Dick Johnson's Plan to save the Falcon

[imugli]

First of all, I have never purchased a Ford. I've purchased 1 car in my life and it's a Mazda 6.

Now to my point. Opinions are like...

How many people here that are saying FoA need an export program (Dick included) have actually seen or put together a business case for exporting the Falcon?

I'd has it a guess none of us have. Therefore none of us can say with any certainty that an export program would in fact save Falcon. In the case of Holden and Pontiac, it LOST them $200m. Imagine FoA losing $200 million on top of the $290million they lost last year. When was the last time a 1/2 billion dollar loss saved any business?

My bet is that in the years to come, when production at Broady does come to an end and Wheels rolls out a commemorative edition to say goodbye to the Falcon, we'll find out that in fact more than one business case was done and that if they had have gone with an export deal the factory would have been shuttered long before 2016 because of the ensuing losses.

Ford have been far more ruthless in cutting loss making plants than GM have. My bet is that they would have had less hesitation shutting down Broady having lost $200million than GM obviously was after Holden lost that much.

Of course, as with many of the comments so far, I have no evidence to back my theory up so take it with the proverbial grain of salt. In just the same way that we should take Dick's comments with a grain of salt, legend or not.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by prydey

prove it. speculation doesn't help anybody.



well, not quite. platforms yes, cars no. from what i understand of 'one ford', it doesn't refer to same cars/models in all markets. more to do with sharing global technologies and platforms but still able to have cars unique to certain markets.

ford australia is still a very important cog in the ford wheel.

Well if he wanted it to succeed he would be pushing it harder... Things like ecolpi and ecoboost were signed off before he got here. Marin Burela was the man behind these products and he worked very hard to get them over the line (pushing dealers to register demos etc so he had a business case for Ford US). Graziano comes here and all that happens is things fall apart. Two new models that no one knows about, seems quiet convenient really, one would think when things were tough you would put your marketing team on notice and push them. They are nothing like they were 5 years ago, there's no passion, there's no thought, just boring old TV advertisements which don't sell cars.

Platforms vs cars whatever, look at cars like Fiesta and Focus which are both sold across the world.... Every manufacturer is moving towards this, the Falcon will have to share a body with some other overseas model to make it viable, not just the platform, the 4.0 I6 will have to go! What other countries outside the US have unique cars??? Europe, Asia etc all share the same Fords now pretty much!

Its not just about profitability either, its more about building a brand.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by flappist

And this is the problem.

Not "Has anyone got a spare $30k for a XT" or "Has anyone got a spare $20k for for Focus".

So much of our society seems to feel inferior unless they have the BEST regardless of what they can afford.

Instead of paying $30k for a nice XT the eyes are on a several year old second hand XR8 or GT or whatever as they are "cooler".


I started off with rather basic car which which was gradually replaced by better and better as I could afford it. I had Falcon 500s, Lasers, Fairmont, Fairmont Ghias and then FPVs and was over 40 before I bought my first "performance Falcon".

I am not pointing this directly at you falconnut it is almost pandemic.

Many here come out with "I need a V8 Falcon" as the reason why they buy a $20k S/H XR8 rather than a $20k new Focus quoting the towing ability despite not having anything to tow or the inside space despite them being single, living with their mum and hardly ever using the back seat or touring capability despite them never leaving the suburbs or performance despite the closest they get to track work is parking in the car park on track days.

If you really are a Ford supporter then do what you can do to help.

If you can't afford a new car of any type then get out there and talk up Ford, ALL Ford not just the model that you would buy if you won lotto.

Put it on your facebook, tell everyone you know and even people you don't know about EB4, ecoLPi, just bloody everything about Ford.

If Ford are not advertising then you can.

No more "Falcon is doomed", they will only die if no one buys them.

If you see someone looking at a car shop just go over and tell them how cool the FG2 is.

Get out and do your bit.

It is not Ford Falcon.

It is FORD FALCON

A flood is made up of rain drops, go out and wet something.......

I like you statement about being a ford supporter and doing your bit about spreading the word of how great their cars are...
Since this is an internet forum on fords and the internet itself is a great media tool for communications on various topics how about starting a campaign or petition on saving the falcon.
Other organizations do this and you will be surprised how effective this is.

Being a moderator on this forum you might be able to set a campaign page for this purpose.... just an idea....

[tranquilized]

Originally Posted by DASH GT

Your all missing the point....

Graziano was sent here to do a job... One Ford does not include one off builds of 15000 cars a year... They want to have a range of cars that they sell across the world...

Completely agree with this, and have been saying as much in other threads for a while now. It is just so painfully obvious I dont know whether to laugh or cry when people keep talking about the next Falcon

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by SPArKy_Dave

The Federal goverment need to re-introduce a decent import tarrif on foreign made cars. Like there used to be.

Under the guise of 'healthy competition' reducing the import tarrif to nothing, has created an extremely unfair new car market (local v's foreign).

You're almost always going to get more for your money with imported vehicles.............. unless the employee's at Ford and Holden, want to work for $2.00 a day.

Just wait till the overseas wages match ours.
Then the imported cars will be just as expensive, if not more so, than locally made examples.
No-one here will be able to afford anything, and Australia will become a 3rd world country.

Might be time for another Falcon durability test, to lure back customers.


Ford would not be Ford, without the Ford Falcon.
It's the name that started the adventure.

Come on Ford Marketing. Lift your game. THINK OF SOMETHING!

Bring in stiff tariffs again? Be careful what you wish for...all that does is breed a lazy car industry that doesn't have any real incentive to build better cars. We've been there and done that before...cars where even the most basic modern conveniences were optional extras, if they were included at all...but hey, they're dinky-di Aussie cars mate!
I honestly don't think we'd be seeing Falcons and Commodores with the standard equipment levels they have now if they didn't have to actively compete against sharply priced well-equipped foreign competition.

[jpd80]

The only reason car prices have remained fairly stable - flat for the last 10-15 years
is because of increased competition that comes from reductions in Tariffs.

If the government had not reduced those tariffs, we would have had a Focus built here all right but
be in no doubt that the base price would have been around $28,000 thanks to 25% import tariff...

[EgoFG]

Originally Posted by DASH GT

Its not just about profitability either, its more about building a brand.

!!!!!!

[mac_man_luke]

they would be better off saying no LCT on aussie made cars.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by mac_man_luke

they would be better off saying no LCT on aussie made cars.

Or start the tax at $75,000

Maybe start asking luxury brands why cars cost so much here but much cheaper in USA and Europe..

[Falcman0o7]

Watch youtube vids like XR6 turbos, SC FPVs and read the comments from the yanks~!!!!!!! They want em!

[Nikked]

Ford could export if the govment gave the 200+ million to cover losses...

[F6 Dan]

My f6 ute purchased brand new 6 weeks ago - loving it !!!
Ordered a brand new ltd edition xr6 turbo in kinetic for my now "petrol head wife" it took some arm bending to convince her to become a petrol head but she loves it. There u go there's my contribution to Ford and Fpv aust.

[galaxy xr8]

I wonder if Ford Aus have it on the back of their mind to start head hunting people from other successful posistion's with in the Auto bussiness that have proven their worth.

Holden/Toyota and Mazda just to name a few might all be good places to start looking.

[jixel 78]

I`ll go out on a limb and say if this was about jobs, they`d have killed Falcon a long time ago. If this was about jobs,(and it is now) the market would have dictated Ford shift from the Falcon to something fresh a new nameplate would be a start, theres alot of people that associate `Falcon` with `Kingswood` ie; very old fashioned.Just the other day,my father and I were driving past a huge recycling plant and he said`Plenty of Falcons in there mate`And unfortuneately its showing in the market,and people have lost their job. If FoA wasnt building these things, and were building dare I say, Fusion, Focus, Fiesta,or even Taurus would they be laying people off? Would there be Falcons languishing in yards across Oz? Dunno. Build something new, and maybe there might be a few more jobs to go around at FoA. Cry into the cornflakes over the Falcon. Just dont write off Ford to spite it.

[GS608]

Originally Posted by Keepleft

My view; Middle East gulf states and Africa, particularly south.

I recall Falcon utes going to England on a small scale as 'Verve Tempest' if memories correct. (They had to fit a rear fog to each). Too tired to do a Google on that atm.

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...256B440014164B

[windowlicker]

At least Dick is on the attack, we need more thinking. Its idea time. What's your sales boost idea?

I was thinking also about Union membership. Its been going down too. Funny that. We lose loads of manuf jobs and the membership goes down.

What about the ACTU negotiating a fleet price for members... on a fleet car, more or less the taxi/cop model?

I seem to remember the ACTU ran a travel agency, Jetset. They can do unusual things.

[KIWI-1]

Originally Posted by ego gtp

My 24 yr old daughter who is very enviro conscious had no idea about fords new start of the art Eco boost falcon ,she was amazed when I told her about it.

"The new four-cylinder Ford Falcon, developed with millions of dollars of federal government "green car" funding, is not being bought by NSW government departments because it does not meet their environmental guidelines.

In an unusual twist, the regular six-cylinder versions of the Toyota Aurion and Holden Commodore pass the NSW government's minimum "green car" standards because they have a better pollution score than the four-cylinder Falcon."

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...717-228j5.html

LCA?

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by flappist

And this is the problem.

Not "Has anyone got a spare $30k for a XT" or "Has anyone got a spare $20k for for Focus".

So much of our society seems to feel inferior unless they have the BEST regardless of what they can afford.

Instead of paying $30k for a nice XT the eyes are on a several year old second hand XR8 or GT or whatever as they are "cooler".


I started off with rather basic car which which was gradually replaced by better and better as I could afford it. I had Falcon 500s, Lasers, Fairmont, Fairmont Ghias and then FPVs and was over 40 before I bought my first "performance Falcon".

I am not pointing this directly at you falconnut it is almost pandemic.

Many here come out with "I need a V8 Falcon" as the reason why they buy a $20k S/H XR8 rather than a $20k new Focus quoting the towing ability despite not having anything to tow or the inside space despite them being single, living with their mum and hardly ever using the back seat or touring capability despite them never leaving the suburbs or performance despite the closest they get to track work is parking in the car park on track days.

If you really are a Ford supporter then do what you can do to help.

If you can't afford a new car of any type then get out there and talk up Ford, ALL Ford not just the model that you would buy if you won lotto.

Put it on your facebook, tell everyone you know and even people you don't know about EB4, ecoLPi, just bloody everything about Ford.

If Ford are not advertising then you can.

No more "Falcon is doomed", they will only die if no one buys them.

If you see someone looking at a car shop just go over and tell them how cool the FG2 is.

Get out and do your bit.

It is not Ford Falcon.

It is FORD FALCON

A flood is made up of rain drops, go out and wet something.......

I think the Falcon's problem is that it depreciates so fast that it makes sense to pick up a one or two year old XR6 really cheap.

My Fiesta is a base model CL and the TDCI Focus is an LX, which is mid range.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by DASH GT

Well if he wanted it to succeed he would be pushing it harder... Things like ecolpi and ecoboost were signed off before he got here. Marin Burela was the man behind these products and he worked very hard to get them over the line (pushing dealers to register demos etc so he had a business case for Ford US). Graziano comes here and all that happens is things fall apart. Two new models that no one knows about, seems quiet convenient really, one would think when things were tough you would put your marketing team on notice and push them. They are nothing like they were 5 years ago, there's no passion, there's no thought, just boring old TV advertisements which don't sell cars.

Platforms vs cars whatever, look at cars like Fiesta and Focus which are both sold across the world.... Every manufacturer is moving towards this, the Falcon will have to share a body with some other overseas model to make it viable, not just the platform, the 4.0 I6 will have to go! What other countries outside the US have unique cars??? Europe, Asia etc all share the same Fords now pretty much!

Its not just about profitability either, its more about building a brand.

The funny thing is Marin tried real hard to get things going, and sales improved while he was in charge, we were even running some overtime for the first time in years. Just when things were going nicely they gave him his marching orders and sent him off to China.

How convenient.

As soon as Graziano was sent here on his mission sales dropped off straight away. He's done his hack job so well he will be one of the top 3 or 4 executives within a few years, gauranteed.

[malazn mafia]

Why is it that 10 years ago, back in 2002, the BA Falcon was plastered all over the news. Media release shots were on the 6'o clock news. Everyone was talking about it. Did the media feel sudden pity for the Falcon after all those years of being the underdog? Did Ford hire a good marketing team? Or was the BA such a good car for its time that it got everybody talking? I don't think even the VE commodore with its billion dollar blimp had as much exposure as the BA falcon did. Before the end of 2002, I remember many shiney new BA's popping up all over the streets. The same couldn't be said of the FG Falcon throughout '08.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

The funny thing is Marin tried real hard to get things going, and sales improved while he was in charge, we were even running some overtime for the first time in years. Just when things were going nicely they gave him his marching orders and sent him off to China.

How convenient.

As soon as Graziano was sent here on his mission sales dropped off straight away. He's done his hack job so well he will be one of the top 3 or 4 executives within a few years, gauranteed.

Or when Graziano arrived, he was greeted with a mountain of near 4,000 unsold base petrol XR6s,
something done under Burela's watch, trying to push them onto fleets and then onto DPs who knew that
buyers wanted XR6 with high series interior and 19" rims.

That's when the three day weeks unofficially started for around eight months until SZ Territory arrived..

I'm not going to revisit what happened with Burela and the dealers but his transfer was a promotion to
replace a retiring senior official. We should be glad that we still have a Falcon on sale, sometimes we forget
that the bulk of falcon sales are to fleets and advertising does precious little to improve that area and transferring
funds from other areas because plan A to fleets failed is very hard..that's why advertising has been so lacking.
Ford says EcoLPi is for fleet, it doesn't sell so they offer it to reatil but no advertising budget, similarly Ecoboost arrives just
as the engines sell in record numbers out of valencia until US plants come on line. FoA does not ahve a huge stockpile of
engines, they get them as available. I know lack of advertising is puzzling but funds are tight and monies already allocated elsewhere..

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Or when Graziano arrived, he was greeted with a mountain of near 4,000 unsold base petrol XR6s,
something done under Burela's watch, trying to push them onto fleets and then onto DPs who knew that
buyers wanted XR6 with high series interior and 19" rims.

That's when the three day weeks unofficially started for around eight months until SZ Territory arrived..

I'm not going to revisit what happened with Burela and the dealers but his transfer
was a promotion to replace a retiring senior official.

Sales figures improved most months he was running the place, so it wasn't a case of just building them and putting them on grass.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Sales figures improved most months he was running the place, so it wasn't a case of just building them and putting them on grass.

The market started shifting before he left and basically went downhill in the second half of 2010 just as he left.
The gap without EcoLPI made things even worse as fleets didn't want base petrol XR6s, Burela pried to push
them onto Dealerships, they revolted knowing they couldn't sell them without the wheels and screens people wanted..

[naddis01]

Originally Posted by malazn mafia

Why is it that 10 years ago, back in 2002, the BA Falcon was plastered all over the news. Media release shots were on the 6'o clock news. Everyone was talking about it. Did the media feel sudden pity for the Falcon after all those years of being the underdog? Did Ford hire a good marketing team? Or was the BA such a good car for its time that it got everybody talking? I don't think even the VE commodore with its billion dollar blimp had as much exposure as the BA falcon did. Before the end of 2002, I remember many shiney new BA's popping up all over the streets. The same couldn't be said of the FG Falcon throughout '08.

10 years ago the media was doing its best to kill Mitsubishi. When they succeeded there they moved onto killing the Falcon.

[neptune blue]

Originally Posted by OZQUAD44

Davway, thats a bit rich coming from you don't you think. Comments like yours only start stupid conversations like this.

My point was valid. your dumb **** comment about buying two was just inflammatory. You want to come out with inflammatory suggestions don't come crying to me when I call you a Clown.

Without sales the Falcon is history. Simple as that. Ford are in the business of making money. If the Falcon is a bread winner then it stays. If the public don't buy them, it does not earn its keep so its gone. its not the "evil" management that kills it

I think it is you who needs some basics spelt out.

Don't waste your time with davway

On another thread he stated that any one that has an illegally modified vehicle is a nob and that (we forum members that have modified our vehicles in this way )are no better than those zip heads that drive like idiots in clapped out crap boxes

You are right, the only thing that will save the falcon is local sales
Ford marketing isn't great but increased sales in Australia is the short answer
Holden's sales in the US are small. The auto builders union in the states frown on imports that compete directly with their local produced cars ie large rear wheel drive sedans

I was at Holden when they exported the Monaro to the states. It wasn't easy and it was only available in limited numbers for that reason

Let's hope the falcon survives

[BluXR6T]

Originally Posted by OZQUAD44

Go out and buy a new Falcon. Simple

I have; pick up my GT tomorrow.

[GCRXR6]

Originally Posted by falconnut

anyone got a spare $60k for a G6ET?

Buying G6ET's is not what will save the Falcon .. it is the sales of the base models. Always has been and always will be.

The vast majority of buyers are ordinary family folk on average wages. The reality is that the Falcon, and Commie are cheaper now (in terms of average annual income) than they have ever been.

The problem is, so are the imports. Not only that, there is a greater choice of imported vehicles. A further problem is that the percentage of the disposable income that can be put into a new car is less because housing is astromically more expensive, and we also have a huge list of other items to purchace today, that did not exist even ten years ago (iphones, ipads, t-boxes, playstatons, computers etc, etc..)

Yes, we, as consumers in Australia, have lead to the demise of Australian manufacturing. Who was the leading manufacturer of TV's in Australia in the 60's AWA. We can ask the same questions about all past Ausie products that have now gone and come up with the same answer. Why have they gone? We as consumers decided to purchase imports to save a dollar. Saving that dollar has cost us our jobs. The joke is now on us.

[flooded one]

Originally Posted by naddis01

10 years ago the media was doing its best to kill Mitsubishi. When they succeeded there they moved onto killing the Falcon.

I agree!!! media does control and influence alot of things when you really think about it!! also over goes abit over board on alot of stories.

[jpd80]

I love the assumption that a successful plant has to be at least 75,000 vehicles,
last time I looked it was due more to the contribution to bottom line that plant makes.
Sometimes that's not obvious in the figures as lots of parts get sourced from elsewhere within Ford...

[2011G6E]

The dangerous ideas about how to increase cars sales always come from the car industry themselves. Suggestions like the ones that pop up every five years or so (last time I think it was Mazda that suggested it, I believe it might have been Ford before that back in the late nineties) that we ban "old cars" from the road, placing a limit of say five years on cars. Of course they always say it's for "safety reasons" and not to artificially create forced sales of cars...

That would not only create "safer roads" by everyone driving new cars (not entirely sure how low income earners are supposed to afford a brand new car every few years...), but it would also mean that manufacturers don't have to try so hard...I mean, the car only has to last five years...why build it to a standard that means it will last much longer than that? Would you even bother rustproofing one? Would you include anything at all made out of high quality steel?

The biggest and totally unavoidable problem car makers in Australia have always faced is out size as a country. There's less people here than in a lot of large cities overseas. Chinas population grows by a larger number than our population every year.
As Jeremy Clarkson has said, if you look at our car industry from an outsiders point of view, it's amazing that the big American parent companies let us have an industry at all producing unique Australian cars like the Falcon and Commodore...it would "be like building a special range of models just for a tiny country like Belgium...it just wouldn't happen".