Falcon XR6 Mk II ad !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by martyk54

What you've said there is true for the most part, especially if we're talking critically. So the question is, how exactly do the Ford executives explain this with regards to sales figures? This has been the way for years too, not just in the current range from either brand.

On the topic of advertising, there lies your answer. Ford get the fundamentals of car development right and seemingly most of everything else wrong. Sales speak for themselves.

Which is fine until a sales turnaround happens and then it's seen as some kind of unscripted miracle...
We have to understand that Ford is working with tiny budgets and basically on bread and water..

[prydey]

Originally Posted by jpd80

It's all well and good for Ford and Holden to be advertising products and offering discounts but are buyers responding?

That's the key to all of this, just how confident are businesses and retail buyers at the moment with interest rates rising...

This could be one step froward, two steps back until some of the mining boom money filters through to the rest of the community.

with the reserve bank holding firm and at least 3 of the big 4 (haven't heard if CBA followed) upping their rates, its not helping the cause any. everyone is watching pennies more than ever these days, so it could be a slow few months until things stabilise (if they do).

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by prydey

with the reserve bank holding firm and at least 3 of the big 4 (haven't heard if CBA followed) upping their rates, its not helping the cause any. everyone is watching pennies more than ever these days, so it could be a slow few months until things stabilise (if they do).

Without being rude, this could play much harder for Holden if they still have a stockpile of cars to move.
It's bad enough if sales dry up but to have resources already expended and dollars sitting in the park
is doubly bad, and Ford needn't be c0cky either, they were in the same predicament twelve months ago.

All we can hope is that fleets take the initiative and start buying new LPG vehicles to improve their fleets,
hopefully novated lease buyers will realise that the world isn't going to end with increases in FBT levels and
fingers crossed, traditional Mid Sized buyers start giving Ecoboost a try and like it....

[prydey]

yeah, i wasn't referring to either manufacturer. just in general. both have been down in sales lately and they won't rebound overnight in this climate.

[DanielXR8]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Just need to remember that an FG XR6 will outrun an AUII XR8 and VTII SS, to give you a basic idea of how far performance has come in such a short period of time.

A 14.6 quarter from a stock 6 is nothing to be sneezed at.

Exactly the FG's I've been in are very quick cars in standard XR6 trim. Surprisingly good fuel economy too if you drive them a tad more sedately.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by prydey

yeah, i wasn't referring to either manufacturer. just in general. both have been down in sales lately and they won't rebound overnight in this climate.

The drops in sales has surprised all three local manufacturers and there's no guarantee we're at the bottom yet..
The annoying part is that Holden and Ford are so fleet dependent that dealer traffic is not an accurate gauge
so our contacts in the retail sector can't really give us the full picture of what's happening..

[prydey]

Originally Posted by jpd80

The drops in sales has surprised all three local manufacturers and there's no guarantee we're at the bottom yet..

this is off topic, but i was thinking, if ford are prepared to drop models to assist sales of other models, then they mustn't be that concerned with where the cars are made. i'm sure they are concerned with local production volume, but is it really as critical as it gets made out to be? why drop wagon, and ute and promote mondeo and ranger (and territory) if you know it will have a negative impact on local production? to me it says they are prepared to carry the local arm to a certain extent. with ranger and focus now under $20 starting price, and the well publicised (on AFF) lack of falcon promotion, it seems they are more concerned with promoting the brand as a whole and concentrating on cars that are bought by private buyers. thats my take.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by prydey

this is off topic, but i was thinking, if ford are prepared to drop models to assist sales of other models, then they mustn't be that concerned with where the cars are made. i'm sure they are concerned with local production volume, but is it really as critical as it gets made out to be? why drop wagon, and ute and promote mondeo and ranger (and territory) if you know it will have a negative impact on local production? to me it says they are prepared to carry the local arm to a certain extent. with ranger and focus now under $20 starting price, and the well publicised (on AFF) lack of falcon promotion, it seems they are more concerned with promoting the brand as a whole and concentrating on cars that are bought by private buyers. thats my take.

Another point to add is Ford are promoting cars they can't get adeaqute supplies of, Focus and Ranger. Ranger has had trouble since the Thia floods and Europe can't supply many Focuses. Yet Ford is spending most of their advertising dollar on these cars. Why don't they hold off the advertising of these vehicles until they can get proper supplies of Focus, and when Ranger supplies return to normal. Advertise Falcon and Territory in the mean time.

And I know people will say they are selling so many of them because of the advertising they have been doing, but the reality is they wouldn't have much trouble selling all their stocks of Focus and Ranger anyway cause they can only get small stocks of them ATM.

The sooner they can get Focus from Thailand later this year the better.

[jpd80]

The sooner they add Mondeo to Brodmeadows production schedule, the better...
That IMO would be a much more rational plan than trying to build a small car here.
Ford could then price Titanium Mondeo closer to $40,000 and pick up a lot more sales.

[phillyc]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Another point to add is Ford are promoting cars they can't get adeaqute supplies of, Focus and Ranger. Ranger has had trouble since the Thia floods and Europe can't supply many Focuses. Yet Ford is spending most of their advertising dollar on these cars. Why don't they hold off the advertising of these vehicles until they can get proper supplies of Focus, and when Ranger supplies return to normal. Advertise Falcon and Territory in the mean time.

And I know people will say they are selling so many of them because of the advertising they have been doing, but the reality is they wouldn't have much trouble selling all their stocks of Focus and Ranger anyway cause they can only get small stocks of them ATM.

The sooner they can get Focus from Thailand later this year the better.

Yep. Wholeheartedly agree. Keep the advertising spend going to keep the Ford brand out there in the public, but focus (no pun intended) on what is available to sell. Right now that means Falcon, Ute and Territory as supply has picked back up (following the Xmas break and hailstorm too.)

[Bossxr8]

I know why they aren't advertising Falcon, they are slowing killing it off however they can. Thats why the got rid of Burela, and replaced him with Graziano, most likely with the instruction to bring it down, so they can bring in a One Ford product to replace it.

Building an all new Falcon was too much of a risk, but its easy to replace a struggling product than a successful one. They know that the Falcon will never return to where it once was, its just an impossibility, the market has fractured so much and small cars and SUV's have taken a huge slice of any potential Falcon sales that the numbers will never return to where they were no matter how good Falcon is, or can be. I've heard dealers are not even getting stocks of Falcon, its basically built to order now, and some have been told to push Mondeo to potential customers, not Falcon.

Territory on the other hand has full order books, but its ok for Territory to succeed because as soon as Falcon goes it does too, no need to hold it back.

I've critisised people for doom and gloom but the writing is on the wall, i've seen whats happening. Hope i'm wrong though.

You can just tell this is the plan, the place is getting absolutely zero spent on it, hasn't for years. Wether they even continue production here is the question now. They will keep E8 going until its shelf life is over in 2016 and then make the chop.

[Fordman1]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

I know why they aren't advertising Falcon, they are slowing killing it off however they can. Thats why the got rid of Burela, and replaced him with Graziano, most likely with the instruction to bring it down, so they can bring in a One Ford product to replace it.

Building an all new Falcon was too much of a risk, but its easy to replace a struggling product than a successful one. They know that the Falcon will never return to where it once was, its just an impossibility, the market has fractured so much and small cars and SUV's have taken a huge slice of any potential Falcon sales that the numbers will never return to where they were no matter how good Falcon is, or can be. I've heard dealers are not even getting stocks of Falcon, its basically built to order now, and some have been told to push Mondeo to potential customers, not Falcon.

Territory on the other hand has full order books, but its ok for Territory to succeed because as soon as Falcon goes it does too, no need to hold it back.

I've critisised people for doom and gloom but the writing is on the wall, i've seen whats happening. Hope i'm wrong though.

You can just tell this is the plan, the place is getting absolutely zero spent on it, hasn't for years. Wether they even continue production here is the question now. They will keep E8 going until its shelf life is over in 2016 and then make the chop.

True, true.

The writing is definately on the wall now .....

[BA-XT]

Originally Posted by Mitch_

going fast in a car isn't everything.. and maybe people will also get a thrill out of owning a NEW car not some old second hand BA T (with 2-3k of mods)!

Hey! I own a 2003 BA XT and love my car. It's my baby. I can't afford to buy a new GE Turbo