Fairlane and LTD last hurra.

[Iphido]

Not a real press release, but one Ford should work towards.

Ford to provide special send off to two special friends

Today Ford finally admited this will be the last stand for the Fairlane Ghia, G8 and LTD with the BF Mk II with the last one rolling out of the factory september 2007. It will not be replaced when the all new Orion Falcon arrives, ending two of the oldest name plates in the process.

However to ensure a proper send off Ford has given them a major make over. New engines, more equipment, exclusive colours, new technology.

The basic Fairlane Ghia gets 10 way power seats, the drivers heated with 3 position memory. Three all new exterior colours are added to the range, and a new unique interior colour. The Fairlane also recives a new LED taillight package and LED repeaters in the mirrors which is standard across the LWB range.

The G8 thunders in with XR8 power, with the 260Kw engine being squeezed into the engine bay complete with bulging bonnet. The G8 also gets twin chrome angular exhausts exiting from both sides of the bumper with a XR like skirt. Brakes are from the Territory Turbo and wheels are massive 19" from the GT-P. It also gains a mesh grill and sinister LED lighting around the reflectors in the headlights. It also gains chrome and extremely bright Xenon fog lights. The boot recives a tasteful lip spoiler which helps improve the look from behind squaring it off a little more.

The LTD however goes the full hog. All seats are heated and trimmed in unique nappa leather. Avalible as V8 only, as either 5.4 SOHC or 5.4L DOHC as used in the XR8 and G8. 6" LCD screens are located in the back of the front head rests and are connected to a media PC in located in the boot. Rear passengers then have access to over 160Gb of movies and music, can watch Television (digital or analog) or even play games. It also gains a rear reversing camera from the Territory Ghia. It also gains the G8's meancing LED lighting around the reflectors. It now rides on 18" chrome wheels of a simular design to the G8's. GPS is also now standard and a sunroof is a NCO. The audio has been upgraded with improved speakers and a more powerful subwoofer.

The result is a much prettier, meaner and far more competitive lineup that completely shakes off the hirecar image. The LTD takes the battle right up to the new Caprices rear bumper and the G8 now is competitive with the SRT8. It really begs the question why didn't ford do this in the first place.

[marcosambrose]

These limited edition Fairlanes and LTDs are restricted to 300 numbers each.

Pricing is:

Fairlane: $69990
LTD $79990

Drivers get a free hat.

[kyro_02]

sounds interesting

wow thats so coool a free hat

[Fairlane]

Dont say things like that, you make me depressed.

I think that some off the upper management types in Ford, genuinely believe in the LWB models, depite there poor performance sale-wise. The Fairlane afterall is the longest nameplate marque in history.

[347Stroker]

Originally Posted by Fairlane

Dont say things like that, you make me depressed.

I think that some off the upper management types in Ford, genuinely believe in the LWB models, depite there poor performance sale-wise. The Fairlane afterall is the longest nameplate marque in history.

Isnt the F Series name the winner there....they were about in the 40's.....

[devilracer_01]

They sound pretty impressive, wait two years they will be worth half the price and still have all the goodies :king:

[4vxc]

killing off the Fairlane and LTD will end up being another Ford *uck up just like killing off the V8's in the XE.................... way to go Ford.

[Bossxr8]

Yeah, real great idea. Lets spend heaps of development dollars on a car that doesn't sell and is going to be discontinued, just for the sake of it. They sold less than 40 TL50's from T1 to T3, and thats when the Fairlane didn't sell too badly. Make 300 so they can sell a handful of them and lose money. You're onto a real winner. :

[Brute6]

Crikey, it certainly is a big bang of a way to go out!! This is the way they should've gone a few years ago.... I'm lovin' the sound of this G8!!! Gangster comes to mind....

[Falcon Freak]

Ford created the LWB market in 1967 and owned it until the mid 1990s. Then they released a couple of lack lustre models and hand over the segment to the opposition. One thing is for certain, these models will never reappear as the automotive industry is different today to that back in the 1960s. It is impossible to justify such small volumes.

The thing which concerns me is the wagon model as it shares the same wheel base as the Fairlane/LTD. Will that also disappear when the Orion model sedan is released? We already know that there is no VE wagon this year.

FF

[4vxc]

Orion? sounds very American

[XR Martin]

Europe and Japan have killed the Fairlane. Why pay $60-70k on a tarted up Falcon when it will buy you a Lexus, BMW, Merc or Audi.
In the 60s,70s and 80s there wasnt much of a choice other than a Stato, but since the 90s the Euro and Jap range has become alot more impressive and affordable.

[Donut King]

so you take a model which has been underdeveloped, and is no longer worth the investment in the platform, then you throw cubic $$$ at it for a loss making last run, just as a last hurrah to send it off with?

Not sure where to start pointing out the errors in that idea...

[Falcon Freak]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Europe and Japan have killed the Fairlane. Why pay $60-70k on a tarted up Falcon when it will buy you a Lexus, BMW, Merc or Audi.
In the 60s,70s and 80s there wasnt much of a choice other than a Stato, but since the 90s the Euro and Jap range has become alot more impressive and affordable.

BS. They are selling lots more Statesmans & Caprices. And there will be a LWB VE model released (WM) which means that Holden will be selling LWB cars until the middle of the next decade. Ford took the easy option and bailed out. Bunch of soft Richards.

FF

[MethodX]

Holden have a healthy export market for their lwb models though.
Without that they would probably can theirs too.

Its a shame if the Fairlane and LTD die
The late 60's and 70's ones were sweet rides.

And the Galaxie too naturaly

[flappist]

No wonder the world is a mess, IPHIDO writes a ficticious press release and you all go off. How many of you think that Summer Bay is a real beach and Ramsey St is the site of a documentary?
You know Buffy isn't a real vampire slayer don't you?

Ford just received $50meg for development of export products and markets.
Holden export most of their LWBs.

I wonder if Ford might just do something similar.......

[4vxc]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Europe and Japan have killed the Fairlane. Why pay $60-70k on a tarted up Falcon when it will buy you a Lexus, BMW, Merc or Audi.
In the 60s,70s and 80s there wasnt much of a choice other than a Stato, but since the 90s the Euro and Jap range has become alot more impressive and affordable.

my parents have had a couple of Lexus, they had to sell the last one after my father sold his business because service cost were out of this world. Not only that despite costing a lot more than his previous LTD's the depreciation was just as savage eg fist was a 96 300 ES cost 69k new, 3 years latter best trade in was 22k on a new Lexus V8. No one in there right mind would own one privately, he now has a BA LTD and loves it.

[Kryton]

Originally Posted by Iphido

Not a real press release, but one Ford should work towards.

READ THIS 5 TIMES AND THEN POST.

its NOT real.
if Ford wanted to sell more Fairlanes and LTDs all they have to do is MARKET them more.....when was the last time you seen an ad for a Fairlane or LTD?

[4vxc]

not that long ago,1985

[PHATXR8]

Why not drop the turbo 6 into the Fairlane and LTD......now that would surely make extra sales!

[max]

Originally Posted by devilracer_01

They sound pretty impressive, wait two years they will be worth half the price and still have all the goodies :king:

Yep. Thats what I'll do... I'll get one when they're $25K, drive it to death and then curl up and die meself cos life won't be worth living anymore!

[RPO83]

Originally Posted by Iphido

Not a real press release, but one Ford should work towards.

Calling your car 'basic', making reference to its poor image, documenting borrowed components from the SWB line-up and calling it an effort to keep up with its competitors isn't how press releases work. However, you do a better job publicising the LWB models than Ford Comms do.

[16wantsI6]

all they need are better adds.
the music in the adds are some ty italian instruments/ holden get AC/DC (which are aussies gonna like better)

ford used to go on about how good there bloody dealers were (yeah rite), holden would show SS's doin burnouts in the bush. (which are aussies gonna like better)

now they've got some crap about running to ur ford dealer for good deals on a SR or focus, nothing about fairlanes, fpv's, turbos, xr5's(correct me). or any other cool cars. other than the xr8 (which isnt a bad add) but even that has false advertising can u hear the burble from the exhaust? bull it doesnt sound like that you pricks.

[16wantsI6]

rant off

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by Falcon Freak

BS. They are selling lots more Statesmans & Caprices. And there will be a LWB VE model released (WM) which means that Holden will be selling LWB cars until the middle of the next decade. Ford took the easy option and bailed out. Bunch of soft Richards.

FF

The WM only exists because of the export market. The wagon, one tonner, crewman, adventra dont sell any worse than the statesman/caprice and they are all getting the chop....
Most of the LWB Holdens sales is to the Government, hire cars and silver service. Like Ford's LWB, not many are private sales.

[Iphido]

What big development costs?

LED tail lights? Oh please, maybe <$2000 in tooling and ~$20 more per unit, even less for the repeaters in the mirrors, given the LWB volumes it hardly a issue. 10 Way power seats already exist in the LTD. Seat heaters are already existing technology and would cost ford ~$50 at time of manufacture to include.

XR8 engines are already avalible and would take very little to fit into a Fairlane engine bay. Minor issues like airflow and how to do it on production lines. If the XR8 engine couldn't be fitted then the I6 turbo certainly could, we know ford have done certification and durability testing in a car with non XR lights on things like airflow etc. No extra cost, or expense. Any additional costs would easily be picked up by offering a Fairmont Ghia Turbo anyway.

Xenon Fog lights are already commerically avalible so are off the shelf items. As would the media PC. As are improved speakers and amp. As is the reversing camera.

The only unique expensive bit would be the tooling for a dual exhaust on the LWB cars. But would lift the image so much. And if the aftermarket can afford unique tooling for volumes <$1000 then so can ford. Both the rear dual outlet lower bumper section and the spoiler lip could also be used on existing dealer stock to create some sort of added value to clear inventory.

There is nothing unfeasable about what I posted. Ford can either do nothing and have a stock lingering around forever and watch volume completely dry up. Or hopefully push a few extra units out, leave on good terms with the possibility of reintroducing the Fairlane and LTD at a later date (rebadged american vechicals for example).

Not to mention distracting people from the VE issue. Which it should be busy doing.

To help pay costs, some of the stuff could be included on a Fairmont Ghia or as options:

-Media PC option for all premium audio equipped vechicals
-Upgraded sound for Ghia
-LED tail lights for XR and Ghia
-Modified headlights for Ghia
-Xenon fog lights optional for Ghia and XR
-Drivers seat heater optional in Ghia

To be honest theres nothing I've suggested that a reasonably larger dealer or collection of dealers couldn't do themselves bar the new engine.

But Ford won't do anything because they aren't selling. Just like the V8's, lets drop them because they aren't selling. Then spend the next 15 years, spending heaps on marketing and then relaunching the V8. It would have been cheaper and better to just continue the V8 in the first place.

So at the end of the day Ford is still going to make the same mistakes. Ford will lose what few LWB customers it has or had forever.

And if Ford poisons the Fairlane and LTD names (which it will with a weak BF II fairwell), then you can pretty much forget about Ford ever re-entering the Australian LWB market ever again. Not to mention damaging the Fairmont and Fairmont Ghia names in the process.

Which would leave Ford OZ as the XT, XR and territory TS company.

Until it drops the XR6T and XR8 for not selling and has a lineup that would outbore Toyotas.

[Bossxr8]

[QUOTE=Iphido]What big development costs?

QUOTE]
Are you for real, or just extrememly uninformed. Its not simply just a case of throwing a new engine in and away you go. The turbo Territory is a prime example. They didn't just throw it in and release it. It took a few years of solid development. Do you know how much it costs to develop a new wiring loom, which a Fairlane with the Boss 260 would need. Each model needs its own wiring loom. Very expensive, and thats before you sort the suspension, gearbox etc to suit and then test it.

Your ideas in theory are good but in the real world they just don't make sense. Its just like me saying Ford should release a GTHO with an Aston Martin V12, seven speed SMG trans, alloy 9 inch with full composite body panels and full wind tunnel testing aero kit for stability above 300kmh, and then sell it for 100k. Good in theory, impossible in the real world. No one wants to buy Fairlanes anymore, so tarting them up won't change that. Unless Ford can find an export market for them they won't survive. Sad but true, things aren't like they were in the 60's and 70's when Ford had bugger all competition in the affordable luxury class.

[Iphido]

The engines would be the least realistic part of my press release. It would take more time and dollars to fit a Boss 260 engine.

Not just the loom either, durability, production feasability etc (Boss 260 is a difficult engine to fit at the best of times). DSC would also be required. (funny how the LWB got dsc but the FPV's didn't). Costs do start to blow out.

It is possible, but unlikely, and unlikely to be profitable.

I disagree that tarting them up won't help them move. Its much the same argument that the Au falcon had, oh, its not moving, maybe its time to give the sedan game away and start making Festivas or something. Yet the tarting up in series III went a long way to change peoples perceptions and by the time BA rolled around people were belivers again that the Falcon was still revelvant. Sales still fell, but not as hard and reviews and image were positive.

In this case Im not saying keep the LWB at all costs. Im saying facelift them, send them out on a more positive note. Hell you might get some people to switch to Fairlane for the next fleet turnover before Fairlane/LTD is deleted and the get Statesman/Caprice forever. Then you would have some people to pitch a new superluxury swb car to.

Ford Oz has no export market for the LWB. Even if they got UK, Japan, South Africa and Thailand tomorrow it wouldn't save the LWB's. People wouldn't buy them anyway.

I can just see the reviewers bagging out the Fairlane and LTD in the last days and readers would then start to taint all the falcon family with the same brush.

Fords obviously been put in a difficult position to kill a product. However there are good ways and bad ways to kill something. The monaro is perhaps a demonstration of a good way of killing something off. Have it reveared and give it a bit of a make over with some visuals. Hence if you ever want it back, it can come back, or if not, atleast it doesn't drag the rest of the range down.

[outback_ute]

I agree, are you saying it would cost $2000 to make a LED tail light? Also for side repeaters in the mirrors you need a new mirror housing and likely internals...

I dare say Ford has gone through this exercise when they did the BA Fairlane and again for the update, and obviously concluded it was not worthwhile.

Unfortunately I have to agree that the Fairlane's future is not looking good, there aren't as many people (private buyers) these days that want a car that size and it does not offer a tangible benefit over the swb cars. The point about competition is true as well - look at Europe where the large/luxury cars from mass-market manufacturers have disappeared, eg Ford Scorpio & Opel/Vauxhall Omega, and cars like the Peugeot 607 do very small numbers - people go for the prestige brands instead.

[Falcon Freak]

Originally Posted by outback_ute

Unfortunately I have to agree that the Fairlane's future is not looking good.....

There is NO future.

FF