Ranger and drop-top but Ford gets no Bill

Though rumour was outgoing US company boss Bill Ford would open proceedings on the Blue Oval's stand, it was local honcho Tom Gorman that pulled the sheets off Ford's key motor show debutantes.

FPV's thunder was stolen when keen Ford fans broke news of the new Force 6 and 8 executive expresses on the internet (see separate stories at CarPoint), however, the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet, the first show appearance of the revised Falcon/Fairmont BF MkII range and the new Ranger light commercials were enough to grab the attention of showgoers… Along with a guest appearance from Bathurst winners Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup!

Like Holden's VE/WM range, it's easy for showgoers to gloss over the mass market large car newbie. Gorman however maintained the fuel-efficiency and Euro-refinement message with which Ford is targeting buyers in search of large car sales.

The ace up Falcon's sleeve seems to be the availability of the ZF six-speed across the large car sedan range. It's a lead performance arm FPV is following too -- announcing that it will offer the slick-shifting autobox as a no cost option across its hi-po model range at the show.

The new Ranger is aimed more than ever at the recreational market. Built in Thailand alongside Mazda's new BT50, it replaces Courier (as previously reported) and goes on sale next month with the choice of 2.5 and 3.0-litre direct-injected common-rail turbodiesel engines in both two and four-wheel drive versions. Pricing kicks off at $20,990 for the single cab XL 4x2 2.5-litre cab-chassis and runs through to the $45,990 range-topping 3.0-litre XLT 4x4 Crew Cab Pick-up.

The Focus CC (see also our CC round-up later today) is the production iteration of the Vignale concept folding hardtop first shown Down Under at the Melbourne show earlier this year. The Focus CC is due to arrive in showrooms in mid-2007 in both auto and manual guises.