Who killed Ford Falcon?


Introduced in 1960 to stop the Holden steamroller in its tracks Falcon fell victim to a changing market

Who killed the Ford Falcon? In short, it was YOU...

You – who wanted a high driving position... and paid more for an SUV that grazes its floorpan entering a driveway.

You – who didn't want to buy a 'thirsty' six-cylinder... so you bought a small SUV instead, with 'economical' permanent four-wheel drive, petrol engine and auto transmission.

You – who wanted to downsize to a small or mid-size sedan for the daily commute... only to find it won't tow ski boats or accommodate the whole family at weekends.

You – who really wanted something that delivered cutting edge style... and settled for a Taurus*.

You – who was put-off by the lack of a diesel option... and ignored the EcoLPI option and the EcoBoost alternative.

You – who wanted better resale... and then paid through the nose to have your volume-selling European sedan serviced.

You – who couldn't be seen in a taxi... and bought a Prius.

You – who complained about Australian build quality... and bought a Cruze.

You – who didn't want to be tagged as a bogan... so you bought a dual-cab one-tonner with a bull bar.

You – who boasted about buying Australian... but failed to find out your SUV was built in Korea.

You – who lamented the death of the local V8 sedan... and then didn't buy it when it returned.

You – who preached Australia needs a vibrant local auto industry... and then made Mazda3 the most popular car in the country.

You – who screamed black and blue about a third brand entering V8 Supercars... but you haven't bought a locally-built new car in the past 20 years.

But don't feel guilty, you're one of about a million new-car buyers every year who chose to buy something other than the locally-built large car. And, to start another sentence with a conjunction, it wasn't just you, the general public that ended the Falcon's long run. It wouldn't have happened without the assistance of you, the government bureaucrats; you, the Ford Australia management team; you, at GM-Holden... and us, in the specialist media.


* Yeah, okay, you got us; few actually bought the Taurus.

http://www.motoring.com.au/news/2013/large-passenger/ford/falcon/who-killed-ford-falcon-36772?WT.z_csource=Outbrain&WT.seg_4=Outbrain

No, it wasn't the consumer who killed the Ford Falcon. It was Ford who failed to adapt their business model to match changing wants and needs in the automotive market.

You can't go "hmmm...our sales are starting to droop a bit here. Oh well, true aussies will keep buying an overpriced 4-door V6 Saloon."

Why would I buy an entry level Falcon when the Camry is a good 5 grand cheaper? And why would I buy the up-market version when for a couple of grand more I could buy a far superior Audi?

THANKS GILLARD.

Quite frankly, I blame illegal boat arrivals.

Housos.

This. ffs blame everyone you want but there's only one group who's really to blame and that's Ford. They let their own pigheadedness get in the way of making a smart business decision like Holden did, and now they're paying the price for it.

Isn't the Ford Falcon the car that depreciates fastest in value in Australia?

Can't blame me!

Fourth

Yep. That's down to a poor service record and the number of people flooding the market with second hand Falcons. Again, more piss poor business management from Ford.

And we gave them $10 billion.....

Ford deserves all they are getting , to blame gillard on fords pigheadedness is laughable

That $10 billion should have come under the proviso that they remained operational for X amount of time.

Bogans.

Here here!

+ 1

the demise of ford in Australia is a direct result of fords poor management....even with massive grant's they failed to change management practices......

Yes but it also should have come with the guarantee Ford update/modernise their business practices and management structures....an alarming waste of money by successive governments with no accountability or due governance,

it was colonel mustard in the conservatory with the lead pipe

agree.....

Fords were always overpriced crap that suited truck drivers. That was their existence.

Now these same people who use to buy fords buy oversized truck mentality 4wd's. They are not cars they are trucks driven by the wine me dine me 69 me t-shirt brigade. Everywhere you go now days there is gas guzzling twits with 4wd's all over the place even if they don't need a 4wd it's trendy to pay 50k-100k for one. Since when have trucks been trendy?

Drivers who appreciate driving don't buy 4wd's and ford sedans handle like bolt rattling 1940's train carriage.

Imported cars from asia are cheap and disposable and have a shelf life of around 2-3 years. You can buy 3 of these and dump them for the price of one 4wd and still have the latest model import vehicle.

Holden owners, and I have been one for many years shouldn't be so smug either. If the new holden doesn't make the impact as expected holden will be the next to go the way of the ford.

Aussie icons are fast disappearing from the Australian landscape. Get use to it. The face of Australia and it's icons are changing.

And ironically enough former labor leader Kevin Rudd, acting like a typical low politician has gone out to Geelong to try garner some votes and stir up the possibility of a leadership challenge in the Labor party

Rudd has clearly lost his marbles. What he needs to do is quit politics

the world is a better place without him

Edited by condemned666: 10/6/2013 04:17:13 PM

Like I said in my first post in this thread, their antiquated business model is the major reason for their failure. But you can't go to a company "we'll give you this money if you completely overhaul your business model". If the government did that they'd be accused of being Authoritarian and Fascist. You can lead a car company to water but you can't make it drink.

What does that even mean?

The government were offering handouts to keep producing this former mass market car in australia. So of course they kept on producing it.

They already produce their other cars elsewhere so why would they move the production of something less antiquated like the Focus to somewhere like australia with its high labour costs...unions....ahem....unions... The cost of moving production here would only have required extra govt subsidy.

The problem here is that car manufacturing is not viable in australia due to high labour and other costs...and politicians chose to use the issue as a vote buyer in some seats by subsidising a dying industry.

Very simplistic to lay the blame at the manufacturer...they responded to the govt offer of subsidy as all big corporates do....with their hand gratefully outstretched.

If govt wants real accountability or governance for their subsidy they should just go into the car business themselves LOL

The next model Falcon will be American made. Ford Taurus to be re-badged Falcon here.

http://www.ford.com/cars/taurus/

blacka stop talking sense =d> don't go into the pollie thread that even funnier - not #-o

haha yeah when leftists start talking 'business plans' i just cant resist :d

i used to be similarly clueless though i at least had the good sense to stick to social libertarian issues in my leftist days!

I'm not saying Ford did anything wrong. If someone offers you free money you're going to take it. But the government were foolish for not putting certain caveats on it.

What I mean by "antiquated business model" is that their marketing and production approach from the previous 30 years was no longer working. When something about your business isn't working, you change your approach. You don't stick your hand out for charity and continue going about your business in the same way.

As previously stated, you can't charge $30,000 for a car when all your rivals are selling similar vehicles for $25,000.

Without the govt subsidy it would probably be 40k which goes to the point....

Their marketing and production approach has changed markedly in the last 30 years to the point where their consumer orientated models (focus, festiva) are the main deal and are produced offshore. Cant be more un-antiquated than that...,

Govt subsidy has been about very expensively propping up certain jobs in key electorates...break it down per job and the absurdity becomes even clearer. But yeah this is the way of industry in unionised western countries...manufacturing barely viable without subsidy.

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