The AU series.

[Bearman]

The AU was a great car in every aspect except visually. No matter how good a car is, if it's ugly it will not sell. People will not want to be seen in it.

I did not mind the AU front end, even the Forte'. For the S pack the grille was painted the same as the body colour it looked quite good. The interior was a shocker but after I got my BA I found I preferred the AU instrument panel for position and readability.

The **** end was the critical mistake. Looking at a large cabin with a droopy little bum on it was way wrong. I absolutely detested the rear quarters and the rounded rear window made extra small by the tapering c-pillars. Another effect the rear window arrangement had was creating a blind spot you could hide a herd of elephants in. The AU absolutely had to have a spoiler to bulk up the rear.

The AU ute looked way better, sold heaps and this is what saved Ford's ****.

The ownership experience was an AU1 XR6 HP. Was purchased as a second hand vehicle at 100,000km. Visually the XR was always the pick of the bunch but those poxy multi-spoke 16" rims had to go. Honestly, they'd be about the ugliest wheel Ford have ever put on a car. Excellent handling car and not too shabby in performance. Just loved the way the front end bit the road and the steering was so communicative, you knew exactly what the car was doing. Smooth surface roads it was inspiring but hit a pothole or a train line crossing and it used to crash and bang like an old paddock bomb. The c-pillar blind spot had me cutting off people all the time for a week or two until I got used to it and had to be very presise about positioning my mirrors. Mechanically it was great but the auto lunched itself at 180,000km despite regular servicing and needed a newie, also I thought having to spend plenty of money on it would motivate me to keep it and fight the BA urges that were gripping me.

It didn't work!!!