Ford throws Falcon a RWD lifeline

[Ohio XB]

Originally Posted by BLUEYBA

I was just thinking if the Falcon went FWD or AWD and I so hope that its going to stay RWD, they would have to give it a whole new name. The name Falcon can only be associated RWD. It is such an iconic name and FWD or AWD will not do justice to the Falcon name or legend. Imagine associating Falcon GT legend to a FWD or AWD Falcon. Just can't do it

The GTO was such an iconic American name plate. It is legend. GM brought it back.......


.......importing an "American, iconic legend" from Australia. It can happen....




Ford will not announce anything until it is about to burst through the door. They keep the public wondering (should I buy a RWD Falcon now because they are going FWD=more cars sold). They keep their competition guessing so that they have the shortest, or inadequate, amount of time to respond. They let the enthusiasts hash it out, talk about it........p-r-o-m-o-t-e the cause online and in the neighborhood, keeping the car a hot topic. Basically, there is a HUGE psychological strategy to why nobody at Ford will just say "Falcon will stay RWD." It is time tested, constantly refined, and they just about have it down to an art now.

So.....we are perpetuating Ford's manipulation stratedgy. Good, aren't they?


Steve

[Ohio XB]

Originally Posted by Polyal

Steve, I started a thread on a RHD mustang but the overall answer from our side is that its not going to happen...any word on that are will it always be LHD?

I did not see specfic country names in what I read about Mustang being exported, though Europe was named. I don't know if there will be a RHD model or not. Don't make me guess. ;)


Steve

[Polyal]

Well my personal opinion is they are mad not too...but who knows.

As for the online talk about falcons/fords, problem with that theory is we are the converted ones, its everyone else they need to convince.

[R-Design]

Originally Posted by 4 October 2010
By BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS

Consigned to history: The Holden-built G8 was axed along with the Pontiac brand during the GFC.

Senior exec reveals Holden’s initial VE export failure has been a lesson for Ford
FORD admits that the failure of Holden’s VE Commodore-based Pontiac G8 in North America has been a psychological setback in the export of large rear-wheel drive sedans from Australia, as well as a lesson to be heeded in the future.

Speaking anonymously to GoAuto at the Paris show on September 30, a senior company executive revealed he was mystified that a car as impressive and critically acclaimed as the Pontiac G8 did not translate into sales.

“I was curiously surprised at how (the Pontiac) didn’t quite click in the US,” the Ford insider said.

“I was surprised because… it was such a great-looking car… and I thought it was just such a good idea.”

Asked if the Pontiac G8 experience is a setback for any future Falcon export opportunities to North America or any other overseas destination, the Ford man said it would certainly act as a warning not to be ignored.

“(Ford) does look at the whole picture – even though that was a very niche opportunity (for GM),” he said.

“You know (now-retired GM product manager and instigator of the G8 program) Bob Lutz normally had a great instinct for the right products for the right markets, and I am a Bob Lutz believer, so it’s just surprising that it didn’t click.

“But we will keep doing the right thing for (the development of the Falcon) in Australia because we have so many good people (at Broadmeadows).”

Built on the VE Commodore production line at Elizabeth in South Australia, Pontiac released the G8 in North America from December 2007, just as the global financial crisis was taking hold.

Only a little more than half of the 20,000 G8s expected to be sold in the first 12 months found homes, and by the beginning of 2009, with around 10,000 vehicles still sitting in holding yards across the US and GM’s Chapter 11 Bankruptcy looming, the G8 – along with Pontiac itself – was axed.

Along with the 3.6-litre High Feature V6 and 6.0-litre V8 sedan models, GM had planned to offer the G8 in ST utility guise, displaying a prototype at the 2008 New York International Auto Show, and there was even talk of Pontiac taking the Sportwagon variant.

Interestingly, the G8’s Holden Monaro-based GTO Coupe predecessor – another export from Elizabeth – also failed to meet initial volume expectations, although it did gain a stronger following to register more than 40,000 sales from 2004 to 2006.

Holden’s Zeta export program has since been revived with the recommencement of VE Commodore-based Chevrolet Omega sales to Brazil, while the WM Caprice-derived Police Pursuit Vehicle could be worth up to 60,000 exports annually for Holden starting from next year.

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...2577B200059E9A

[FPV]

Originally Posted by wescoent

Not exactly.

The way things are looking, the Falcon will be shrunk to a compact size (ala 3-Series plus a few inches).

Ford is absolutely committed to keeping the Mustang's weight and size down, even if this means shrinking the Falcon.

A quote from a member of another forum which other member's highly regard. I am a bit concerned that Falcon would be significantly downsized, anyone able to shed some light on this?

For reference, a BMW 3 series is around 4.5 metres, the new focus is going to be 4.5 metres and the current Mustang coupe is 4.7 metres. I would hope that even if the Falcon was to be downsized, it would not shrink by much (maybe to high 4.8 metres-low 4.9 metres), certainly hope it would stay in its current large car class.

[Road_Warrior]

Yeah nah I can't see it shrinking to 3 series sizes. It just wouldn't work.

5 series maybe.

[FalconXV]

I'm all in favour of a smaller more areo/efficient Falcon, as long as it still durable, can seat 5 in the same comfort (better packaging maybe) and still looks sleek and muscular/ has grunt.
Personally, I wouldn't even mind a CD3 based chassis with our lusty, torquey 4.0,euro 6 speed manual .
I've driven Fords FWD cars and an east-west variation of our six, with Nurburging/Bathurst tuned handling would thrill most.
(Or maybe build this model along side Falcon to capture a more youthful market, with RS AWD hardware, and i6 shoehorned in any old how, and a MANUAL) .
Plus, we'd have a smaller and lighter bodyshell to enter in V8 Supercars.

Ford can stick to the same formula and continue to watch it's market share diminish, or it can leverage global resources/ other platforms to gain more market coverage.
Component sharing doesn't necessarily have to exist between Mustang and Falcon; Current S-197 Mustang shares front suspension components with C1 Focus for example. In terms of platform flexibility, the FWD based ones offer more variations.

[Falc'man]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Yeah nah I can't see it shrinking to 3 series sizes. It just wouldn't work.

5 series maybe.

Yep. Falcon's platform will remain, evolving.

This is why I hope FG2 will bring more than just new motors and a mild face-lift; some structural integrity is required to cope with what kind of saloon Lincoln want from it. There's a very "strong argument" for this within Ford HQ.

Re 3 series sizing, yes, Mustang will shrink, with direct injection applied to the 5 litre at least. This - as like Falcon being the basis for a large RWD Lincoln - will be the basis for a smaller Lincoln coupe.

[Ohio XB]

Originally Posted by Polyal

Well my personal opinion is they are mad not too...but who knows.

As for the online talk about falcons/fords, problem with that theory is we are the converted ones, its everyone else they need to convince.

When I speak of us I mean using the Falcon faithful on message boards to see how the majority feel about the issues if concern about the Falcon. How do we feel about the thought off AWD? FWD? How important IS RWD? Why? And all the other issues. This is free insight instead of paying a company to gather this info through surveys. ;)


I commented on the GoAuto article in another thread.

[MickyB]

Ford 2014 Falcon - Falcon could stay RWD - GoAuto

Certainly sounds promising.

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by MickyB

Ford 2014 Falcon - Falcon could stay RWD - GoAuto

Certainly sounds promising.

Interesting comments there - the RWD future is getting stronger vary rapidly.

They're working on it right now as well!

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Interesting comments there - the RWD future is getting stronger vary rapidly.

They're working on it right now as well!

I like it how he says the utes will continue (I assume he is talking about Falcon ute), if that dosnt confirm RWD, nothing will!

[outback_ute]

How hard could it be to develop the E8/GRWD platform (nb not saying they are the same thing!) to allow variations of ~200mm wheelbase and ~100mm track width? IE base Mustang, Falcon and a future rwd Lincoln on the same basic architecture. I recall the current Aston Martin platform was called VH because it could be varied in this way - and I have to imagine that Ford would use AM as a test bed for this sort of thing, as I think they did in other areas with Jaguar.

It is interesting to note that the Falcon & Mustang currently have the same track width & very similar overall width, also that the Mustang has 120mm less front shoulder room. I wonder if Ford Aus & US use different measurement systems, as the Taurus is 67mm wider externally yet has 52mm less shoulder room.

[Crazy Dazz]

Whilst I admire the “glass half full” attitudes, isn’t this simply confirming what we all feared? That the Falcon as an Australian car is dead?
Whichever way you slice it, we’re going to end up with a RHD version of some awful yank tank.

It’s funny how a slight change in language elicits such a different response.

Suggest that we will get an AWD Falcon sharing a platform with the Taurus (probably similar to their Police Interceptor drivetrain) and people spew chunks.
Yet suggest we would share one with the iconic Mustang and people are in raptures.
Why? Whilst I would LOVE to own a Mustang, their iconic status has allowed them to lag way behind in areas such as handling. Sure, there is a new one due out, and it will supposedly finally get IRS (20 years too late) but I can confidently predict that it will remain decades behind the times and barely up to the standard of the current generation Falcon.

Whilst many applauded the reprieve granted the I6, it was in fact the deathknell for the Australian Falcon. The earlier decision to re-engineer the local car to take the global engine at least gave the Falcon a chance. Now we know that come 2015 there won’t be a local car with a global engine, so I think the answer is clear.

Ironically, a RWD Falcon is possibly worse for Australian Manufacturing: The Territory as we know it is dead. It will be replaced by the new Explorer, which shares the F/AWD platform with the new Taurus. If the Falcon was based on the same platform, that would give greater opportunity for Australian involvement in development, manufacture, and assembly.

[Swordsman88]

Originally Posted by outback_ute

How hard could it be to develop the E8/GRWD platform (nb not saying they are the same thing!) to allow variations of ~200mm wheelbase and ~100mm track width? IE base Mustang, Falcon and a future rwd Lincoln on the same basic architecture. I recall the current Aston Martin platform was called VH because it could be varied in this way - and I have to imagine that Ford would use AM as a test bed for this sort of thing, as I think they did in other areas with Jaguar.

It is interesting to note that the Falcon & Mustang currently have the same track width & very similar overall width, also that the Mustang has 120mm less front shoulder room. I wonder if Ford Aus & US use different measurement systems, as the Taurus is 67mm wider externally yet has 52mm less shoulder room.

The AM VH/LH platform was something that came to mind when i was thinking about this earlier. I seem to have forgotten to put it in my earlier post in this thread but its good to see i wasn't alone on this train of thought. I think alot of people (including thsoe in the industry) have a pretty poor understanding of how a 'platform' works. It is possible in the modern era to put some pretty wildly differing 'top hats' on a common platform due to smarter engineering design. Its not like the old days where sharing a platform meant wacking your badge on someone else's car (last car like this for ford would be the mazda/ford twins of tribute/ecape and bt-50/ranger). I like the term 'architecture' because that is really what it is all about. You design a platform so that it uses common suspension, common firewalls etc but you can move around the pick up points a fair bit on modern platform (albeit not unlimited). If you move the pick up points and then change the top hat than frankly as far as the customer is concerned it is a very differnt car...even if underneath alot of is shared. Think territory/falcon. If it weren't for common interior design and supplier parts sharing i'd say most people wouldn't even realise that its got a very high % commonality with a BA falcon.....underneath that is....

[Swordsman88]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

Whilst I admire the “glass half full” attitudes, isn’t this simply confirming what we all feared? That the Falcon as an Australian car is dead?
Whichever way you slice it, we’re going to end up with a RHD version of some awful yank tank.

It’s funny how a slight change in language elicits such a different response.

Suggest that we will get an AWD Falcon sharing a platform with the Taurus (probably similar to their Police Interceptor drivetrain) and people spew chunks.
Yet suggest we would share one with the iconic Mustang and people are in raptures.
Why? Whilst I would LOVE to own a Mustang, their iconic status has allowed them to lag way behind in areas such as handling. Sure, there is a new one due out, and it will supposedly finally get IRS (20 years too late) but I can confidently predict that it will remain decades behind the times and barely up to the standard of the current generation Falcon.

Whilst many applauded the reprieve granted the I6, it was in fact the deathknell for the Australian Falcon. The earlier decision to re-engineer the local car to take the global engine at least gave the Falcon a chance. Now we know that come 2015 there won’t be a local car with a global engine, so I think the answer is clear.

Ironically, a RWD Falcon is possibly worse for Australian Manufacturing: The Territory as we know it is dead. It will be replaced by the new Explorer, which shares the F/AWD platform with the new Taurus. If the Falcon was based on the same platform, that would give greater opportunity for Australian involvement in development, manufacture, and assembly.

Although you make a good point RE PR language, i think alot of your conculsions are pretty far of the mark. As a long term mustang lover, i do admit it has had alot of shortfalls tech wise over the years. But, that was largely based on its positioning in the US market (dirt cheap V6 models) and is rapidly coming to an end. The V8 and V6 powerplants now in use are far from 'outdated' and the new model, based on what ford has already told us, will be a significant upgrade. In fact there will not be much left of the current car save the engines and the badge.

I also think your 'no longer australian' comment while true is somewhat pointless. So you'd rather Falcon try to hang on as a niche product with continualy marginal investment and hence decreasing competitiveness? I think your attack on the yanks is somewhat unwaranted also if for not other reason than the current management/direction is very differnt from the days gone by. Mullally is all about the 'right car for the market' and if it is decided that a modern mustang needs more sophisticated suspension, or lincoln needs a truly competitive RWD platform, and falcon needs to stay RWD for the aus market than put all that together and what do you get? Fact is that yank engineers have done a good job in recent years (witness all the awards they've won) and I'd not want to be looking down on them just yet. I think a joint US/AUS RWD program could do very well thankyou.....

Either way its better than what Holden has got going on with GM looking to a large FWD/AWD platform for most of its large cars.....and if it is FWD/AWD than i'd be shocked if Holden had much to do with its base design....

[phillyc]

There was some absolute killer comments to take from that article / interview with Mullaly and Mays.

Originally Posted by GoAuto

REAR-WHEEL drive appears to be back in favour for the Falcon, with Ford Motor Company president and CEO Alan Mulally admitting that he would not risk alienating buyers and fans when the next all-new Falcon debuts sometime in the middle of the decade.

Either way, not only is it almost certain that Ford Australia is driving the engineering development of Ford’s next global family car, it seems increasingly likely that the Broadmeadows team may shape the look of each derivative as well – perhaps even Lincoln’s.

Speaking to GoAuto at the Paris motor show on September 30 – almost 50 years to the day after the first Falcon’s 1960 on-sale date in Australia – both Ford executives praised the Broadmeadows team’s abilities to take total control of new-vehicle development in the wake of the T6 Ranger program, which has its global debut at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney next week.

“Falcon is a great vehicle, and we are going to keep making it for the customers, because they love it,” Mr Mulally said.

“We’re always going to keep looking at the technology that allows us to do (rear-wheel drive) … we have really cool rear-wheel drive (cars) like the Mustang and the Falcon, and they’re all different in the marketplace.

“But the big thing for Ford is it is always a Ford family, right? So if we’re going to have sportscars and need big sedans, too, we’re going to use the technology that is right for them.

“Because we love our rear-wheel drive cars, we love the Mustang, and we love our global platforms.”

Mr Mulally also emphasised the importance of leveraging Ford Australia’s unique half-century’s worth of experience with RWD sedans. “We are going to have great rear-wheel drive platforms, and the vehicles that we have them on are on global platforms. So we are going to work with all our customers around the world to make sure they have the products they want,” he said.

“When you look at all the vehicles that people want … rear-wheel drive really does make a lot of sense.

“But there are vehicles that really make sense with rear-wheel drive. You can argue that we have got some of the best in the world. So we are going to continue to make what customers want and value, including utes.”

“(Australia) is contributing on every major program that we work on,” he said. “Chris Svensson has just taken over from Scott Strong, and will probably work for three to four years down there.

“They are contributing to major programs that we are working on, whether they are sold in Australia or not. We have got them involved in four different programs at the moment.

“They are an integral part of our design organisation … on everything from trucks to passenger cars.

“Next Falcon is just starting to shape up, and they’re contributing to that as well. We have a global team, and a global design competition on the design programs, and the Broadmeadows team, along with Cologne and Dearborn, are all working on derivatives.”

Asked if a Falcon proposal had been chosen, Mr Mays said the design process had just begun.
“I haven’t been down there in two years, but I am trying to get there for next February because I owe them a visit. But they know what they’re doing and they know how to handle it.”

Mr Mays said in Paris that Ford Australia’s team is world-class and entirely responsible for all T6 Ranger and derivatives.
“Absolutely every single thing (about the T6) was designed in Broadmeadows,” he said. “They’ve done a great job on that, and it’s just a killer-looking truck – a very dynamic-looking truck.”

Wow, that is an incredibly positive article. Pretty much that entire article could be in BOLD.

Of particular note are the RWD derivatives that Cologne, Dearborn and Broadmeadows are working on!

Also the 4 different major programs that Ford Australia are now working on.

One is public, ie the T6 and perhaps it could be considered 2 with Everest.

The other 2 or perhaps 3 are what?! I doubt it is Fiesta or Focus. IMO you would have to say that one is GRWD.

[Joe5619]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

Whilst I admire the “glass half full” attitudes, isn’t this simply confirming what we all feared? That the Falcon as an Australian car is dead?
Whichever way you slice it, we’re going to end up with a RHD version of some awful yank tank.

It’s funny how a slight change in language elicits such a different response.

Suggest that we will get an AWD Falcon sharing a platform with the Taurus (probably similar to their Police Interceptor drivetrain) and people spew chunks.
Yet suggest we would share one with the iconic Mustang and people are in raptures.
Why? Whilst I would LOVE to own a Mustang, their iconic status has allowed them to lag way behind in areas such as handling. Sure, there is a new one due out, and it will supposedly finally get IRS (20 years too late) but I can confidently predict that it will remain decades behind the times and barely up to the standard of the current generation Falcon.

Whilst many applauded the reprieve granted the I6, it was in fact the deathknell for the Australian Falcon. The earlier decision to re-engineer the local car to take the global engine at least gave the Falcon a chance. Now we know that come 2015 there won’t be a local car with a global engine, so I think the answer is clear.

Ironically, a RWD Falcon is possibly worse for Australian Manufacturing: The Territory as we know it is dead. It will be replaced by the new Explorer, which shares the F/AWD platform with the new Taurus. If the Falcon was based on the same platform, that would give greater opportunity for Australian involvement in development, manufacture, and assembly.

Hold the press, we found Ford's next CEO... Another know it all, that knows sweet f all!!

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

Whilst I admire the “glass half full” attitudes, isn’t this simply confirming what we all feared? That the Falcon as an Australian car is dead?
Whichever way you slice it, we’re going to end up with a RHD version of some awful yank tank.

It’s funny how a slight change in language elicits such a different response.

Suggest that we will get an AWD Falcon sharing a platform with the Taurus (probably similar to their Police Interceptor drivetrain) and people spew chunks.
Yet suggest we would share one with the iconic Mustang and people are in raptures.
Why? Whilst I would LOVE to own a Mustang, their iconic status has allowed them to lag way behind in areas such as handling. Sure, there is a new one due out, and it will supposedly finally get IRS (20 years too late) but I can confidently predict that it will remain decades behind the times and barely up to the standard of the current generation Falcon.

Whilst many applauded the reprieve granted the I6, it was in fact the deathknell for the Australian Falcon. The earlier decision to re-engineer the local car to take the global engine at least gave the Falcon a chance. Now we know that come 2015 there won’t be a local car with a global engine, so I think the answer is clear.

Ironically, a RWD Falcon is possibly worse for Australian Manufacturing: The Territory as we know it is dead. It will be replaced by the new Explorer, which shares the F/AWD platform with the new Taurus. If the Falcon was based on the same platform, that would give greater opportunity for Australian involvement in development, manufacture, and assembly.

You're reading way too much into the phrase, "One Ford",

Platforms 101, high ticket items in descending order are as follows:

1) Power train
2) Electrical systems
3) Framing
4) Suspension
5) Trim and glass.

Share any three of the top four and you save a huge amount on product development.
Heck two cars don't even have to be on the same platform to save heaps of dough.

Finally, don't believe everything you read, Falcon has been dead an buried for the last 20 odd years.

And yet here we are.....

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Finally, don't believe everything you read, Falcon has been dead an buried for the last 20 odd years.

And yet here we are.....

Thought it was 30?

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by phillyc

Of particular note are the RWD derivatives that Cologne, Dearborn and Broadmeadows are working on!

Also the 4 different major programs that Ford Australia are now working on.

One is public, ie the T6 and perhaps it could be considered 2 with Everest.

The other 2 or perhaps 3 are what?! I doubt it is Fiesta or Focus. IMO you would have to say that one is GRWD.

That RWD variant that is being worked on in Cologne is very very interesting. I wonder what that's all about?

Although I think the 4 programs arent going to be anything really earth shattering. Probably just EcoBoost Falcon, Territory II, next gen RWD and of course the T6.

But I think I'm working out what Dearborn is doing. It's delegating development of global cars and 'specialist' cars (like RWD) to the offshore Ford arms, and keeping North American market stuff to develop itself. The NA market it worth millions of millions of units per year to Ford, so that makes sense.

I think this whole one Ford thing was mainly directed at rationalising the amount of small car platforms that are around the place because a couple of years ago there were dozens of them with no common linkage but all filling similar roles.

[Jason[98.EL]]

Originally Posted by phillyc

There was some absolute killer comments to take from that article / interview with Mullaly and Mays.

Wow, that is an incredibly positive article. Pretty much that entire article could be in BOLD.

Of particular note are the RWD derivatives that Cologne, Dearborn and Broadmeadows are working on!

Also the 4 different major programs that Ford Australia are now working on.

One is public, ie the T6 and perhaps it could be considered 2 with Everest.

The other 2 or perhaps 3 are what?! I doubt it is Fiesta or Focus. IMO you would have to say that one is GRWD.

wow that is a great artical

hope it is the turning of the tide for ford au

[Falc'man]

Originally Posted by phillyc

There was some absolute killer comments to take from that article / interview with Mullaly and Mays.

Wow, that is an incredibly positive article. Pretty much that entire article could be in BOLD.

Of particular note are the RWD derivatives that Cologne, Dearborn and Broadmeadows are working on!

Also the 4 different major programs that Ford Australia are now working on.

One is public, ie the T6 and perhaps it could be considered 2 with Everest.

The other 2 or perhaps 3 are what?! I doubt it is Fiesta or Focus. IMO you would have to say that one is GRWD.

That says it all, really. (and it's also a kick in the nuts to all the naysayers - a big "up yours!")

1) Falcon will be the basis for a larger RWD platform, shared with Lincoln.

2) Mustang will be the basis for a smaller RWD platform, also shared with Lincoln.

The "Falcon" as we know it - Australian designed - will remain Australian designed. The difference, this time, is the backing $$ from Dearborn. And not to mention all the technologies that will come along for the ride.

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by Falc'man

That says it all, really. (and it's also a kick in the nuts to all the naysayers - a big "up yours!")

1) Falcon will be the basis for a larger RWD platform, shared with Lincoln.

GMI is reporting that Lincoln dealers stateside recently were summoned to a closed door briefing on future product and a flagship car was discussed...the Continental name was also bandied about...

[Falc'man]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

GMI is reporting that Lincoln dealers stateside recently were summoned to a closed door briefing on future product and a flagship car was discussed...the Continental name was also bandied about...

Yep, from the article above...

Originally Posted by Goauto

“Next Falcon is just starting to shape up, and they’re contributing to that as well. We have a global team, and a global design competition on the design programs, and the Broadmeadows team, along with Cologne and Dearborn, are all working on derivatives.”

It's the way it's meant to be: the big guns have come out. If Ford show as much proficiency in this as they've shown in the very recent past then we're in for a cracker of a ride.

[bobthebilda]

REAR-WHEEL drive appears to be back in favour for the Falcon, with Ford Motor Company president and CEO Alan Mulally admitting that he would not risk alienating buyers and fans when the next all-new Falcon debuts sometime in the middle of the decade.

Why alienate someone before you absolutely have to, leave it until you decide which import you decide will wear the "Falcon" badge

Either way, not only is it almost certain that Ford Australia is driving the engineering development of Ford’s next global family car, it seems increasingly likely that the Broadmeadows team may shape the look of each derivative as well – perhaps even Lincoln’s.

Were not going to make all 3000 people redundant. We are going to keep the design team.

Speaking to GoAuto at the Paris motor show on September 30 – almost 50 years to the day after the first Falcon’s 1960 on-sale date in Australia – both Ford executives praised the Broadmeadows team’s abilities to take total control of new-vehicle development in the wake of the T6 Ranger program, which has its global debut at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney next week.

See, we dont need all the workers in Australia

“Falcon is a great vehicle, and we are going to keep making it for the customers, because they love it,” Mr Mulally said.

Now, we just need to figure out where its coming from

“We’re always going to keep looking at the technology that allows us to do (rear-wheel drive) … we have really cool rear-wheel drive (cars) like the Mustang and the Falcon, and they’re all different in the marketplace.

Some make us money which allows us to reinvest, others just dont

“But the big thing for Ford is it is always a Ford family, right? So if we’re going to have sportscars and need big sedans, too, we’re going to use the technology that is right for them.

And right now, the best technology for our RWD Falcon, is front wheel drive technology.

“Because we love our rear-wheel drive cars, we love the Mustang, and we love our global platforms.”

If i dont mention Falcon, i can always refer back to this sentence, as a precedence

Mr Mulally also emphasised the importance of leveraging Ford Australia’s unique half-century’s worth of experience with RWD sedans. “We are going to have great rear-wheel drive platforms, and the vehicles that we have them on are on global platforms. So we are going to work with all our customers around the world to make sure they have the products they want,” he said.

What, did you say they only sell 2300 per month. What do they do with the factory for the other 3 quarters of the month

“When you look at all the vehicles that people want … rear-wheel drive really does make a lot of sense.

Just doesnt make us any money

“But there are vehicles that really make sense with rear-wheel drive. You can argue that we have got some of the best in the world. So we are going to continue to make what customers want and value, including utes.”

But really, 2300 a month is more of a statistical blip for us, it cant really be counted as what a customer wants

“(Australia) is contributing on every major program that we work on,” he said. “Chris Svensson has just taken over from Scott Strong, and will probably work for three to four years down there.

And he has been trained to turn out the lights.

“They are contributing to major programs that we are working on, whether they are sold in Australia or not. We have got them involved in four different programs at the moment.

Number 4 is turning off the lights.

“They are an integral part of our design organisation … on everything from trucks to passenger cars.

“Next Falcon is just starting to shape up, and they’re contributing to that as well. We have a global team, and a global design competition on the design programs, and the Broadmeadows team, along with Cologne and Dearborn, are all working on derivatives.”

Asked if a Falcon proposal had been chosen, Mr Mays said the design process had just begun.

We are introducing the machines into Thailand in 2012

“I haven’t been down there in two years, but I am trying to get there for next February because I owe them a visit. But they know what they’re doing and they know how to handle it.”

Winters in detroit are bloody cold. Any one got tickets to the Australian open

[Paxton]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

GMI is reporting that Lincoln dealers stateside recently were summoned to a closed door briefing on future product and a flagship car was discussed...the Continental name was also bandied about...

Lincoln Continental would be about Fairlane sized. I've hinted before that Fairlane could make a come back, but it wouldn't do so unless it had a Lincoln to share the platform with. With the amount of money that Ford spent on FG, imagine the platform if a) it had FoMoCo money, and b) had double the budget. I think there would be little doubt that Ford will have a world beating platform, that won't be confined to Australia.

[geehaa]

Originally Posted by bobthebilda

Why alienate someone before you absolutely have to, leave it until you decide which import you decide will wear the "Falcon" badge

Were not going to make all 3000 people redundant. We are going to keep the design team.

See, we dont need all the workers in Australia

Now, we just need to figure out where its coming from

Some make us money which allows us to reinvest, others just dont

And right now, the best technology for our RWD Falcon, is front wheel drive technology.

If i dont mention Falcon, i can always refer back to this sentence, as a precedence

What, did you say they only sell 2300 per month. What do they do with the factory for the other 3 quarters of the month

Just doesnt make us any money

But really, 2300 a month is more of a statistical blip for us, it cant really be counted as what a customer wants

And he has been trained to turn out the lights.

Number 4 is turning off the lights.

We are introducing the machines into Thailand in 2012

Winters in detroit are bloody cold. Any one got tickets to the Australian open

How have you ended with that tremendous amount of rep power?

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by vztrt

Thought it was 30?

Whilst that all sounds very pithy, and an apparently great “put-down,” unfortunately it’s absolute rubbish.
We knew almost a decade ahead of time that the EA26 was going to be developed in Australia, and the same for the AU (code name escapes me for the moment.) Similarly the Barra and Orion were telegraphed well ahead of time.


These articles say absolutely NOTHING new, and give absolutely ZERO guarantees about the future of Falcon as an Australian Car, yet suddenly everyone is drunk on the euphoria of false hope.
This is simply a PR exercise around managing expectations. As I said, what this confirms 100% is that the next “all new” Falcon will be based on some 2nd rate Yank platform, but of course they’re going to try and package that in the sweetest language possible. It’s bit like the VL Commodore. GM didn’t come out and say that they’d given up on the Aussie 6, and bought a rubbish Datsun engine. No, they trumpeted their new OHC engine. Whatever shape the next all-new Falcon takes, you can rest assured that it will be sold to us as the latest and greatest, and many will choose to believe it. Just look at the VN; a hasty botch of an inflated Opel body, on a bastardised VK platform, with an archaic Buick engine. Relatively speaking the worst car Holden ever made, yet GMH diehards flocked to it like the 2nd Coming.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE American cars, the bigger the better. They were serving up luxury appointments when we were still making do with 3 on the tree and vinyl. On balance, they are probably still the best car makers in the world, and their best engines are awesome. (I just wish that we’d start getting their engines when they were still new, instead of when they’re looking to get of old junk!)
But let’s face it, the American concept of “handling” is that it should be comfortable sitting in a traffic jam. Don’t believe me, just read any review of Any American car; they all read the same: “Good Looks, Great Value for Money, Comfortable & Well-Appointed, Load of Power, and CRAP Steering and Cornering. The Mustang has gotten away with it’s archaic platform, simply because it COULD. Why fix it if nobody complains.

Whilst I will lament the passing of the I6, switching to a global all-alloy quad-cam V6 could yield significant benefits, provided we get the latest versions and not the cast offs.

As I indicated, I just hope that Ford Australia get significant input into the development of this platform, Retuning the platform to what we expect in the way of handling, should be relatively simple with enough Australian input. I’d be quite happy with an AWD Falcon, provided it retains a big torquey engine. However FWD would be the pits.

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by Paxton

Lincoln Continental would be about Fairlane sized. I've hinted before that Fairlane could make a come back, but it wouldn't do so unless it had a Lincoln to share the platform with.

Hardly.
The New Lincoln would be to replace the existing Town Car, which is one of the last vehicles still being produced on the aging Panther platform.
The Town Car is substantially larger than the Fairlane. The latest Lincoln MKS are about Fairlane size, but they are built on an extended D3 Platform.

See, this is what makes me sceptical about this whole “we are committed to RWD” BS. Because the simple truth is that they’re not.

Had Ford retained Jaguar, you could have bet dollars to Doughnuts on the next Falcon being developed on the DEW platform, but they didn’t and it’s dead. That leaves it’s derivative the D2C (Mustang), the geriatric Panther, and Australia’s own E8. The Panther is gasping it’s last, sustained only by Police Interceptor and Taxi sales. The new D3 based Interceptor has already been unveiled, and who gives a **** what they make Taxis on. Ironically, Ford DID consider basing their new Interceptor on a revamped E8, but decided not to.
Sure they may revive the Continental badge as the new Lincoln flagship, but with little choice it’s got to be based on the extended D3.

As many have mentioned, our best bet for a RWD platform lies with the Mustang.
From an Australian perspective, the ONLY LOGICAL choice is to continue to allow Ford Australia to develop the successor to the E8, and use that as a basis for the Mustang. However I suspect there is too much internal politics within Ford to allow that to happen. It may come down to cost, as the current prediction is that the 2014 Mustang will continue on the D2C, possibly with the option of IRS as per the DEW98. Unfortunately plans for Mustang based sedans were shelved, so that could leave us stuck with the D3.

The Territory is the best “crossover” platform I have driven, and had I been president of Ford we’d have been selling them allover the globe. But that would have seen it outshine the Freestyle/ Taurus X/ latest Explorer. So whilst our best bet for RWD only may lie with Mustang, it could be that our best interests for development, manufacturing, and assembly lie with the D3.