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The Pub For General Automotive Related Talk |
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#1 | ||
Ford screwed the Falcon
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 7,061
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It was announced on 10th Feb 2014 (missed it two weeks ago)
https://www.drive.com.au/news/toyota...2017-official/ It took GM 19 months to follow Ford's decision to end local vehicle production. But once GM made their announcement Toyota followed only 2 months later. It was clear to Toyota that with Ford and GM gone, a lot of the common tier 1 suppliers were not going to be able to survive on only Toyota's volumes. Hence if they were to continue local vehicle production their operation would become an expensive CKD setup. This would be almost impossible to justify considering Thailand was a cheaper environment for vehicle assembly, had a thriving automotive manufacturing industry and a government which supported foreign companies investing in Thailand, unlike the Australian governments. Unlike Ford and GM, the Toyota change was almost seamless as the imported Camry was a natural transition from the Altona produced models. The only change is the end of the Aurion model.
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Falcon: 1960 - 2016 My cars Current ride 2016 FG X XR6 - 6 speed manual Previous rides 2009 FG XR6 - 6 speed auto 2006 BF MkII XT ESP - 6 speed auto 2003 BA XT V8 - 5 speed manual 1999 AU Forte - 5 speed manual 1997 EL Fairmont - 4 speed auto 1990 EAII Fairmont Ghia - 4 speed auto |
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#2 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Catland
Posts: 3,618
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Is anything left of those Tier 1 suppliers now?
One day we will make things again. Here's a great old film of what once went on at Fisherman's Bend, and at least defence looks busy in the present day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9hwW6hjYvA
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I6 + AWD |
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#3 | |||
Ford screwed the Falcon
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 7,061
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Quote:
NATRA Trico Bosch Ajax Fasteners Just to name a few.
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Falcon: 1960 - 2016 My cars Current ride 2016 FG X XR6 - 6 speed manual Previous rides 2009 FG XR6 - 6 speed auto 2006 BF MkII XT ESP - 6 speed auto 2003 BA XT V8 - 5 speed manual 1999 AU Forte - 5 speed manual 1997 EL Fairmont - 4 speed auto 1990 EAII Fairmont Ghia - 4 speed auto |
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#4 | |||
Regular Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 346
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Quote:
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The Silver Bullet - BJ74 Where the actions at Ontrack 4wd Club https://www.facebook.com/ontrack4wdclub |
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#5 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Capricornia
Posts: 829
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Quote:
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#6 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Catland
Posts: 3,618
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Yep now people wear hi-viz on the weekend, how times have changed!
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#7 | ||
FG XR6 Ute & Sedan
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Location: Bibra Lake WA
Posts: 22,931
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And it seems Ford may not have ruled out pulling out of Australia altogether, See https://goauto.com.au/news/ford/ford...-26/93125.html
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regards Blue |
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#8 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Geelong
Posts: 1,717
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Rather than push to make better products the market actually wants (and actually available to buy) they were about to just leave.
Can’t understand their way of thinking. Sell 100,000 cars at an average selling price of $50k and that’s $5 billion in revenue, or nearly 5% of worldwide revenue in 2022. 5% is not insignificant. We might be a small market, but the dollars are there to be made. |
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#9 | |||
Purveyor of fine filth
Join Date: Feb 2024
Posts: 316
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This will be sacrilegious, but Ford is done for in Australia. The demise of the engineering team was called out years ago but no one listened. It was but the next stage in unwinding its Australian operation.
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Too small a market for enough of a ROI on the spend needed to make such cars. |
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#10 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,465
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We have heard or seen no commentary from Ford Ute Aus about the new NVES proposed standards.
Unless I missed it? |
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#11 | ||||
Purveyor of fine filth
Join Date: Feb 2024
Posts: 316
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Quote:
https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/in...sked-questions I'm going through this release and it reads a lot like the US garbage where the manufacturer sets a portfolio wide target they meet by making ultra efficient buzz boxes which leaves their halo products unchanged. Quote:
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#12 | |||
Regular Member
Join Date: Nov 2020
Location: Maryborough VIC Votes for: Coalition
Posts: 450
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Quote:
"Melbourne? Isn't that in Florida?"
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1996 XH Falcon GLi manual - Dynamic White 1998 EL Falcon Futura auto - Dynamic White 2023 SKODA Octavia RS - Moon White 1997 BMW E36 318i manual - Alpine White |
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#13 | ||
Ford screwed the Falcon
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 7,061
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I hope Ford follow GM out of Australia. Good riddance.
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Falcon: 1960 - 2016 My cars Current ride 2016 FG X XR6 - 6 speed manual Previous rides 2009 FG XR6 - 6 speed auto 2006 BF MkII XT ESP - 6 speed auto 2003 BA XT V8 - 5 speed manual 1999 AU Forte - 5 speed manual 1997 EL Fairmont - 4 speed auto 1990 EAII Fairmont Ghia - 4 speed auto |
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#14 | ||
Regular Member
Join Date: Nov 2020
Location: Maryborough VIC Votes for: Coalition
Posts: 450
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If that happens, my chance of buying a brand new Ford will go from 0% to 0%.
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1996 XH Falcon GLi manual - Dynamic White 1998 EL Falcon Futura auto - Dynamic White 2023 SKODA Octavia RS - Moon White 1997 BMW E36 318i manual - Alpine White |
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#15 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,806
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not when the market needs unique development costs. The real disappointment to me was that Head Office never allowed decent export sales. Both Falcon and Territory would have sole well in other RHD countries if we could have supplied in volume. I honestly don't think it would have changed the end result, but just possibly the additional export revenue may have funded a life extension for Barra
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#16 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Catland
Posts: 3,618
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And this is why, next time, it's so important the carmaker is Australian owned with patriotic management. Next time will occur after the next Pacific conflict.
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I6 + AWD |
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#17 | ||
Purveyor of fine filth
Join Date: Feb 2024
Posts: 316
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#18 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Hervey Bay
Posts: 5,212
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This post feels like déjà vu...
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#19 | |||
Rob
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Woodcroft S.A.
Posts: 21,504
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Quote:
I don't think exports would have worked. For the most part they would need to be sold at a loss overseas due to our high cost of manufacturing. Other rhd countries also have import taxes and regulations on engine size. It's my belief that on the whole, due to society becoming ever more selfish, that the general populace could never understand that to have an auto manufacturing industry it needs to be protected and supported. Whether this is with subsidies and tariffs or both and the product needs to be high volume with our small population. Not many could stomach the industry being propped up in that way or imports being taxed to level the playing field. The end result is what we have. Having said that the parent companies are very much to blame as well. When the industry was protected in the early days they took advantage. The standard and equipment level of local products slipped well behind global offerings. Once tariffs were removed the public voted with their wallets. I don't think there is any party that can absolve themselves from what eventually happened.
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UA2 TREND 4WD BI TURBO |
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#20 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,350
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I think the issue with Ford exports other than the fact that Detroit probably didn't permit them, was that Ford Aust. didn't do LHD versions.
Back in the early 2000s (pre-GFC) GMH had a huge export market in the Middle East with LHD Commodores, re-badged as Chevys. A one point in time they were exporting more than they were selling locally. The RHD export market for Aussie Fords was limited to NZ, SA & few Asian countries many of which had restrictions or tariffs on anything over 3 litres engine size. Dr Terry |
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#21 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 885
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Imagine, IF ........ Ford were selling FGZ Falcons and and SZ3 Territorys, and Holden selling RWD and AWD ZB Commodores in 2024, how would they be going against the EV imports and Chris Bowen's moonbeam powered cars (which can be recharged overnight by solar panels) after 2025 > 28.
My guess in a highly hypothetical 2024 world........ not very well. |
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#22 | |||
Rob
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Woodcroft S.A.
Posts: 21,504
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Quote:
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UA2 TREND 4WD BI TURBO |
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#23 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,350
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With Peter Hanenberger at the helm, GMH never had it so good. Between the years 1997 (VT release) & 2008-9 (GFC) they were the most profitable division of GM worldwide. So much so when the GFC hit, GM (US) raided their piggy bank to stay afloat themselves. The numbers were in the $billions.
Dr Terry |
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#24 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 885
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I remember reading how, in the early 2000s, Holden LHD Commodores and assembled Alloytec V6s were Australia's biggest and most profitable manufactured exports.
Of course, sending dirt and live animals (and bits of dead animals) overseas was a bigger earner, but where did the money go ? Buying Daewoo, which was eventually shut down by GM in a corporate game of Hide the $au$age. |
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#25 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,350
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Quote:
Holden engine plants having been exporting huge numbers since the early 80s. The 4 cyl plant exported millions of units for nearly 20 years. GM didn't shut down Daewoo, they purchased it got rid of some of the "dead wood" & re-named it GM-Korea. They still produce big numbers of cars to this day, mainly for North American & Euro markets. Dr Terry |
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#26 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 885
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Quote:
GM don't exist in Europe anymore, and some GM Korea / Daewoo plants were sold to the Chinese, during GMs 'expansion' back to the USA. We are probably lucky we don't get the 'Holden/Daewoo' Trax and Cruze ****boxes anymore. |
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#27 | ||
Thailand Specials
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Centrefold Lounge
Posts: 49,028
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The Port Melbourne engine plant used to build the 2.8L V6 turbo engine for SAAB as well.
It's the same as the Commodore V6 but 2.8L and single turbo, would have been a great competitor for the XR6 Turbo if someone over at GMH had two brain cells to rub together, they were already building that engine locally ![]() |
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#28 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,350
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Quote:
They have much better warranty record & customer feedback rating than many others on the market, Powershift Focus anybody ? Dr Terry |
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#29 | |||
Regular Member
Join Date: Nov 2020
Location: Maryborough VIC Votes for: Coalition
Posts: 450
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Quote:
__________________
1996 XH Falcon GLi manual - Dynamic White 1998 EL Falcon Futura auto - Dynamic White 2023 SKODA Octavia RS - Moon White 1997 BMW E36 318i manual - Alpine White |
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#30 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Melb.
Posts: 4,439
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