Ford closes Geelong engine plant - 600 jobs gone by 2010

[Falcon Freak]

The seed of destruction will be sown today which will lead to the demise of the Falcon and the end of Ford Australia's local vehicle manufacture.

FF

[OzJavelin]

I haven't been following the Orion threads, but what would this mean to V8 manufacturing, particularly the "Australian-only" BOSS engines?

[Polyal]

Jesus, thats not good. Thats a huge blow for Geelong.

That settles it, ill be buying a I6T in 2010.

[Falcon Freak]

Thread about this subject has already been started:

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=109006

FF

[seano14]

It's a shame to hear this news and I feel really bad for the workers.

But when you think about it, if the Orion is to be exported to the USA, it makes sense to throw the US derived v6 into it - from a spare parts and servicing point of view

[Macca23]

On the way to work this morning the radio in sydney annoucned that the plant is closing, 600 loss of jobs, in favour of the cheaper v6 import due to not selling enough fords!

[BAxtER]

yeah i heard some similar stuff on the today show about a closure was half asleep though so decided to come on here and see whats going on.

its a shame really, if this is confirmed, i love the i6, especially in the BA, sounds so nice, good power.
if ford blame it on low car sales, its really a lame excuse, should have noted this with high petrol prices as a basic first, followed by increase in sales of smaller cars such as the corolla, and last of all a dodgy revision of the popular xr version from bfmk1 to bf mk2 (obviously sales wouldnt have changed by much with this but still makes a difference imo)
thats just my opinion on what they should have observed but hey what would i know im still a teenager :

[Falcon Freak]

Originally Posted by Macca23

On the way to work this morning the radio in sydney annoucned that the plant is closing, 600 loss of jobs, in favour of the cheaper v6 import due to not selling enough fords!

That is Ford's fault for giving their opposition a 2 year head start. THEY DIDN'T LEARN A GOD DAMN THING WHEN THE ELII FALCON WAS SLAUGHTERED BY THE VT COMMODORE!

Ford? : :togo: :thebirds:

FF

[The Stylist]

Very sad news indeed for the workers in Geelong. I hope Ford has other positions within the company for displaced workers.

In regards to the new V6, well I just hope it comes with all the fruit to make it an worthy replacement for the Barra.

I was hoping for more positive "Big announcement".

[Bud Bud]

Originally Posted by Falcon Freak

The seed of destruction will be sown today which will lead to the demise of the Falcon and the end of Ford Australia's local vehicle manufacture.

FF

How could Ford be so clumsy by leaking this type of info right on the door step of the release of the Orion? Surly you would have kept your mouth shut until the new model has at least proved itself. This can only have a negative effect overall. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.

If you want to see what this type of negative info can do to a car manufacturer look to how Mitsubishi has faired with this type of constant bad press.

And to think, it was only a couple of years ago that Holden won the right to "build" engines for the world right down the road!

[Morpheus]

pretty bad news... but a fact of life these days.

[devilracer_01]

The car industry in Australia is just about shot, real disapointment and I feel for not only the workers at Ford in Geelong, but Geelong as a whole.

Suddenly Falcon owners with an I6 have a something worth holding onto.

[Dave_au]

Wow everyone is getting so dramatic.

I can't see it being that much different from when Holden switched from the 5.0L to the Gen3.

Granted that 600 people will have substantial redundancy payments - and up to three year's notice.

[UHW]

Its Official. Just announced by the Federal Minister.
Plant to close and V6 imported from 2010

[Bud Bud]

"It aint over til the fat lady sings" This is a perhaps little more encouraging. It appears that there is a little more speculation in this than what we were first led to believe.

Reading between the lines, it might be that any decision over the plant could at least wait until after the release of the new model anyway, which was my biggest fear.


Ford denies it has taken a decision on its Geelong plant

18/07/2007 - Ford Australia could announce on Wednesday the closure of its Geelong engine manufacturing plant by 2010, a senior federal politician says.

But a Ford spokeswoman denies the company has made a decision on the future of the plant, which supplies six-cylinder engines for its Falcon and Territory ranges.

Opposition industry spokesman Kim Carr told Fairfax newspapers the motor industry was expecting Ford to announce the closure on Wednesday. "The industry is bracing itself for a decision and we fear the worst," he said.

But the Ford spokeswoman said the company was considering a number of options and was not prepared to make any comment.

Ford has had to rethink the future of the plant with falling sales of large Australian-made cars, a Howard government plan to halve tariffs on imported cars to 5 per cent by 2010, and tough new emissions laws for new cars due in 2010.

Ford could opt to import a more efficient V6 engine to replace the locally designed in-line six cylinder fitted to the Falcon and Territory.

Up to 600 jobs could be lost in Geelong if the plant closes.

Ford Australia built its first Australian factory in Geelong, Victoria's second largest city, in 1925.

Source: AAP NewsWire

[UHW]

All manufacturing will cease in Australia very soon
unless both Holden and Ford are/start working on hybrids and fuel
efficient options.
I suspect within 10 years we will just be assembling cars imported
from overseas with no local input.
This announcement is just the start.

[Bud Bud]

Originally Posted by UHW

Its Official. Just announced by the Federal Minister.
Plant to close and V6 imported from 2010

"Oops" please disregard my last post!

[UHW]

Sorry Bud, we must have been typing at the same time!

[Perana]

I'll believe it when FoMoCo announce it.. until then its just Media/Govenment beat up....

[ED Classic]

Originally Posted by UHW

All manufacturing will cease in Australia very soon
unless both Holden and Ford are/start working on hybrids and fuel
efficient options.
I suspect within 10 years we will just be assembling cars imported
from overseas with no local input.
This announcement is just the start.

Yeah Ford needs to A) invent some leading technologies...But, do they have the budget?

B) Make Broadmeadows as good as any Ford manufacturing plant in the Ford world...

[ED Classic]

Originally Posted by Perana XR8

I'll believe it when FoMoCo announce it.. until then its just Media/Govenment beat up....

I beleive we will know by 5pm the latest

[Donut King]

Originally Posted by Falcon Freak

The seed of destruction will be sown today which will lead to the demise of the Falcon and the end of Ford Australia's local vehicle manufacture.

FF

Drama Queen much?

Seriously quit it with the FUD, the sky is not falling and it is not the end of the world. If the rumors turn into a real world announcement it will be the end of an era yes, but if you honestly think that the I6 is capable of carrying Falcon into the future without substantial changes that Ford simply don't have the budget for, you are dreaming. It's done well for a 40 year old design, but technology has come a long way since then.

This whole ordeal sounds much like what the doomsdayers were saying when it was discovered the tickford wings were not to continue and look how accurate they were.

[Perana]

Well said Donut King!

95% of Falcon buyers will not know the difference between I6 and V6 anyway.. It certainly makes business sense to shelve the I6 to me... The worst thing with this is the 600 people potentially losing their jobs.. but hey at least they will have some notice to find more work and I'm sure they will get some sort of separation package...

[JPFS1]

Frontal CAE will be happy...

DK summed it up well and that's the reality.

I'll be happy if we are given a worthy replacement and that our facilities and technical know-how are utilised.

[Fordman1]

Yep the bad news is the loss of Ford employee jobs.

The good news is that FoA can now plug into a global RWD design and source the latest overseas engines without having to foot the huge future development costs of what is unfortunately in the I6 an "orphan".

Hydrid technology, DI engines, and other alternative fuel technologies as they become available will be available to Ford Australia. The Aussie plants (Assembly and Stamping) will still need to become leaner and more efficient as they will now compete with other Ford plants around the world for the business here in Oz.

I'll be interested to see the Media release from Ford when it becomes available. Hopefully there will be good news released at the same time as any closure announcement.

[UHW]

ut if you honestly think that the I6 is capable of carrying Falcon into the future without substantial changes that Ford simply don't have the budget for, you are dreaming. It's done well for a 40 year old design, but technology has come a long way since then.

Everybody agrees, however the point is why wasn't more done to
keep building these engines at Geelong.
Just reinforces my point that the Australian outpost will be an "Assemble
only" concern after the Orion...unless the orion can be exported in quantities
that sustain the cost. Australia is not big enough alone.
Someone else will make the bits and we will put them together.

Hopefully there will be good news released at the same time as any closure announcement.

Let's hope so, but I doubt it.

[Donut King]

Originally Posted by UHW

Everybody agrees, however the point is why wasn't more done to
keep building these engines at Geelong.
Just reinforces my point that the Australian outpost will be an "Assemble
only" concern after the Orion...unless the orion can be exported in quantities
that sustain the cost. Australia is not big enough alone.
Someone else will make the bits and we will put them together.

The answer there is simple, the market here isn't big enough, and there isn't another vehicle on the Ford world which could realistically make use of it otherwise they would be using it.

Like it or lump it, it's likely that the business case involved with having "more done to keep building these engines at Geelong" doesn't stack up, otherwise other options wouldn't be considered more viable. Ford is a business, they have to make money, they can't afford to keep producing & updating something because "the enthusiasts like it and thats the way we've always done it".

It's likely that Ford Australia will play an increasing role in developing cars for the Ford world, Ford are recognising the talent we have here and they already handled the Fiesta development for india, and are also involved with a new light truck platform for the asian market. This means that it is unlikely that they will move into a product assembly only category.

[Dave_au]

Originally Posted by UHW

Everybody agrees, however the point is why wasn't more done to keep building these engines at Geelong.

It would simply cost a fortune to make the engines euro IV compliant - and would probably make the Orion financially unfeasable. Ford is in a business to make money, not appeal to the nostalgia of fans. From what we understand to date, the new v6 3.5 unit will be quite ample in filling the i6 4.0L shoes, with talk of a potential twin turbo setup already.

[Ringo]

Questions in light of this decision.

What happens to E-gas post 2010?

E-Gas makes up 21% or so of all falcons produced - it to big a market to ignore.

Is E-gas I6 Euro IV compliant already?

[Donut King]

Ok this can be considered confirmed.

I just received certain information, which I will post should it be deemed that it won't cause us any issues here