Has AU Falcon scared off Ford from ever doing another BOLD Falcon - Page 3

Bucknaked · 25-01-2012, 08:28 PM

I dont see why ford are scared because of the AU. With all the bad press from Series 1, why did they go on to do a series 2 and 3. Why did tickford do the a T-Series, and 3 series if the cars were so bad. Why is the car so good now. Vision? Before it's time? A decade has passed since the end of the AU model. They have learn't from the AU. Why wouldn't they take those lessons and apply them to a new bold statement.

I think if anything, ford need to do something bold. And not just another annisversary/ Limited Edition model they like to roll out. I dunno know how many times you can re package the same car into something else. New wheels, new stripes. Yep, those cars are pretty special.

Auslandau · 25-01-2012, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bucknaked

I think if anything, ford need to do something bold. And not just another annisversary/ Limited Edition model they like to roll out. I dunno know how many times you can re package the same car into something else. New wheels, new stripes. Yep, those cars are pretty special.

Spending $40,000,000 on a super charged V8 is pretty bold me thinks! That would take some balls ...........

The styling aint half bad either. Not as bold as HSV thank god.

jpd80 · 25-01-2012, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Auslandau

Spending $40,000,000 on a super charged V8 is pretty bold me thinks! That would take some balls ...........

The styling aint half bad either. Not as bold as HSV thank god.

Quick rule of thumb, 2,000 units x 5 years, let's say 10,000 units - the amortization is around $4,000 to $5,00/car
but when you're talking $60,000 to $80,000 cars, the benefits out weigh the costs, especially when doing nothing
will put you out of business......

sbutler · 25-01-2012, 08:46 PM

Well I first saw the S1 AU as Fords downfall, the only thing that kept it, & ford alive was the fleet market, & it was a much better car than the Holden of the time. Falcon AU was the first Australian car to have Air Con as standard. The Taxi oparators loved their reliability, ease of use & long life. But the public hated them. Just through simple numbers they sold very well, again mostly fleet buyers, the free aircon was the biggest selling point. after a few years people started to change their minds about them & the reviews were glowing compaired to the compitition. But there was no way I would ever had bought on untill I was at the launch of the T3s. a few months later i had one in the garage, & then later I had one for the wife. They pathed the way for the BA which was an AU with a different front & rear. But it was a handsome car compaired to the AU & sold to the public much better.
I have to say the AU has held its age very well.

Resurrection · 25-01-2012, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJM83

Good i hope they do, then you wont buy one then you may find another forum to annoy.

Can we go a few weeks without an AU bashing thread seriously? Because i can see where this will go.

I had a 1999 AU Forte from new to 2003. It was a black sedan with 5-speed manual, Tickford sports suspension and with 16" wheels. I was very pleased with the car as it went well and was reliable. However my opinion about it's appearance will remain unchanged - it was fugly.

My blood flows blue. I always drive Australian made cars and my loyalty is to the Australian designed and made Falcon. The FG XR6 I currently drive is my sixth Falcon and I already know what will be my seventh Falcon.

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showpos...&postcount=420
http://www.fordforums.com.au/showpos...7&postcount=40

If people ask for opinions then they should be prepared to recieve honest answers and not just look for people to support their opinion. You sound like one of those people who cannot handle criticism.

jpd80 · 25-01-2012, 09:12 PM

AU III was quite nice and the Ghias had a lovely up market interior with wood grain trim....

Perhaps if Ford had lead with that series III grille, AU might have been more successful,

mik · 25-01-2012, 11:39 PM

beauty is in the eye of the beholder i guess, but i never liked the ve shape, HUGE rear end,hilux flares, eek , it reminds me of a P76, but P76 was better looking,
the current henri looks better balanced imo.

falconnut · 26-01-2012, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Resurrection

I was very pleased with the car as it went well and was reliable. However my opinion about it's appearance will remain unchanged - it was fugly.

Nothing a body kit and aftermarket rims + decent painjob wont fix, i have seen some damn sexy AU's on here and around the web and on road.

But i really dont care how my car looks on the outside, its got it where it counts on the inside.

~~thinly veiled post about insecurities and inner beauty~~

an10as · 26-01-2012, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikked

lol @ BF and FG looking alike...nothing in common...

But yes, the AU was as bold, unique and interesting as australian design will get. The BA looked like a camry...

Didnt the AU perform exceptionally well in aerodynamic tests?

falconnut · 26-01-2012, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by an10as

Didnt the AU perform exceptionally well in aerodynamic tests?

Yeah, apparently its the most aerodynamic falcon ford ever made *citation needed*

an10as · 26-01-2012, 12:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by falconnut

Yeah, apparently its the most aerodynamic falcon ford ever made *citation needed*

It just had to be a bit ugly to achieve it lol

falconnut · 26-01-2012, 12:44 AM

But its so smooth and sexy, like a airplane with no wings.

b0son · 26-01-2012, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by falconnut

But its so smooth and sexy, like a airplane with no wings.

That explains why it crashed and burned :P

XRtowcar · 26-01-2012, 12:56 PM

Market sales seem to dictate that cars should be boring and mundane.
Exciting cars sell in small numbers as most people want to get from A to B without any drama's.
These are also the people who find driving annoying and motorcars as all equally safe. Thats why Great Walls are selling.
For me FG was a lost opportunity as it carries over too much BF DNA.
Hope there enough cash for a last hurrah with the next upgrade.

**DJM83** · 26-01-2012, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b0son

That explains why it crashed and burned :P

Go have a look at the sales.

b0son · 26-01-2012, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJM83

Go have a look at the sales.

they fell after EF/EL, and rebounded with BA. dont be fooled by total sales, look at units/mth or units/year.

galaxy xr8 · 26-01-2012, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJM83

Go have a look at the sales.

I was going to bring that up again myself but I thought .... Why bother with mindless individual's that have no idea on reality..

galaxy xr8 · 26-01-2012, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b0son

they fell after EF/EL, and rebounded with BA. dont be fooled by total sales, look at units/mth or units/year.

I think you should go and do some homework 1'st before you make such a bold statement,

raised by monkeys · 26-01-2012, 02:28 PM

id prefer an average looking girlfriend who can hold her own, operates well including a decent job and is smart, will help around the house and can cook a good meal every now and then, is happy and content with herself, goes to the gym and then and go hard when fun times begin as opposed to --> the hotter looking thrashed out chick who self midicates, doesnt help out around the house because shes too busy applying makeup and watching sex and the city, shopping and being judgemental in between going to work at her medial level entry retail position because shes thicker than bricks which sees her falling behind on rent and bills and being healthy means eating less food.

My not quite attractive AU will see 40 years of age and still working well.

But to the Q of the OP. Meh, i think the BA was more bold in terms of an imported motor. Other than styling, the AU used the same motor it had for a long time.

b0son · 26-01-2012, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by galaxy xr8

I think you should go and do some homework

EF/EL - Aug 94 to Aug 98 - 325,561 units - 79,729 units/yr
AU - Sep 98 to Sep 02 - 235,990 units - 57,793 units/yr
BA - Oct 02 to Sep 05 - 196,023 units - 65,341 units/yr

Homework done. Point made. Now what?

galaxy xr8 · 26-01-2012, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b0son

EF/EL - Aug 94 to Aug 98 - 325,561 units - 79,729 units/yr
AU - Sep 98 to Sep 02 - 235,990 units - 57,793 units/yr
BA - Oct 02 to Sep 05 - 196,023 units - 65,341 units/yr

Homework done. Point made. Now what?

How about we compare unit's sold over the same time frame as it's not fair to compare model's that have been released over longer/shorter time frames, apples with apples huh as you said let's look at unit's per yr/month and to do that we need to be fair and compare a same time frame, after all your the one that said don't be fooled by total sales which still favour the AU, but let's look at it in a fair comparision then.

Yes there was 235,990 AU Falcon's sold, and even if you compare the same amount of yr's for the BA (3 yrs), the AU and AUII (excluding AUIII) there was 204,670 sold compared to the BA's 196,000.

AU/AUII (excluding AU III) as we are comparing apples with apples here and the same time frame,
AU -'98 - 01 (3 yr's) - 204,670 unit's = 68,223.
BA -'02 - 05 (3 yr's) - 196,023 untit's = 65,341.

falconnut · 26-01-2012, 04:26 PM

So the AU outsold the BA.

HAHhahahahahaah take that haters.

Auslandau · 26-01-2012, 04:31 PM

C'mon ...... continuos bagging of the AU is soooooo tired. yep, some do not like, some do love so don't keep crapping on some one elses ride.

But in saying that as it really does need to be said ..........

Quote:

Originally Posted by b0son

..... dont be fooled by total sales,

I think we have the quote of the year ......

falconnut · 26-01-2012, 04:33 PM

I agree with you auslandau but haters going hate

b0son · 26-01-2012, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by galaxy xr8

but let's look at it in a fair comparision then.

The only fair comparison would be to determine the sales as a % of the size of the large car segment, as that segment was already in decline by the time the BA was released.

From the graph, nothing I said is wrong ... sales did rebound with the BA. The AU bled market share to the Commodore. The BA stopped this trend for the most part.

Ford's decision to be bold with the AU backfired. I'm sorry if that offends the AU fanbois.

galaxy xr8 · 26-01-2012, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b0son

The only fair comparison would be to determine the sales as a % of the size of the large car segment, as that segment was already in decline by the time the BA was released.

image

From the graph, nothing I said is wrong ... sales did rebound with the BA. The AU bled market share to the Commodore. The BA stopped this trend for the most part.

Ford's decision to be bold with the AU backfired. I'm sorry if that offends the AU fanbois.

All that show's is the economic structure of large car's in general, for Ford/Holden which could include numourous model's, as we are aware that Ford also phased out some model's like LWB at that time frame, anyway going of your chart the best yr's for Ford/ large vehicles were,
'97, '03 and well what do you know '99 the yr of the AU Forte..

That graph does show a trend though.. an economic one.

b0son · 26-01-2012, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by galaxy xr8

That graph does show a trend though.. an economic one.

Look again. Commodore sales static (or even rending slightly up) while AU fell.

If the trend was purely an economic one, the AU would have maintained the same share of the market relative to Commodore. Clearly, it did not.

The fact that with the BA, Ford immediately regained market share, then trended the same as Commodore, indicates the BA was a better accepted product.

galaxy xr8 · 26-01-2012, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b0son

Look again. Commodore sales static (or even rending slightly up) while AU fell.

If the trend was purely an economic one, the AU would have maintained the same share of the market relative to Commodore. Clearly, it did not.

The fact that with the BA, Ford immediately regained market share, then trended the same as Commodore, indicates the BA was a better accepted product.

Not according to sales though does it, as a sale mean's money and hopefully a profit and I think I would rather go on sale's then a chart, but each to their own.

And over that time we also know that Holden did maintain it's sale's as Number 1 ( the Commodore) as you say but also did not make profit's in some of those yr's.
Anyway we are getting of topic here talking about Holden/Ford sales, I was mearly pointing out that the AU in my opinion did not according to sales scare Ford off.

Ryan · 26-01-2012, 08:27 PM

Speaking as someone with no bias to any Falcon model comparing the average AU to the average BA I think BAs look plain and haven't aged as good as AUs have IMO.

bigdude1011 · 26-01-2012, 10:39 PM

I remember reading somewhere that the New Edge styling was an afterthought, and that it was originally going to be a very rounded car (sorta like the Taurus/EL Falcon), but by the time the AU was released (remember, the AU was delayed to make sure that most of the kinks were ironed out), and by 1998, most Fords of that era had the New Edge design (the EUDM Mk1 Focus also started production in 1998).

Then again, the AU has aged really well, and most are in far better condition than the VT-VX Commodores and TE-TH Magnas I see on our roads. They also seem to be the most reliable late-model Falcons, from what I've heard. Even my friend's mum's badly neglected 360+k old Series 2 is mechanically sound.

Too bad the low series dash looked like a dog's breakfast (especially the assymetrical square-in-circle shape of the series 2-3s).