FORD person or FALCON person?????

[DJR-351]

Originally Posted by Jim5_0

Firstly we have the iron ore here in OZ so why aren't we saying "we are no longer going to export ore as we have decided to sell you the steel instead. Otherwise where else are you going to get your steel?"

And just who in Australia are you going to get to process the Iron Ore in to steel ?

There's a very obvious reason it's no longer processed here, and while i admire your thought process, just saying “do it” won’t solve the problem...

Australia is not the only Iron Ore supplier in the world....

[RedHotGT]

My scenario is this:

Long time Ford AUS supporter (in fact - every single car i've owned has been manufactured by Ford AUS).

I currently drive daily an AUII F/Ghia V8 - which is a great car.
The other is an 05 Territory Ghia - another great car (she's a little thirsty - but she's an elephant so what can you expect!)

So - here is my dilema....

I've always supported the FORD brand - particularly the Ford AUS vehicles.

So - when we outgrow my Territory (4 kids.... all will grow too big for rear seats in Territory) where do I go?

There is no Ford equivalent here for:
Tarago/Carnival/Voyager or Landcruiser/Pajero/Patrol

So - I will pretty much have to change my brand allegiance...

I don't expect a company like Ford to develop a car or import a car to suit my needs.... I'm sure that people with 4+ kids are a minority these days anyways...

But just making the point that I will eventually end up crossing over brands and breaking my loyalty, and not because I choose to.

[sprint347dave]

now the GT,,THIS FALCON HURTS

[ryeman]

The Ranger MPV is coming, it will suit some.

[Jim5_0]

Originally Posted by ryeman

The Ranger MPV is coming, it will suit some.

What is the Ranger MPV? Sounds like yet another 4WD to block our view of the road in front of us.

[ryeman]

Originally Posted by Jim5_0

What is the Ranger MPV? Sounds like yet another 4WD to block our view of the road in front of us.

Yep, it's being developed to expand the Ranger range.

[Rene.S]

Originally Posted by Brazen

I bought one of the first EcoLPI FGII Falcon utes, a specially ordered bright red XL with column shift and LSD. I am never getting rid of it.

You could get an FGII with column shift???!?

[Elks]

Ford. Definitely Ford.

I love the Falcon based Fords that I own. But I'm also a huge fan of F-Series, Mustangs, Torinos, Ranchero's Lincolns (yes I know they are technically not Fords but cut me some slack OK) Fairlanes, Sunliners, Customlines, Thunderbirds, Escorts, Cortina's So many cool cars in there and I've left out plenty.

Cut me and I bleed PMS 294c.

[XR Craig]

Ford person all the way I will follow them how ever the brand moves on.
I will be keeping my two FG XR6T and XR50 as they will be come a part of history with the iconic Falcon.
They will never be the same a Falcon or version Fusion from overseas.

[UberKnee]

A Ford person I suppose, though I'm no brand slave. I see no point in a world of Mercs, Beemers, Lexus, etc to keep myself to the one brand. Locally Ford gets the nod from me, much prefer the styling and the drivelines in the Falcons over the Commodores. Then in Fords stable you've got cars like the Mustang, GT40, F-Trucks.

Falcons were nice cars for what they were, nothing amazing, pretty simple, often highly powered family taxi's. Merc, Audi, BMW do that better, albeit for a much higher price tag.

Also when local manufacturing is gone, their will still be dealerships that sell Fords, mechanics that work on Fords, bitching that its not ridgy didge Australian (When Falcon has often had a Yank/German driveline anyway) is basically ignoring all those people if keeping money local is your concern. Ford will still employ people in Australia and ignoring them could potentially cost more Australian jobs if the bogan response was widespread and nobody bought Fords after 2016 in this country. Thankfully the bogan response is the minority.

What happens when Holden; who lose money on every locally built car sold in Australia and Toyota close up shop? Nothing Aussie left to buy, and thats an inevitability. Taxes, cost of living, wages will continue to rise and rise in this country making it more and more expensive for companies to pour money into a country with bugger all people in the middle of nowhere.

[UberKnee]

Originally Posted by RedHotGT

My scenario is this:

Long time Ford AUS supporter (in fact - every single car i've owned has been manufactured by Ford AUS).

I currently drive daily an AUII F/Ghia V8 - which is a great car.
The other is an 05 Territory Ghia - another great car (she's a little thirsty - but she's an elephant so what can you expect!)

So - here is my dilema....

I've always supported the FORD brand - particularly the Ford AUS vehicles.

So - when we outgrow my Territory (4 kids.... all will grow too big for rear seats in Territory) where do I go?

There is no Ford equivalent here for:
Tarago/Carnival/Voyager or Landcruiser/Pajero/Patrol

So - I will pretty much have to change my brand allegiance...

I don't expect a company like Ford to develop a car or import a car to suit my needs.... I'm sure that people with 4+ kids are a minority these days anyways...

But just making the point that I will eventually end up crossing over brands and breaking my loyalty, and not because I choose to.

Ford are rumored to be bringing over the Explorer post 2016. Its a very good bet that they'll provide a large SUV, they're one of the best sellers on the market.

[LeadFoot81]

Originally Posted by RedHotGT

There is no Ford equivalent here for:
Tarago/Carnival/Voyager or Landcruiser/Pajero/Patrol

So - I will pretty much have to change my brand allegiance...

I don't expect a company like Ford to develop a car or import a car to suit my needs.... I'm sure that people with 4+ kids are a minority these days anyways...

But just making the point that I will eventually end up crossing over brands and breaking my loyalty, and not because I choose to.

You never know, the C-Max may make it's way down under, and the Ranger based (allegedly named) Everest isn't too far away.

I'm pretty sure Ford want to cover as many demographics, in as many countries as possible, in as short a timeframe as they can.

[ryeman]

I don't think the yanks want to undermine/compete with 'our' Ranger in all its evolving forms.

[westy73]

Once manufacturing stops expect the R&D to slowly be moved offshore. To think it will remain here in the long term is foolish. We will be disconnected from the 'global' design as it will be American based. To think otherwise you are clearly deluded. While we had a manufacturing presence we got a say.....from the day that ceases our inputs will be tapered off.

Oh and I am a Ford Falcon and a Ford Territory person. They go hand in hand.

[Jim5_0]

Originally Posted by westy73

Once manufacturing stops expect the R&D to slowly be moved offshore. To think it will remain here in the long term is foolish.

I don't think that your statement is true. If it were we can look forward to going around full circle and getting imported Fords that fall apart on our local suburban streets like the XK Falcons used to.

I think that backwards thinking as they are Fords management are not THAT stupid.

[TheSneakiness]

Quickly scanned all responses here.

I'm a Falcon man first, Ford second.

However I will not say no to a Mustang.

[westy73]

Originally Posted by Jim5_0

I don't think that your statement is true. If it were we can look forward to going around full circle and getting imported Fords that fall apart on our local suburban streets like the XK Falcons used to.

I think that backwards thinking as they are Fords management are not THAT stupid.

Well I think they have proven they are that STUPID because you have a model tried and tested on the ground and developed and manufactured for our conditions now. Falcon and Territory. The models they will import will now be built in USA/Mexico/South Africa/or wherever and imported here.
To think that any amount of R&D from Australia will help that, is in my opinion illogical because they will be so disconnected from the action. Because no manufacturing occurs here expect the R&D to be downsized and slowly all moved offshore. It makes business sense to do so and that's all they are about the bottomline.
Remember other manufacturers don't have and R&D arm here and don't care if their cars fall apart or rattle and squeak after 5 years. They just want to sell cars.
You don't need and R&D arm in Australia to sell cars here especially if they aren't manufactured here. It's wasted resources really.
As soon as they signed off on the dropping of manufacturing here and all those jobs lost they signed the death knell eventually that will kill of the R&D jobs here as well. Again only in my opinion.

[ryeman]

So Ford would sell the building only because the rest is the proven ability to produce a world class product at with fewer dollars.
That sort of intellectual property can't be sold, like the Russians and their space programme which has achieved so much with a fraction of the wasteful US budget, we have a proud history of doing more with less.
The yanks I think understand that and with the expected decline of the $A to the 70-90 range why would they ?

[Lotte]

I've been thinking about this.

I'm an automotive person. With a preference for Fords. With a preference for Falcons.
Ford make great vehicles across the range, and the Falcon is the most versatile of the lot. So I love it. Will I be moving on? Depends on what's on offer when I need a new car. Probably not, because I'll either be getting a Ranger or spending big bucks on a Raptor. (because why the hell not) If it's before the 2016 d-day, I'll be buying a new falcon, if I have the cashola.

[Bossxr8]

I think over time R&D will slowly be built up enough in China for FoA to be phased out. No point having your R&D base thousands of miles away when the products are being built elsewhere.

It will probably take a fair while for that to happen though.

[ryeman]

Fibre optic broadband will result in unimaginable change over the next decade.
Pilots in Virginia are killing people in Afghanistan, Yemen and anywhere else they so choose.
There are no limits except to freedom perhaps

[4.0i OHC]

Originally Posted by ryeman

Fibre optic broadband will result in unimaginable change over the next decade.
Pilots in Virginia are killing people in Afghanistan, Yemen and anywhere else they so choose.
There are no limits except to freedom perhaps

And this is relevant why?

[ryeman]

Originally Posted by 4.0i OHC

And this is relevant why?

Obviously you can do amazing things remotely including manage/programme a foreign based facility, we are just at the beginning of a whole new world of limitless possibilities.
It's so yesterday to think an R&D facility has to be moved closer to a factory frinstance.

[gqmad]

Originally Posted by RedHotGT

My scenario is this:

Long time Ford AUS supporter (in fact - every single car i've owned has been manufactured by Ford AUS). So - here is my dilema....
I've always supported the FORD brand - particularly the Ford AUS vehicles.
So - when we outgrow my Territory (4 kids.... all will grow too big for rear seats in Territory) where do I go?
There is no Ford equivalent here for:
Tarago/Carnival/Voyager or Landcruiser/Pajero/Patrol
So - I will pretty much have to change my brand allegiance...
I don't expect a company like Ford to develop a car or import a car to suit my needs.... I'm sure that people with 4+ kids are a minority these days anyways...
But just making the point that I will eventually end up crossing over brands and breaking my loyalty, and not because I choose to.

Like this.
I will also be buying something non Ford - probably a Chrysler 300C diesel and the best part is it will be guilt free

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by ryeman

Obviously you can do amazing things remotely including manage/programme a foreign based facility, we are just at the beginning of a whole new world of limitless possibilities.
It's so yesterday to think an R&D facility has to be moved closer to a factory frinstance.

Tell that to the Ford engineers that need to routinely travel to Broadmeadows from Geelong to see how their prototype parts are fitting on the assembly line.

There are a lot of things that just can't be done over the phone or internet. Physical checking and assessment needs to be done with a set of eyes or measuring equipment. That's just one example.

Designing and engineering are ok, but engineering it for production is a different matter.

[MrXR8]

I am a falcon person but I am open to other options. I have owned a few cars all for different reasons. I'm sad to see the falcon disappear.

[ryeman]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Tell that to the Ford engineers that need to routinely travel to Broadmeadows from Geelong to see how their prototype parts are fitting on the assembly line.

There are a lot of things that just can't be done over the phone or internet. Physical checking and assessment needs to be done with a set of eyes or measuring equipment. That's just one example.

Designing and engineering are ok, but engineering it for production is a different matter.

Yep, you still need on sight liaison to convert design into production.

[Giant]

I remember buying a brand new Ford Mondeo it was a quality piece of engineering and was well back by Ford Australia and Power Ford at Castle Hill. After that I was a Falcon man.

You sure this place isn't being run in China? the censorship seems to well over the top lately.........

[Jim5_0]

Originally Posted by gqmad

Like this.
I will also be buying something non Ford - probably a Chrysler 300C diesel and the best part is it will be guilt free

Won't be guilt free until Holden and Toyota decide that they too are going to become importing scabs.

The 300c Pretty much killed off the Fairlane /LTD although why on earth someone would have wanted to buy one of those ugly boats over a BA/BF Fairlane defies logic.

I Suppose they wanted to live out their fond memories of the crappy old Valiant that they had a s a teenager. Don't get me wrong I still own a Valiant but a great car to drive it aint.

[ryeman]

Originally Posted by Jim5_0

Won't be guilt free until Holden and Toyota decide that they too are going to become importing scabs.

The 300c Pretty much killed off the Fairlane /LTD although why on earth someone would have wanted to buy one of those ugly boats over a BA/BF Fairlane defies logic.

I Suppose they wanted to live out their fond memories of the crappy old Valiant that they had a s a teenager. Don't get me wrong I still own a Valiant but a great car to drive it aint.

I think the 300C is aimed at alpha males who are into guns and jet skis.