Just when we thought the bird was grounded... Falcon trademark filed in Mexico

[05XR8]

It will be a sight to see. That's for sure.

 

[05XR8]

http://m.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/family-stays-faithful-ford-falcon-ute-production-e/3039866/

http://www.whichcar.com.au/car-news/last-ford-falcon-ute-images-spark-internet-uproar

 

[GranTurismo guy]

Both Holden and Ford dying is a huge shame. Where does that leave Australian car manufacturing now?

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Both Holden and Ford dying is a huge shame. Where does that leave Australian car manufacturing now?

Importing. Toyota manufacturing based in Australia died first so...and there were others before that even. I'd say out of the big three left, Toyota took the first leave. Then these two.

 

[05XR8]

Chrysler(USA) Jeep and Dodge have been imported for a while. When I came here in 2007, Mitsubishi had stopped with the 380(Galant). I didn't even know Australia had a Mitsubishi and a Toyota plant.

When I worked for Toyota, I never got to the Altona plant but, it was cool to know they made the Camry/Aurion here. Even though the Land Cruisers and Corollas are most popular among Toyota followers.

 

[05XR8]

It's official
http://www.carsguide.com.au/car-new...cial&utm_content=44155&utm_campaign=editorial

 

[05XR8]

http://www.motoring.com.au/tickford-to-return-with-hot-fords-103869

Tickford to return with hot Fords

Blue Oval Supercars team confirms Ranger will lead roll-out of born-again Tickford-badged performance vehicle range

Tickford has been confirmed as the name of a new Ford-focussed road car tuning business that will be launched in Bathurst 1000 week by the leading Supercars racing team, Prodrive Racing Australia (PRA).

PRA revealed a new Tickford logo on a new Facebook page late last week, when it also revived the brand name’s slogan: “Performance driven by passion”.


The plan is for Tickford, which is the marketing name of a new division of the racing team registered as PRA Garage, to develop performance versions of most models in the Ford range.

Tuning work will include both engine and chassis, as well as delivering exterior and interior styling enhancements. Development work is being done in-house and through suppliers here and overseas. Bosch Australian has been contracted to test modifications to an OEM level.

The badge will first adorn a hot Ford Ranger that will be on sale before the end of the year, with a tuned Mustang to follow soon after. A Tickford Everest is expected in the first half of 2017.

The Ranger’s five-cylinder 3.2-litre turbo-diesel engine is expected to receive a power boost of about 20 per cent to around 180kW. Chassis tuning will include the Australian Supashock dampers – which PRA uses in its Ford Falcon Supercars.

PRA CEO Tim Edwards told motoring.com.au Tickford would be a different proposition to other well-known Ford tuners, because of the bespoke engineering development it intends to put into its vehicles.

“We don’t want to be another person just bolting on other people’s parts,” Edwards said. “It’s about developing new and unique products for the Tickford business.

“There are a lot of people out there playing that space — bolting on Ford Performance parts — and that’s not our objective or our business model.

“Yes we can do that, but that’s not our focus at the moment, it’s about developing new and unique parts that are Tickford parts.”

Edwards wouldn’t be drawn on the specifics of the Tickford performance boosts, but played down the prospects of going head-to-head with the likes of Roush Performance and Herrod Motorsport by offering a supercharged 500kW version of the Mustang GT, which Ford Australia itself is also planning on selling via its official dealer network.

“I don’t want to get into specifics about what we are doing with the cars at the moment, because we are not at the point of announcing that,” Edwards said.

“But the brands you are talking about are all fitting a common part — there is nothing unique and new about what they are doing — so if we just do that then we are just competing with them.

“That is why we are looking to do things a little differently. We don’t want to go into competition with them. We will leave them playing in that space and we will develop Tickford products.”

Edwards said the different focus of Tickford was emphasised by its decision to develop a Ranger ahead of a Mustang.

“We are not taking on any of those companies you mentioned with Ranger because they are not playing in that space,” he said. “We are more appealing to the masses than that niche portion of the market.

“There is an opportunity with Ranger. There are a lot of things that can be done to that vehicle. It sells in fantastic volumes and not everyone wants to take it to the real off-road specialists to have it personalised.

‘We don’t want to make it a mud-spitting, jacked-up design specifically for going to the tip of Australia. We want to personalise it, give it a different look and feel.”

Edwards said its close association with the Ford brand made PRA’s expansion into road vehicles a logical move.

“The fact is we still have a lot of close links with the Ford dealer network and the Ford fans and the Ford customers. The number of people who ask us when we are going to do something means there is definitely an opportunity there.

“As with any business you are always looking at ways to expand and diversify. We are not blinkered that we are only going to go motor racing.”

By claiming the Tickford name and using it to badge production vehicles, PRA has essentially gone back to the future and taken control of its own predecessor.

The Tickford name first gained prominence in Australia in 1991 when what was then known as Tickford Vehicle Engineering started developing performance models for Ford Australia.

Public exposure reached its high-point when the Ford Tickford Experience (FTE) was launched in 1999 with a fleet of performance models intended to rival Holden Special Vehicles. Tickford also managed Ford’s factory V8 Supercars campaign.

But in 2002, after Tickford was taken over by rival British firm Prodrive, a new joint-venture was set up with Ford Australia as Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV), with Ford Performance Racing (FPR) becoming the factory racing team.

Ownership of the Tickford name changed hands several times in subsequent years, but had no direct involvement in above-the-line automotive development or branding.

Meanwhile, Ford closed FPV in 2014 and FPR became PRA in 2015, with a group of motor racing identities led by Melbourne businessman Rod Nash taking over the team. It lost its Ford factory backing for the 2016 but retains close links with the Blue Oval brand. Planning for PRA Garage and the revival of Tickford began two years ago.

“Really for us Tickford was the logical thing,” said Edwards. “We are almost the direct descendant. The race team was born out of FPV, which was born out of Tickford.

“So for us it’s almost like going back full circle to where it all began. It’s a bit like putting the band back together.”

“Ironically, I now have people who were working for Tickford who have come back working for us again. At last count we have four staff from that old business.”

Among them is PRA Garage boss Tony Harris, who returned from Walkinshaw Performance Products last February but had been at FPV before that.

Ford Australia has no involvement in the revival of Tickford and the involvement of the Ford dealer network is currently being negotiated.

But there is some involvement from Ford internationally, as parts and accessories are being developed by PRA Garage in conjunction with Ford Asia Pacific to supply to the regional licensed accessories program.

Separately, PRA Garage has been appointed an official wholesaler and retailer of the global Ford Performance Parts catalogue.

Three stand-alone PRA Garage modification centres and showrooms are to be established in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane by early 2017 to cater for customers.

 

[mustafur]

So it's Essentially FPV renamed to Tickford, as it's the exact same people working on it.

 

[05XR8]

Last Ford engines roll out of Geelong
http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/story2/DE1DBB720CC886FECA25803C001A1FF5

THE last ever engines to be produced at Ford’s Geelong factory have rolled off the production line ahead of the car-maker’s full manufacturing closure next Friday.

As Ford continues to wind down its operations, the shut-down of the engine plant is the latest milestone, following the production of the final Falcon Ute in late July.

Ford’s last two engines to roll down the line in Geelong were a 5.0-litre V8 that is imported from the United States but tweaked here in Australia and a home-grown 4.0-litre straight six found under the bonnet of the Falcon and Territory.

An image from Twitter shows the two final examples with a sign saying they were “proudly built in Geelong” on September 26, with a sign off that reads, “A job well done”.

Ford Australia communications and public affairs director Wes Sherwood said the end of engine production was just one of a number of milestones that make up the full closure of manufacturing.

“We’re obviously working towards the end of production and to support that there will be different milestones that happen along the way including the end of engine production,” he said. “But all our employees will be with us until October 7, that’s when we’ll pay tribute to them on that day.”

Ford’s Geelong engine plant was built in 1925 and has undergone a number of expansions since then to accommodate increased volume and changing engine technology over the years.

Most recently the Geelong plant has been the production base for Ford’s all-Australian ‘Barra’ engine that first surfaced in the BA Falcon and the SX Territory in 2002.

With natural aspiration, the Falcon engine pumps out 195kW and 391Nm, while the turbocharged version under the bonnet of the XR6 Turbo delivers 270kW/533Nm. The more recent limited edition XR6 Sprint pushed that figure to a maximum of 370kW.

As reported, Ford’s Broadmeadows production line will shut permanently on Friday October 7, leaving about 850 employees without work, although 350 positions have already been cut.

Keep your eye on GoAuto.com.au for more news about Ford’s factory closure in the coming weeks.

 

[05XR8]

What should have been
http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/story2/217DE8BECB54C21ACA25803B0083C019

A FORMER Ford Australia vice-president of product development has revealed how he attempted to get Ford Motor Company to sign off on a left-hand-drive version of the Australian-developed Falcon for export in the 1980s to help secure its future.

Ian Vaughan, who retired from the company in 2001 after 37 years in engineering roles, said he also tried to convince head office in Detroit to substitute the Falcon and Fairlane for the Ford Crown Victoria and Taurus in the Middle East to give Australian-built cars a defined export market, just as General Motors did for Holden’s Commodore and Caprice.

“Unfortunately, I did not succeed,” he said. “That would have perhaps opened some doors to make Falcon into a global platform.”

As history will show, Falcon production volumes have continually shrunk since Falcon’s halcyon days of the top-selling XE and XF in the mid-1980s, reaching the point where production will stop altogether this Friday when Ford closes its Australian plants in Geelong and Broadmeadows.

While Mr Vaughan is sad to see manufacturing go, he says he is proud of the engineering legacy built by Ford over five decades in Australia, forming the basis for today’s fast-growing Ford Asia-Pacific Vehicle Development operation in Victoria.

“I think it is the product of the last 50 years, where we started off with an American car and then we learnt it wasn’t good enough for Australian conditions,” he told GoAuto in an interview ahead of this week’s factory shutdown.

“So we re-engineered it and re-engineered it and in the process were learned how to design motor cars.

“There were other bits along the way, such as the Territory which taught us how to design Ranger and Everest. That was a natural evolution there.

“We might be phasing out of the manufacturing industry – a second industry – but here is a tertiary industry – a service industry called engineering – where we are world competitive.”

Mr Vaughan said that while governments might have provided more incentives to bolster automotive research and development in Australia, perhaps encouraging a more global focus, Ford has ended up with a fine vehicle development outcome in Australia.

“The company has got to want to do it with their own money,” he said.

Left: Former Ford Australia vice-president of product development Ian Vaughan.

Mr Vaughan, possibly best known publicly for driving a factory-backed Ford XT Falcon GT to third place and a teams’ win in the iconic London-to-Sydney Marathon in 1968, said assets such as the You Yangs proving ground came about because of the need to improve early Falcons such as the 1960s XK, XL and XM.

“Before the proving ground was built in the late 1960s, we used to test in the back of beyond,” he said.

“They still do that, but the importance of the test track at the You Yangs is you have repetitive testing – same standard, same speed, same driver – doing stuff which is measurable.”

Mr Vaughan said that as one of only three vehicle development centres in the Ford world, Ford’s Australian operation was now fully hooked into the global system via 3D virtual engineering, computer-aided design and other systems.

“That is one of the good things about being part of a worldwide engineering operation – if they invent something in Cologne or Detroit, they just pass it on to this engineering centre,” he said.

Mr Vaughan said the future had never been brighter for Ford engineering in Australia where Ford Asia-Pacific Vehicle Development is working on designing and engineering vehicles for global markets.

“They have done a super job on the Ranger,” he said. “The Ranger and Everest have been fabulous.”

Mr Vaughan said that when he heard that Ford Australia’s manufacturing operations were to close, he was concerned whether the design and engineering operation could continue in that vacuum.

“I thought, ‘Gee, what’s going to happen to simultaneous engineering, where you design the car and then you design the process, side-by-side,’” he said.

“I thought, ‘Where are the process engineers going to come from; we haven’t got a plant down the road to call on.’

“But they set up an organisation of process engineers – manufacturing engineers – to run right alongside the design engineers in designing the car. So we haven’ t lost that simultaneous engineering which is vital to getting a good outcome on the production line.”

While Mr Vaughan has no official capacity at Ford since retirement, he says he likes to keep in touch and see how things are going in the vehicle development world.

He also keeps busy as a director on the boards of three companies, including one that previously stamped car parts but which is carving a new niche in solar panel frames.

 

[RocZX]

 

[05XR8]

Well, it's official...that, is that.
http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/story2/36D8E48E6EADE9CBCA258045001DF1AC

 

[catamount39]

Shame it had to be this way.

 

[Harakudoshi]

Ending Falcon production is a bloody disgrace. It would be all too easy to not only find a way to keep building it more cost-effectively, but to also make it viable on the world stage. Simply axe the Taurus and build the Falcon on the new Mustang platform as its replacement. Stretch the wheelbase a bit to allow for the extra doors, change the body panels a bit, and bob's your uncle. Already engineered for LHD and RHD, and safety and emissions tested for most markets.
They could move production of the RHD Mustang and Falcon back to Australia to keep Australian Ford production going, and export them to RHD markets.
They could easily price it around the same as the equivalent Mustang, and market it as the Mustang for the man or woman with children and the need for extra cargo space. Along with continuing to make the Ute (calling it the Ranchero in America) and reintroducing the estate. Ford's answer to the 5 series.
Remove the **** V6 the Mustang currently uses and replace it with an updated Barra I6 to make that the mid-range engine. Turbo 4 being the base engine. N/A 6 the upgrade. Turbo 6 as the GS, and the V8 as the GT.

FPV and SVT could partner together to continue being the in-house tuning company for them.
And perhaps, just perhaps, take the Voodoo 5.2 and suspension and lightweight bits and pieces from the GT350 and stuff them into the Falcon, and call it the GT Handling Option. (Because some bastard owns the rights to the GTHO name). Aim it to be the fastest 4 door production car around the Nürburgring. To stick right in the craw of the M5.

Play up the Aussie heritage in advertising, make it seem like a fun and safe sports car for families.
They wouldn't be able to keep them in stock.

But Ford is stupid, and thus won't do that. 'One Ford' my arse.

 

[05XR8]

Two things I didn't like about my '05 XR8. The driver's seat space and the center dash stack.
Ingress and egress were horrible. Foot space was right and thigh space was right. I'm 92kg with no beer gut.

The dash was so out of date. Cheap plastic fascia. LCD screens were like the digital clock on a Secretary's desk(in 1983!).

I don't think car magazines would have accepted it. However, there was an Automobile Magazine article about the AU XR8. It got a good write up because it was akin to a 4-door Mustang GT, just with more power. Had that car been sold in the states, from that model, I feel things would have progressed nicely, right after the last SHO in '99.

 

[VXR]

Ending Falcon production is a bloody disgrace. It would be all too easy to not only find a way to keep building it more cost-effectively, but to also make it viable on the world stage. Simply axe the Taurus and build the Falcon on the new Mustang platform as its replacement. Stretch the wheelbase a bit to allow for the extra doors, change the body panels a bit, and bob's your uncle. Already engineered for LHD and RHD, and safety and emissions tested for most markets.
They could move production of the RHD Mustang and Falcon back to Australia to keep Australian Ford production going, and export them to RHD markets.
They could easily price it around the same as the equivalent Mustang, and market it as the Mustang for the man or woman with children and the need for extra cargo space. Along with continuing to make the Ute (calling it the Ranchero in America) and reintroducing the estate. Ford's answer to the 5 series.
Remove the **** V6 the Mustang currently uses and replace it with an updated Barra I6 to make that the mid-range engine. Turbo 4 being the base engine. N/A 6 the upgrade. Turbo 6 as the GS, and the V8 as the GT.

FPV and SVT could partner together to continue being the in-house tuning company for them.
And perhaps, just perhaps, take the Voodoo 5.2 and suspension and lightweight bits and pieces from the GT350 and stuff them into the Falcon, and call it the GT Handling Option. (Because some bastard owns the rights to the GTHO name). Aim it to be the fastest 4 door production car around the Nürburgring. To stick right in the craw of the M5.

Play up the Aussie heritage in advertising, make it seem like a fun and safe sports car for families.
They wouldn't be able to keep them in stock.

But Ford is stupid, and thus won't do that. 'One Ford' my arse.

Surely if it was as simple as engineering the Mustang platform to become a four door, shipping production lines to Australia and doing so with a profit margin, then they would've done so?

You're making it sound like it was cruel slight on Australia and not a drain on global resources for a shrinking market segment.

One Ford is working pretty well for them. One Ford doesn't mean designing whole new cars for one continent with the hope they'll fly in other markets totally unsuited to big saloons with turbocharged sixes and whopping V8s. I'm as sorry as anyone these Australian cars I've lusted after since the 90s are dying off, but then so is a lot of 'old world' motoring. It's a sign of the times.

 

[Harakudoshi]

Surely if it was as simple as engineering the Mustang platform to become a four door, shipping production lines to Australia and doing so with a profit margin, then they would've done so?

You're making it sound like it was cruel slight on Australia and not a drain on global resources for a shrinking market segment.

One Ford is working pretty well for them. One Ford doesn't mean designing whole new cars for one continent with the hope they'll fly in other markets totally unsuited to big saloons with turbocharged sixes and whopping V8s. I'm as sorry as anyone these Australian cars I've lusted after since the 90s are dying off, but then so is a lot of 'old world' motoring. It's a sign of the times.

They didn't because they have the Taurus and the Mondeo. They feel like that's 'enough'. I can tell you one market where it would succeed, but because it's such a big market, that would be enough. The United States. You don't think there's a market in the USA for a fast handsome V8 muscle car with a Ford badge there? The Falcon sold decently in Australia. The only problem was it wasn't engineered to work in any other country besides New Zealand, and I believe South Africa. And because it was such a small market, it didn't matter how many they sold, or how well it worked in the market. It just wouldn't turn profits if it's only sold there.
Australia is a market where the best selling car only manages about 8-10 thousand cars a month. The Falcon was usually about a third of that. Respectable numbers, but not profitable. Australia has a population of about 23 million, and it is pretty anal on large displacement cars and fuel prices are sky-high.
The USA by comparison has a population of around 320 million, no restrictions or taxes on engine displacement, and some of the cheapest petrol in the western world.

To think a V8 Ford with an iconic name would not sell there is ignorant at best. Ford doesn't want to do it because they don't want to spend a dime more than they think is necessary. Even though the people that buy regular Tauruses would be just as happy to get a 4 or 6 cylinder Falcon. But law enforcement would vastly prefer an FR V8. That alone would make up thousands of sales a month, as proven by the Crown Victoria. And people interested in performance would vastly prefer that layout as well.
It also would be a very clear declaration of war on the mid-size executive car market, of which Ford currently has no competitor. Yet both GM and Chrysler do. (CTS/ATS, and Charger/300)

 

[VXR]

Australia is a market where the best selling car only manages about 8-10 thousand cars a month. The Falcon was usually about a third of that. Respectable numbers, but not profitable. Australia has a population of about 23 million, and it is pretty anal on large displacement cars and fuel prices are sky-high.
The USA by comparison has a population of around 320 million, no restrictions or taxes on engine displacement, and some of the cheapest petrol in the western world.

To think a V8 Ford with an iconic name would not sell there is ignorant at best.

Ford US does sell an iconic, large V8, in vast numbers and it's the same reason why they probably don't see the merit in offering rivals to FCA and GM saloon cars; the F150. It sells way more than a sedan ever could.

 

[Harakudoshi]

Ford US does sell an iconic, large V8, in vast numbers and it's the same reason why they probably don't see the merit in offering rivals to FCA and GM saloon cars; the F150. It sells way more than a sedan ever could.

You say that as if the Mustang doesn't exist.

 

[catamount39]

If Ford made a V8 sedan here it'd sell big time.

 

[Harakudoshi]

If Ford made a V8 sedan here it'd sell big time.

Exactly. The people that would buy it are the ones that want a Mustang, but need something they can take the kids to school in easily. The people that want a car that can keep pace an M5, and carries the Ford badge. Law enforcement and taxi companies that need something that's quick and large, and easy to repair. And the people that need a cheap and reliable 4 door.

 

[Legro]

To think a 4-door Ford with an iconic name would not sell there is ignorant at best.

Excuse my ignorance, but how is a car that looks and in everyday driving probably also feels like a desperately facelifted Mk4 Mondeo and would most likely end up costing more than the Fusion supposed to compete in the same market under the same brand. Just look at the Chevrolet SS sales figures and say how appealing that looks from the business point of view compared to, say, a Malibu.

Ford doesn't want to do it because they don't want to spend a dime more than they think is necessary.

That's kind of the point of Ford or any other company for that matter. To make money. And seeking the most effective way to do that is not really something they should be blamed for.

It also would be a very clear declaration of war on the mid-size executive car market, of which Ford currently has no competitor.

Odd. I was under the impression that they were still making Lincolns.

 

[Harakudoshi]

Excuse my ignorance, but how is a car that looks and in everyday driving probably also feels like a desperately facelifted Mk4 Mondeo and would most likely end up costing more than the Fusion supposed to compete in the same market under the same brand. Just look at the Chevrolet SS sales figures and say how appealing that looks from the business point of view compared to, say, a Malibu.

That's kind of the point of Ford or any other company for that matter. To make money. And seeking the most effective way to do that is not really something they should be blamed for.
Odd. I was under the impression that they were still making Lincolns.

For your first point, It's called styling. Even if the regular version did end up looking like a 'big Mondeo', is that really a bad thing? The Mondeo sells well, and people like the styling. Do you really think there isn't a market for a Mondeo that's a bit faster, a bit roomier, and a bit better appointed? Mercedes seems to do just fine, even though the C, E, and S look similar. Audi has been doing the 'copy-paste-scale' look for over a decade, and they're not want for profit.
And the SS doesn't sell well because GM doesn't want it to sell well. They don't advertise it beyond using it in NASCAR. No print adverts, no televised, nothing. Most people don't know it exists. And they never had any intention to sell more than about 3000 a year.

Your second point can be argued with the fact that it costs a bit more up-front, with the end goal of making more in the long run. You think the Taurus sells well? It really doesn't, not compared to its competitors. Most people think it's not that great of a car.

And your third point. You are aware that every single Lincoln currently on sale is a rebadged Ford. Not one of them is platform-specific. And Lincoln is barely treading water at that, the only people buying them are in their late 50s and 60s. In addition to that, none of them are that cheap, and none of them are that high-performing. If you think a Continental (or the Taurus SHO for that matter) could come even remotely close to an M5, you're sadly mistaken. The Continental is a full-size luxury car. The 5 series is an executive family car. Similar in size, not much else.

 

[Legro]

For your first point, It's called styling.

Which in the case of the current Falcon is something they'd have to do again, which means that they'd have to develop a completely new car. And that doesn't really make sense when they've already got a vehicle for that market segment.

And the SS doesn't sell well because GM doesn't want it to sell well. They don't advertise it beyond using it in NASCAR. No print adverts, no televised, nothing. Most people don't know it exists. And they never had any intention to sell more than about 3000 a year.

Even if they didn't want people to buy them, which doesn't really make much sense if I'm honest, most of those who particularly wanted a V8 saloon of that price range probably did though. Mainly through NASCAR perhaps, but even then they did know. And those who didn't probably didn't care if their car had V8 or RWD anyway and went for a Malibu, or a Camry, or an Accord, or a Fusion...

Your second point can be argued with the fact that it costs a bit more up-front, with the end goal of making more in the long run.

How are they supposed to sell any cars at all if the product they're selling costs more than the alternatives?

You think the Taurus sells well? It really doesn't, not compared to its competitors. Most people think it's not that great of a car.

What has this got to do with how 'amazingly well' the Falcon would sell in the US? In fact that almost sounds like it's an argument against it.

And your third point. You are aware that every single Lincoln currently on sale is a rebadged Ford. Not one of them is platform-specific. And Lincoln is barely treading water at that, the only people buying them are in their late 50s and 60s. In addition to that, none of them are that cheap, and none of them are that high-performing.

Surely you could say mostly same things about the Chrysler 300C, which I believe you were talking about here:

Yet both GM and Chrysler do. (CTS/ATS, and Charger/300)

As for the Cadillacs, I doubt that the Falcon could compete with either of them.

If you think a Continental (or the Taurus SHO for that matter) could come even remotely close to an M5, you're sadly mistaken.

And the basic Falcon could?

 

[Harakudoshi]

We're already talking about 'developing a new Falcon', so that's pointless to bring up. I made no mention of continuing the FG-X and exporting it. I said to use the New Mustang as a base.

They don't want people to buy the SS because *conspiracy theory* the Zeta car is going out of production and GM doesn't want it to continue. Continued good sales would mean they'd have to keep making it.
And therein lies the problem, it's ONLY a fully-loaded $45k V8 car. There is no 4 cylinder or 6 cylinder base model sold. As such, it only sells to one type of person. It'd be like only selling the SS Camaro, with no options beyond exterior colour and gearbox options. The bulk of Camaro sales are obviously the V6, regardless of how iconic the V8 one is. The sales would tank if it was only a V8. And the SS has the same problem.

Who said anything about costing more than the alternatives? Common sense tells you the Falcon would sell for within the same ballpark as the equivalently equipped Mustang, if they're on the same platform. $25k for the most basic, up to about $40k for a fully equipped V8.

No a basic Falcon wouldn't. But that'd be comparing an E300 to an M5. Not a real comparison. Now the V8 one, using the 430hp Coyote V8? Down on power by about 70hp, but also weighing less and being slightly smaller would at least put it relatively close. For what, $20,000 less?


And you want an argument that it would sell? Alright, here we go:
Let's first look at a car that DOES sell in both the USA and Australia for a good baseline on the conversions of sales between the two countries; the Toyota Corolla. In both markets it is in the top 3 of sales. Australia, it is around 10,000 cars a month. USA, around 30,000. So that gives you about 3 times the sales for the USA to Australia.
Now, let's look at Falcon sales in Oz. it's about 3000 cars a month, give or take a few hundred. Multiply that by 3, and that gives us a figure of 9000 cars a month. May not seem like a lot, until you realise that the Mustang sells about 10,000 a month. And now, you have to take into consideration the fact that insurance for big cars is higher in Australia, and fuel prices is much higher as well. Lessening the demand for large cars with large engines.
So taking that into account, we can assume the Falcon would sell right around 10,000 cars a month in the States. And that's ignoring the fact that saloons ALWAYS outsell coupes in America. By comparison, the Taurus rarely sells more than 4000. Obviously, that isn't perfect. But it IS the same formula that staticians and analysts hired by automotive companies use to determine whether a car will or will not sell in a given country. If 10,000 cars a month is extremely profitable for the Mustang, why wouldn't it be for the Falcon?
And next you can argue it wouldn't sell outside of America. One has to look no farther than Germany to find the answer to that. In Germany, the V8 Mustang not only outsells the BMW M4 by a large margin, the Mustang with all engine options is the best selling sports car in the country. Again, that obviously isn't a perfect comparison, but it's reasonable to assume the Falcon would outsell the Mustang, just as the 3 series outsells the 4 series.

So in short, you are absolutely positively unarguably unequivocally mathematically numerically statistically and definitively WRONG.

Are we finished?

 

[VXR]

I'm sorry, but I stopped reading when you used the Corolla as an analogy. It's a white goods vehicle. Not in the same league as buyers of large saloon cars. You can't extrapolate anything from a car bought for basic transport and think that would work for something like a Falcon.

 

[Harakudoshi]

Maybe if you had read what I wrote, you'd realise it was an example, and how I explained beyond that how you extrapolate potential sales figures.

 

[Tornado]

 

[VXR]

You can pull figures out of the ether all you like, but the bottom line is, there's no business case for it. Otherwise Ford would spend whatever it took to double Mustang platform sales. That'd be money in the bank for them.

 

[Harakudoshi]

You can pull figures out of the ether all you like, but the bottom line is, there's no business case for it. Otherwise Ford would spend whatever it took to double Mustang platform sales. That'd be money in the bank for them.

Mate. I provided you with a factual and statistical business case for it. the only better way to prove it would be to build the bloody car myself and sell it.
You are aware Ford isn't an omnipotent company, right? That they're for the most part ruled by accountants that can only see short-sighted profits, even if it's to the detriment of the long game? And how almost EVERY manufacturer is run the same way?
You'd be surprised how often companies give up long-term profits for short-term gain.

Your entire argument seems to be based on "well they haven't done it, so it must not work"
That isn't how you innovate.