Future of Falcon decided within six months

The future and the fate of the Ford Falcon – Australia's oldest automotive nameplate – and the Broadmeadows factory that builds it will be decided within the next six months.

The global boss of Ford design, J Mays, told Australian journalists on the eve of the Frankfurt motor show overnight "in a couple of [motor] shows we can talk about it".

The next major international motor shows are in Los Angeles in November, Tokyo in December and Detroit in January 2012. The US shows are logical venues for the reveal of a concept version of the next generation Taurus. The Falcon-sized US sedan has been widely tipped to replace the Falcon in the wake of record-low sales.

"This just isn't the show to talk about [the future of the Falcon] but it won't be too far away," said Mays.

"If I take the lid off the paint jar, then everyone else gets upset with me internally."

When asked if it was inevitable that the Australian-made Falcon would be replaced by a US-made Taurus, Mays said: "We haven't announced that, [but] we're looking at a lot of different possibilities. That [combining Falcon and Taurus] would be one potentially feasible one.

"I do follow [Falcon sales figures] pretty closely. There's not a big market for that size of sedan at the moment."

Meanwhile Ford's global Chief Financial Officer, Lewis Booth, told motoring.com.au that Ford Australia could prosper without manufacturing.

"I think Ford Australia will prosper with great products. Where you manufacture is a business decision," he said.

"From an Australian [media] point of view, the manufacturing source is clearly a big discussion, but a customer is looking for a good deal and a good product. Our obligation is to provide them – wherever we build them [the cars] – with great product.

"The thing we can now do in Australia is provide [customers] with a complete range so they're not just dependent on Falcon and ute and Territory.

"As the market changes it's important that [Ford Australia] can participate across all segments," Booth commented.

Despite numerous improvements to the Falcon – and sharper pricing – sales have been in steady decline over the past decade.

So far this year Falcon sales are at a new all-time low; just 12,583 sedans have been registered in the first eight months of this year, a 39 per cent drop on last year's record low point. At its peak, Ford would have sold this many Falcons in six weeks.

Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...