The Australian history of the Ford Falcon dates back to August 1958. Before that, it was going to be a mildly refurbished Zephyr which would be the Blue Oval's rival for the all-conquering Holden.
Charlie Smith was the managing director of Ford Australia when the decision was taken to manufacture the Falcon in the new Broadmeadows plant. Many years later, Smith recalled the date when he was summoned to Detroit to view what would have become the Mark IIA Zephyr that was slated for manufacture in the new Broadmeadows plant from mid-1960. That date was 31 July 1958.
Essentially, the Mark IIA was another facelift on the 1956 design.
"When they wheeled out the Zephyr at the design studios, I simply didn't like the look of it, and I said so," Smith later commented.
Smith and his team of executives were then asked if they would like to see the new compact car that was being designed for North American markets.
"When we saw that I said without hesitation, 'That's the car I want for Australia.' It was a new car, it had the advantage of Detroit engineering and design, and I suspected Ford UK already had plans to discontinue the Zephyr range."
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this story is that Smith and his fellow executives did not seem to think that the car would need to be tested in Australia to ensure its suitability for our arduous conditions. Why it is remarkable is that GMH had gone to such lengths with every Holden and had even built a proving ground. Dare we suggest an element of cultural cringe, that was good enough for the US was bound to suffice Downunder?
As it happened the vaunted Detroit engineering and design was no match for potholed Australian roads. Ford Australia's engineers uncovered the weakness even before the Falcon went on sale. When they reported the problems to their US counterparts they were met with scepticism (make that skepticism!). But the Aussies finally prevailed and Compact Fairlane ball joints and other front end componentry were then fitted to XK Falcons but not before drastic damage had been done to Ford's local reputation.
The 1962 XL facelift brought the Futura variant and the 170 'Pursuit' engine option had been introduced late in the XK production run. Next came the more elegant XM with 'Certified Golden Quality' which was a pretty form of words for a pretty but largely unchanged car.
It looked as if the Falcon was doomed in Australia. Then deputy managing director Bill Bourke came up with the idea of a durability run to launch the XP in 1965. A team of five cars had to cover 70,000 miles in seven days at an average of 70 miles per hour.
No-one had worked out the average speed you could lap the new proving ground and 70 put the cars on and over the limit. Four out of five rolled. But they got there and the resultant media coverage was priceless.
The 1966 'Mustang-bred' XR was the real start of the Falcon's success in Australia. A V8 engine was optional. In 1967 the long-wheelbase Fairlane and the Falcon GT were introduced. Both have their own stories.
Once the shortcomings of the XK had been realised Ford Australia's engineers reworked the US Falcons to make them more suitable for local conditions. But in 1968 Ford US decided not to develop a new model. The 1972 XA was therefore the first uniquely Australian Falcon.
When the second oil shock hit Australia in late 1978 there was near panic at Broadmeadows. The Commodore was already on sale and pitched against the aged XC Falcon. The XD, due in March 1979, was a bigger and heavier car than the Commodore. Essentially, it was a reskinned, slightly lighter XC. The XD looked like being the almost-right car at the worst time.
Clever marketing proved that the XD Falcon used no more fuel than the Commodore but had more room. Why not buy the bigger car, especially when it picked up a Honda-sourced Alloy Head (with caps!) in 1980? Soon the Falcon was consistently outselling its rival.
Electronic fuel-injection added to the appeal of the XE mid-way through its 1982-84 life and the XF was the last of the old square shapes. But EFI spelt the demise of V8 engines, leaving GMH with a great opportunity to win lifelong Holden loyalists. (And so it proved!)
In February 1988 Ford Australia took its half-baked, aero-shaped EA out of the oven and left it to consumers to do the testing. The look was great but the ownership experience was terrible.
By the time the EB was into its Evolution phase, the car was sorted. But this shape had a long while to run and the ED added little, while the EF lost its handling balance in pursuit of refinement. The EL had to contend with Holden's 'Big New V6 Commodore', the VN.
The Falcon surrendered its leadership in the local big car race and with AU in October 1998 things went from poor to terrible.
The 2002 BA with its twin cam engine, richer interior and improved handling was a genuinely outstanding car. But it came too late to topple the Commodore from its market domination.
Today's FG follows in the same wide wheel tracks.
About the author:
John Wright has worked at Ford on two separate occasions, in 1979 as the Graduate Training Co-ordinator and from 1999 to 2001 as a consultant to the marketing department. He has written histories of the Falcon and Fairlane. His official history of the Holden, Heart of the Lion, was published in 1998 by Allen & Unwin. In 1999-2000 at Ford he was responsible for editing Bill Tuckey's book True Blue: 75 years of Ford Australia (Focus Publishing). Wright's PhD is 'The Untold Story of the Holden Car' (University of Melbourne, 2008) and this is available in book form as Special: the untold story of Australia's Holden (Allen & Unwin).
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