has posted naked pictures of you online." She then threw down the phone and they had an argument, which I could hear. For some reason, the idiot not only didn't deny it (which he should've since I was lying) he didn't even show her the photo, which would've absolved him. Instead he just kept conceding points. She'd yell something like "You showed a naked picture of me online?!" and he'd go "Yeah..." It was classic.

Eventually someone hung up.
 
On the names issue:

Given Ford's current preference of using "F" in the name, it would have to be either Falcon or Fairlane. Both names haven't been used since the '60s, and both are only going to be recogiseable to Ford fans, in particular older ones who long for the days when Ford was actually "better" than Chevrolet.

Of the two, Falcon would certainly sit better with most younger folks, but Fairlane holds more respect than the other. Keep in mind that the death of the Falcon made way for the Mustang, and that the Falcon in the US was indeed an economy car much like the Chevrolet Nova and Dodge Dart.

So therefore, I sit in the Fairlane camp at the moment. To me, it just makes more sense. However, I think they could have just as much success calling it the Galaxie, but thats just me.

(Maybe if Ford gets some sane folks running the company they may think of a coupe version and make the Thunderbird the way it should have been... Something more like the Thunderbird SuperCoupes of the late '80s and early '90s)
 
M5Power
A couple of weeks ago John made the horrible mistake of giving Dana the phone when I called him. The first thing I said to her when I got on was "John has posted naked pictures of you online." She then threw down the phone and they had an argument, which I could hear. For some reason, the idiot not only didn't deny it (which he should've since I was lying) he didn't even show her the photo, which would've absolved him. Instead he just kept conceding points. She'd yell something like "You showed a naked picture of me online?!" and he'd go "Yeah..." It was classic.

Eventually someone hung up.
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Oh god that is classic! :lol:
 
Yes, the last Thunderbird was, but I would rather pay respects the the previous Thunderbirds than the rather nasty "noodle" they called the T-Bird. Atleast if they were to do a coupe version of the car they have the option of using the T-Bird name that still carries some weight to it, otherwise they might have to call it "Maverick"!

(I still don't think the Torino idea is all that bad. We just have to be able to order it in Red with the big white stripe on the side...)
 
Well, the Falcon was originally sub Mustang in performance/price, right?

(yes, I know they weren't concurrent)

A new Coupe, something like the mid 90's Thunderbird was, could probably slot in around there, offering something a bit roomier than a Mustang (which has lolbackseats), but slower, with a cushier ride.

It would make me happy to see both names used, that Fairlane concept nearly made me cry when I saw it.
 
The Falcon was the predecessor to the Mustang, as it is generally percieved that the Mustang replaced it. The Falcon did continue on untill 1970, but sales were utterly destroyed by the Mustang. Anyway, Lee Iacoca wanted to use the baisically dead Falcon to underpin the Mustang to cut development costs, as most folks wouldn't know, the only major difference being the body and interior.

Wiki's North American Falcon Page

Fairlane would simply make more sense, IMO. But a Thunderbird ala the '90s Supercoupe models would be like totally HOTX10!!!1111!11!!
 

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