Today is five years since the announcement that shook Australia and destroyed an industry.

[Syndrome]

Seems like yesterday I was in bed with ABC 774 playing in the background when something caused to me snap out of my hypnopompic state. Even though I didn't immediately know what was being discussed I knew immediately it was about Ford.


Oh the humanity.

[Syndrome]

https://www.whichcar.com.au/features...ing-operations

[FTE217]

RIP is all I can say, still gutted no more Aussie New Falcons but were the minority.

[Gomez]

My 2010 XR50 hasn't missed a beat.

Done 110K with nothing but filters, oil, coolant and tyres. Still got all it's OEM brakepads. Not a single failure.

Doubt I'll be able to say the same thing about my yet-to-be-delivered Mustang. Fingers crossed, but.

[GO FURTHER]

From the start of the shutdown of our car industry, two quotes stick in my mind to this day....

Holden boss, Mike Devereux - "Australia needs to decide if it is content to simply become "a farm, a hotel and a quarry", referring to agriculture, tourism and mining as the big industries once manufacturing dies".

Ford chief, Alan Mulally - "No country is ever successful in the long term … without a really strong and vibrant manufacturing base."

"It's the foundation of all economic development.
You actually make things that create value.
That's why every country around the world is collaborating with the private sector … to figure out how to create an environment where manufacturing (is viable)."

God help Australia in years to come.

[FairmontGS]

Clickbait thread title "shook Australia"? I don't think so. If it had, then the Falcon would still be here. You could get a job with ACA

[Bill M]

Originally Posted by FairmontGS

Clickbait thread title "shook Australia"? I don't think so. If it had, then the Falcon would still be here. You could get a job with ACA

The Falcon would still be here? No it wouldn't. It was the closure of Holden with Toyota following that sealed the fate of vehicle manufacturing here. Clickbait? I think you can do better than that.

[FairmontGS]

Originally Posted by Bill M

The Falcon would still be here? No it wouldn't. It was the closure of Holden with Toyota following that sealed the fate of vehicle manufacturing here. Clickbait? I think you can do better than that.

Sorry Bill, what I meant is that there is no basis for the claim that "Australia" was "shaken" by the closure of Ford manufacturing and to claim otherwise is just adding needless sensationalism to the thread title.

[Wretched]

Shook Australia? meh, while it was a loss for manufacturing it was a long time coming.
The world of mass manufacturing has moved on and the three makers required substantial investment to keep going (Toyota were ready to do it but when Ford and Holden made their announcement that was the nail in that coffin).

Australia can continue to manufacture but would need to look at "non traditional" and innovative ways, and not just cars.
It may be on a smaller and bespoke scale (and with the advent of AI and automation this is probably a good thing) but it can work. We've got the carbon fibre outlet and recently the large scale 3D printer. We need to look into the future and not dwell on the past. How can Australia evolve and adapt to a more "agile" industrious nation?

We may be more engineering with smaller manufacturing.

[Vesper Martini]

Whilst obviously not Automotive, Manufacturing is still expanding in Australia

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/manufact...ng-in-february

Rising Energy costs are what could kill it.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

Whilst obviously not Automotive, Manufacturing is still expanding in Australia

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/manufact...ng-in-february

Rising Energy costs are what could kill it.

and red tape

[Sprintey]

Speaking of non-traditional ways:

https://www.theguardian.com/australi...holden-factory


And more recently, overnight actually, from President Trump:

"Statement from the President on Potential National Security Investigation into Automobile Imports

Today, I met with Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross to discuss the current state of our automobile industry.

I instructed Secretary Ross to consider initiating a Section 232 investigation into imports of automobiles, including trucks, and automotive parts to determine their effects on America’s national security.

Core industries such as automobiles and automotive parts are critical to our strength as a Nation."

[anobserver]

Most Australians couldn't have cared less. Owning a locally-produced car seems to evoke cultural cringe, as changing demographics deem suvs or imported hatches the socially acceptable alternatives.

In other words, it's became declasse to own a Ford or Holden (sedan). And we've lost an entire industry as a result.

Economics be damned; I'd rather subsidise a manufacturing industry than foster a new crowd of long term unemployed.

[roddy1960]

Between 2013 announcement and 2016 actual cessation of manufacturing it was like Chinese water torture for those three or so years . The only good thing after that Bob Graziano announcement was the FGX and Mustang arrival..Not much else for me I'm afraid and there is nothing that Ford imports other than Mustang that I could see myself ever buying , no disrespect to the current fare but that's just how it is these days for me , myself and I .

[Bill M]

Originally Posted by FairmontGS

Sorry Bill, what I meant is that there is no basis for the claim that "Australia" was "shaken" by the closure of Ford manufacturing and to claim otherwise is just adding needless sensationalism to the thread title.

Ah ha! I understand what you meant now.
cheers
Bill

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by anobserver

Most Australians couldn't have cared less. Owning a locally-produced car seems to evoke cultural cringe, as changing demographics deem suvs or imported hatches the socially acceptable alternatives.

In other words, it's became declasse to own a Ford or Holden (sedan). And we've lost an entire industry as a result.

Economics be damned; I'd rather subsidise a manufacturing industry than foster a new crowd of long term unemployed.

Even if they pandered to the new Demographic & built the SUV's & small hatches it wouldn't have helped

the small hatch industry is extremely competitive Holden tried and Failed meantime Ford are dropping Models

how much Subsidy do you want to pay?

[GO FURTHER]

Originally Posted by anobserver

Most Australians couldn't have cared less. Owning a locally-produced car seems to evoke cultural cringe, as changing demographics deem suvs or imported hatches the socially acceptable alternatives.

In other words, it's became declasse to own a Ford or Holden (sedan). And we've lost an entire industry as a result.

This is spot on!

Even the new ZB Commodore, made in Germany, is failing to sell, not because it lacks a V8 in the range, not because its imported BUT because it still bears the HOLDEN name.

If that same speced car was brought in under the VW, Audi, or BM name at the same price point, it would sell like hot cakes.

Holden have nothing left to sell that Australians want with a Holden badge.

Ford only have Ranger and Mustang at the moment.

Ranger sells because it appeals to the cashed up tradies who want that “Aussie Cowboy / I’m a country boy” appeal that the Ranger name plate suggests.

Mustang.... Mostly mid age crisis car for guys who want to live the American muscle car dream they always admired as a boy.

Americans will buy US made cars, Europeans will buy their local cars... But Aussies are very different in this respect.

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by go further

americans will buy us made cars, europeans will buy their local cars... But aussies are braindead in this respect.

efa..

[roddy1960]

Mr Trump eh...
And our mob all those years ago did the opposite . Who is right ?

http://www.afr.com/news/world/north-...0180524-h10iw0

Politicians and car industry's lead to interesting times .

[Stefan]

Originally Posted by GO FURTHER

This is spot on!

Even the new ZB Commodore, made in Germany, is failing to sell, not because it lacks a V8 in the range, not because its imported BUT because it still bears the HOLDEN name.

If that same speced car was brought in under the VW, Audi, or BM name at the same price point, it would sell like hot cakes.

Holden have nothing left to sell that Australians want with a Holden badge.

Ford only have Ranger and Mustang at the moment.

Ranger sells because it appeals to the cashed up tradies who want that “Aussie Cowboy / I’m a country boy” appeal that the Ranger name plate suggests.

Mustang.... Mostly mid age crisis car for guys who want to live the American muscle car dream they always admired as a boy.

Americans will buy US made cars, Europeans will buy their local cars... But Aussies are very different in this respect.

i think we are skirting around the fact that falcon was simply an undercooked (engineering wise) car, as was Territory. Sadly korean an euro alternatives have simply been better options and the car buying public voted with their feet and continue to do so...

[bretts351]

Originally Posted by Stefan

i think we are skirting around the fact that falcon was simply an undercooked (engineering wise) car, as was Territory. Sadly korean an euro alternatives have simply been better options and the car buying public voted with their feet and continue to do so...

Those local vehicles were dated in terms of features and technology... because they could not compete with the tariff free imports coming from heavily backed Korean, Japanese, European vehicles.

Think about it. This price of a Falcon didn't change much more than a few percent for 15 years....

[jpd80]

Conversely,
once buyers were offered a huge choice of vehicles, they chose almost everything else to a Commodore or a Falcon.

Manufacturers have to move with changing times or get left behind, diesel, hatchback, higher ride height.
Falcon and Commodore fell into the trap of trying to make everything low ride handling performance Luxury
and failed to cover changing market trend and paid the price..

[GO FURTHER]

Originally Posted by Stefan

i think we are skirting around the fact that falcon was simply an undercooked (engineering wise) car, as was Territory. Sadly korean an euro alternatives have simply been better options and the car buying public voted with their feet and continue to do so...

To be fair it was not Ford Australia's fault... Ford USA wanted to kill off the locally produced Falcon years before its final demise, for the future of what they believed was cost-effective global market vehicles.

What many consumers forgot, was that for 56 years, the Falcon was designed to handle Australian roads and conditions.

I still admire my own humble FG, in that after nearly 4 years and 116,000Kms of ownership since new, it still does not have a single rattle or squeak in the body, suspension or cabin interior and that's after driving many country miles.

The same cannot be said by friends who have expensive Euros or Korean cars.

[Stefan]

Originally Posted by GO FURTHER

To be fair it was not Ford Australia's fault... Ford USA wanted to kill off the locally produced Falcon years before its final demise, for the future of what they believed was cost-effective global market vehicles.

What many consumers forgot, was that for 56 years, the Falcon was designed to handle Australian roads and conditions.

I still admire my own humble FG, in that after nearly 4 years and 116,000Kms of ownership since new, it still does not have a single rattle or squeak in the body, suspension or cabin interior and that's after driving many country miles.

The same cannot be said by friends who have expensive Euros or Korean cars.

Strangly enough i have found the exact opposite to be true...my falcons and territory struggles with suspension knocks always had brake shudder and rattles and all at sub 100,000kms on the clock.

My euro and jap car never suffeted those issues..others i talk to agree and have had similar experience.

Only AFF gslcon owners have trouble free rattle free falcon motoring

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[PooDog]

Most people don't know sh#t about cars it staggers me that a lot couldn check the oil or even know where the dipstick is , most don't care about them either , treat them like sh...it , you see flash cars everywhere just trashed .....everyone's in a hurry , and more interested in their phones and Facebook
Because they're not interested they just buy what suits best ....which seams to be SUVs and Utes and buy what everyone thinks is the best or Google reviews on it....which brings up vehicles with the best customer satisfaction which is unfortunately not Falcon or Commodore
Which just leaves us enthusiasts .....then some of us get bad support from dealers.....and a few drop off every year then your just left with the passionate few that are left here

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by Stefan

Strangly enough i have found the exact opposite to be true...my falcons and territory struggles with suspension knocks always had brake shudder and rattles and all at sub 100,000kms on the clock.

My euro and jap car never suffeted those issues..others i talk to agree and have had similar experience.

Only AFF gslcon owners have trouble free rattle free falcon motoring

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

Adding to this, over the weekend i saw 3 Falcons (BA-FG) with their roof lining at the rear falling apart. I have only ever seen this on Falcons and Commodores. Feature? Shading from that unique Australian sun

If they were built for Australian conditions I'd hate to see if they weren't.

[Bill M]

I believe local Camrys had the headlining issue as well. The other imports that I know of don't use the foam backed headlinings so it would not be a long term issue. Using a cheap foam backing for a car interior?
Perish the thought!

[stig_3754]

Originally Posted by GO FURTHER

To be fair it was not Ford Australia's fault... Ford USA wanted to kill off the locally produced Falcon years before its final demise, for the future of what they believed was cost-effective global market vehicles.

What many consumers forgot, was that for 56 years, the Falcon was designed to handle Australian roads and conditions.

I still admire my own humble FG, in that after nearly 4 years and 116,000Kms of ownership since new, it still does not have a single rattle or squeak in the body, suspension or cabin interior and that's after driving many country miles.

The same cannot be said by friends who have expensive Euros or Korean cars.

Not knocking you or anything as I follow your Show N Shine thread and I love your work, but you do look after your car a hell of a lot more than most others would, so it's no surprise that you don't have any rattles or squeaks. Unfortunately I don't think you can speak for all Falcodore owners on that one. I guess it can just come down to how well you maintain your car, no matter what brand, local or import.

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by GO FURTHER

What many consumers forgot, was that for 56 years, the Falcon was designed to handle Australian roads and conditions.

Sorry always react to this statement. Australia's road conditions are a lot better than some of the countries I've been to.
There is a harsh sun, but its Falcons & Commodores I see most often with faded flaking paint.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

Sorry always react to this statement. Australia's road conditions are a lot better than some of the countries I've been to.
There is a harsh sun, but its Falcons & Commodores I see most often with faded flaking paint.

Difference with AU is that we have a consolidation of many of the changing conditions seen across the globe; heat, humidity, snow, desert, etc.
Though it is NOT unique at all.