last Falcon Sedan starts its being built

[Eaturbo]

Photos of the last Falcon Sedan getting built have popped up on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/FansOfFalco...type=3&theater

https://m.facebook.com/FansOfFalcon/...pe=3&source=54

Its a Kinetic Blue XR8 sprint. This is it guys the last one ever.

[StefD]

I dont see the bonnet bulge in the pics???

[commodorenutt]

Sad sight, but the best colour choice ;)

Have to laugh at the Farcebook imbeciles who comment on these things.

Like the guy saying the govt put $1.8 billion into the car industry, and how that works out to be $1.80 per person in this country.... Sorry moron, we don't have a billion people living in Oz.... But that's ok, someone posted it on sookbook so it must be 100% right..lol

[roddy1960]

G'day , GEEZ THIS IS HARD TO DEAL WITH. Pictures of the very last one . Second last day of 91 years of Australian Ford manufacture .. ........Really sad and poignant....
This is some of what's come out of the factories just in my lifetime...

Falcon 1960-2016 , Bronco 1981-1987 , Corsair 1989-1992 , Escort 1970-1981,Australia didn't get the Mk1 until 1970 assembled here.. Cortina was also assembled and Australian specc'd here until 1982 when Sierra (imported ) came along and Telstar soon after..... Fairlane 1967-2007 , Fairmont/Ghia 1965- 2008 , Futura 1962-2008 , Maverick 1993-2004 , Meteor 1981-1994 , LTD 1973-2007 , Landau 1973-1976, Laser 1981-2002 , Telstar 1983-1999 and Territory 2004 -2016... Then there's all those built between 1925 to 1960....Whew......I think in Ford Falcon/ Futura/ Fairmont/ Fairlane/LTD and Aussie assembled Galaxie alone there was nearly 3.3 million built. Would have to check to see build numbers of all the others.... .SO MUCH HISTORY...SO SAD BUT SO MUCH TO BE TRULY PROUD OF..

OKAY , SO THIS COMPANY IS US.OWNED BUT IS ALL THE BETTER FOR AUSTRALIAN INGENUITY , DESIGN FEATURES AND TOUGHNESS..
All of us should be very proud of what this little South Pacific outpost of the Ford empire has provided in all sorts of ways...I am. and this little video as a tribute to Falcon made about three years ago could include all the marques with direct Aussie links..Listen to the words and you'll see what I mean..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwZYw35JkJY Cheers Rod..

[MrZ]

Originally Posted by roddy1960

Cortina was also assembled and Australian specc'd here until 1982 when Sierra (imported ) came along and Telstar soon after.....

Huh? The Sierra was never sold in Australia.

[commodorenutt]

I have never taken delivery of a new GMH product, but my last new car was my FG, and it will probably stay that way now.

I don't believe that you need to have purchased your Ford new to be classed as a passionate enthusiast. I know many people who have owned a string of local Fords, and were only too happy to jump into something Asian because it had more cup holders. But on the other had, I know a young guy who saved up for 5 years to buy a 2nd hand BA XR6T. Is he less passionate? No way!

People who buy cars at 2-3-4 years of age can actually be contributing to helping the sales of new vehicles. If there is enough demand for them, the resale value increases (basic supply & demand). When resale values are higher, leasing companies offer a higher residual, and lower monthly payments. For companies driven by cost cuts, fleet leasing can come down purely to $, not the choice of the best car for the task. Enough demand, and this can translate into a more attractive fleet purchase - creating volume sales. Unfortunately falcon values tanked, just like many other large cars, which had the opposite effect. Lease/fleet sales offer volume - and volume brings down manufacturing costs. But lease companies also operate on profits, and actively encourage deals that give them more profit. The falcon was bad news to them.
Monthly lease costs on significantly more expensive cars that hold their resale are often not much more than leasing a local sedan, and with so much badge snobbery in this country, it was always going to be doomed.

But at least the guys buying 2nd hand local cars still spent their money on a local product. They are no less worthy of being classed as a true enthusiast than a new Falcon buyer.


The other thing that grinds my gears is the red vs blue mentality, and how negative it can be.
I don't like when whole red vs blue thing goes beyond a bit of light hearted banter - it should have been stopped long ago, so Aussie car enthusiasts could have united, although it's unlikely we could have stopped the general public's shift away from Aussie cars, or the numerous successive govt policy issues, or the corporate dollar......

Red vs blue drove automotive development in this country. It drove innovation too - unlike the current 'all words, no action' over-use for that word by gov-co.

Red vs blue meant the opposing teams fought harder to improve their product. Most of all, it provided a pathway for talented people to do something memorable in their career, and at the same time, provide joy & happiness for others lucky enough to own some of the incredible vehicles that came from our local factories. Some of the people I hold in high regard are not seen in the media, and you wouldn't know their names, but they did their time in Geelong, and as part of a greater collective, brought to market many great vehicles.

They don't bask in the limelight, or on a podium. They are the quiet achievers in this country, and we're losing not only a great source of employment for all skill levels, but we're also losing a lot of that collective talent, and the fruits of their passion.

[roddy1960]

Originally Posted by MrZ

Huh? The Sierra was never sold in Australia.

G'day , There had to have been on the premise it raced in the ATCC for a few years if memory serves correctly..Dick Johnson , Bondy, John Bowe and I think Allan Moffat ran them and one year they won at Bathurst but were disqualified for some reason . Pretty sure that at least 500 have to be sold to homologate them.. not unless that's a worldwide rule , not just in the country they race in.. If so I apologise for the mistake...Will check on that...Cheers Rod..

[chinamonty]

Originally Posted by commodorenutt

Sad sight, but the best colour choice ;)

Have to laugh at the Farcebook imbeciles who comment on these things.

Like the guy saying the govt put $1.8 billion into the car industry, and how that works out to be $1.80 per person in this country.... Sorry moron, we don't have a billion people living in Oz.... But that's ok, someone posted it on sookbook so it must be 100% right..lol

Yeah it was over ten years so it probably works out around 7.50 each year for each person (assuming around 24million ave over ten years)

[Rallye Sport]

Sad day, the latte sipping, iphone savvy masses have won and we'll all be driving suvs and rangers. With every evolution the Falcon got better, now take the ranger for example, every new one they give me at work is slower, clumsier and filled full of electronic gizmo's to suck the fun out of driving for me but keep these weak gene'd, unskilled gen y's from stacking into a power pole.
We'll be taking the TE50 out for a long drive today, laughing at the new ****boxes all the way...

[Wretched]

Adios, it was fun while it lasted.

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

Sad day, the latte sipping, iphone savvy masses have won and we'll all be driving suvs and rangers. With every evolution the Falcon got better, now take the ranger for example, every new one they give me at work is slower, clumsier and filled full of electronic gizmo's to suck the fun out of driving for me but keep these weak gene'd, unskilled gen y's from stacking into a power pole.
We'll be taking the TE50 out for a long drive today, laughing at the new ****boxes all the way...

When was your last brand new purchase of a Falcon? Forgive me but from your list of cars in your signature, doesn't seem anything recent.

[roddy1960]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

Sad day, the latte sipping, iphone savvy masses have won and we'll all be driving suvs and rangers. With every evolution the Falcon got better, now take the ranger for example, every new one they give me at work is slower, clumsier and filled full of electronic gizmo's to suck the fun out of driving for me but keep these weak gene'd, unskilled gen y's from stacking into a power pole.
We'll be taking the TE50 out for a long drive today, laughing at the new ****boxes all the way...

G'day.....well said particularly when it comes from a person with a TE 50...and a RS Escort....Just wait and see if you'll see 400,000 clicks out of an I30 , a ssangyong , kia etc.. , the all the same looking SUV's from different companies and Crossovers and the real gas guzzlers Toorak Tractors on their way to the coffee shops and malls...
Then you remember a car that was a family sedan , a sports coupe for a while , a full sized station wagon , a pretty decent panel van and an iconic Utility much loved..FORD FALCON/FUTURA/FAIRMONT..
/FAIRMONT...five cars in one..and then the Fairlane and LTD as pure longer wheelbase luxury ..Absolute definition of Aussie versatility and ingenuity if ever there was an example...I'll be taking my AU ll and FG XR6 for a few runs too...Cheers Rod..

[Grunter]

Feeling for all the Ford crew, that must be feeling like crap seeing it go down the line. :(

[chinamonty]

I still can't find an acceptable new replacement for my AU Fairmont Wagon. The Mondeo wagon is a joke. It may have to be a XF Sportswagon before they disappear but even it doesn't have the carrying capacity (my loads take up space but aren't overly heavy). I would hate to become a white van man!
Thoughts are with all those in the auto industry who are losing jobs. It is not only those at Ford today but those at suppliers who worked exclusively on Ford products are also leaving.

[chinamonty]

I actually use a work car. We bought it in 1999 and it has served us very very well. It has replacement trans in it but I am now looking to replace it. I have had reason to before. Maybe that is one of the problems with Falcons! We also have a 2006 Territory and it hasn't put a foot wrong since we bought it.
I haven't bothered owning a car since I got back from China in 2008!

[Raptor]

Can someone post the pic's here - no Facebook at work and I don't have an account anyway


I'd like to circulate those images here at work - my company will have supplied some of the steel in those cars.







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.

[Smoke Pursuit]

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by Smoke Pursuit

image

Half-built Falcon: Still more beautiful to me than any current 4-door sedan in the world. Farewell Falcon, thanks for the memories and most of all, thank you Ford Australia.

[Smoke Pursuit]

[Smoke Pursuit]

[Smoke Pursuit]

I bought 10 Falcons in 14 years... Plus 2 Territory's in that time. I think I've done my bit for Ford / Falcon.

As of tomorrow there will be a huge void in my life... No more new Falcons to get excited about. Yes I am hopeless.

What will I buy next?? Probably Mitsubishi's. I will keep these 2 Falcons I have now forever.

[MrEL]

500 Sierras worldwide had to be sold.
Group A was international rules then.

[Eaturbo]

God dam it, why is this happening. So from now on we just get all the ccrraapp that nobody else in the world wants

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by Eaturbo

God dam it, why is this happening. So from now on we just get all the ccrraapp that nobody else in the world wants

I think you mean "Cars the same as the rest of the world gets"...which will open us up to some truly interesting vehicles that have never been "allowed" to be sold here because of protection of the local manufacturing industry.

How long could the manufacturers here keep on making cars that the public simply wasn't buying just to appeal to "tradition" or "because we have since the sixties"? This isn't the sixties, or the seventies or eighties for that matter, where the opposition was a bunch of small low powered junk.

Times change, always have, always will.

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

I think you mean "Cars the same as the rest of the world gets"...which will open us up to some truly interesting vehicles that have never been "allowed" to be sold here because of protection of the local manufacturing industry.

Care to name any of these "interesting vehicles" that are not allowed here because of local industry? They should have tightened the laws so these interesting pieces of trash like Hyundai's, Kia's, Great Walls, LDV, Mahindras, mitsubishis, etc wouldn't be littering our streets. The Koreans, Japs and even the Malaysians tax the crap out of any car that isn't made locally, to make them uncompetitive and this makes perfect business sense. Here in Australia, we tax the crap out of the hardworking middle class man to feed the disabled and unemployed, or spend on unprofitable, over-budget national projects like the NBN. The thing that hindered Australia more than anything is choosing to drive on the wrong side of the road when it was founded. This stopped us from getting some real interesting vehicles , and also our own interesting vehicles from getting on the world stage effectively.

[roddy1960]

Originally Posted by malazn mafia

Care to name any of these "interesting vehicles" that are not allowed here because of local industry? They should have tightened the laws so these interesting pieces of trash like Hyundai's, Kia's, Great Walls, LDV, Mahindras, mitsubishis, etc wouldn't be littering our streets. The Koreans, Japs and even the Malaysians tax the crap out of any car that isn't made locally, to make them uncompetitive and this makes perfect business sense. Here in Australia, we tax the crap out of the hardworking middle class man to feed the disabled and unemployed, or spend on unprofitable, over-budget national projects like the NBN. The thing that hindered Australia more than anything is choosing to drive on the wrong side of the road when it was founded. This stopped us from getting some real interesting vehicles , and also our own interesting vehicles from getting on the world stage effectively.

G'day...Two things that signed the demise of Australia's car industry... 1...Button Car Plan
2. Just about every Free Trade Agreement with just about everybody.. Nuff said..
Malazn mafia...You are correct...Bloody nightmare is the NBN..especially where I am..Not a fan at all. While I'm at it tickles me no end how often our Falcons are ogled by Ford fans from Yankland.."You Aussies get the best Fords , why can't we get these in the States "..
That's a very regular comment on Falcon vids on You Tube..Truly...
Cheers Rod..

[roddy1960]

G'day....AND ANOTHER THING...re my previous rant..I began thinking about advertising or lack there of for the FGX.. I recall this one..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ2oeSaOR6U...Actually pretty good by Ford Oz's modern abysmal standards in my humble opinion..
Been told in other threads that Ad's don't sell cars necessarily but surely can't hurt.. What other dedicated FGX ad's were there..Someone jog my useless memory... Cheers Rod....

[commodorenutt]

Originally Posted by roddy1960

....... While I'm at it tickles me no end how often our Falcons are ogled by Ford fans from Yankland.."You Aussies get the best Fords , why can't we get these in the States "........

You are spot on.
I've driven a number of yankee colleagues around in my FG LPi.
First comment is normally how nice it is - inside & out, compared to their local runabouts (mind you, the Fusion wasn't around then).

2nd reaction is total respect for a rear drive IRS chassis, that they consider to be up there with Euros.

And a few have even questioned if the LPi was a V8 with a crappy exhaust - one such discussion got so heated between the 2 yankee passengers that I had to pull over and lift the bonnet to show them it was a straight 6. Betting money changed hands between them.....

But by far the best reaction was when we test drove the Miami in late 2010. One yank asked to get out of the car or he'd be sick..... before asking the engineers from FPV how much of the Miami would fit into his Mustang back home.... After seeing the Miami GTE press car, the 2nd guy was almost in tears that the FG wasn't available in LH drive.

We also took them to Holden (Salmon st), and at the time the Marilyn convertible Monaro was on display, and so was the retro Camaro, the Efigy, and the panel van concept. They particularly loved the Marilyn and the Efigy, commenting on how great the local cars are, and lamenting that they didn't get a decent chance at US exports (in Holden's case).

They also reckoned the Commodore ute and FG ute would have both done well in the USA as reborn El Camino & Ranchero pickups.

It is very sad that we have lost, and are losing, such highly regarded (even by yanks) vehicles.

Remember too, it was yanks who authorised the billion dollar investment in the VE development, which fed into various global models. If they really wanted Australia to make cars, Ford would have come up with a global RWD sedan that could be easily built in LH & RH drive - the various law enforcement departments, taxi industry, and large sedan market (however small) would have worked with the combined totals. Holden could have also remained bouyant with those sorts of numbers too, but alas, the decision was made by others. Perhaps it's the fear of being upstaged... :P

[rancidpunx]

Originally Posted by Eaturbo

Photos of the last Falcon Sedan getting built have popped up on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/FansOfFalco...type=3&theater

https://m.facebook.com/FansOfFalcon/...pe=3&source=54

Its a Kinetic Blue XR8 sprint. This is it guys the last one ever.

Last one is a Standard XR6. Its the car you have linked to but not a sprint and not an 8. Later build photos now on FB show it with silver grill and standard fog light surrounds. Has a 6 bonnet and xr6 badge.

[BluXR6T]

I will give my FG GT one hard rev tomorrow in honour of the FORD factory and all its workers.

[xr6-FTW]

How sad are people here feeling generally, I was looking At an old add just now on the support falcon page on Facebook and it just makes me feel depressed on the inside, feels real heart breaking to know tomorrow the last car will roll off the production line forever. My grandfather who worked at ford for 33 years is still in denial thats its going to end, although nowadays hes not in great nick. Seeing pictures of the empty production line with no cares behind the last one is a real kick in the gut type of feeling, ive seen pics through friends there and its just real sad, its all winding down. I've Been told theres reversed spots for the media to be there tomorrow and that the last car will be finished off by the longest serving employs, with it to all be over by 10am.

Long live the falcon......