Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

on the upside the new mustang looks hot!

being a ford man im disappointed how ford have handled the marketing and design of the falcon. the decline started with the AU, and ford couldn't turn it around from there. Despite being the more reliable and tough car (used to be 95% ford taxis) the horrible look put people off forever, and then when sales dropped, they just gave up marketing the things, as if that would help.

Just imagine if the ford aus plant built focuses and mazda 3s for the domestic market, they're be alive and kicking, 61,000 of those two models were sold in aus last year...

admittedly the high AUD has meant all european car makers can now provide competitive basic family vehicles for a good price, and they have the european cache...

It just to dear to produce a car here FULL STOP.

Blurr wrote:It just to dear to produce a car here FULL STOP.

I think if there was some proper plan years ago and investment it could have been the case that the industry would still be alive.
But there wasn't and it isn't,im just glad I have a piece of history coming to my house,and there will be a big smile every morning to start my day
when I start up this beast and slap it into first gear.

You want a piece of history!? forget the ford!

Only 24 of these being made (handmade), apparently they will only be 1950cc - the one pictures is 2400cc though - with 135hp. And only 35,000 - pounds that is!

Blurr wrote:It just to dear to produce a car here FULL STOP.

This. We don't have a big enough market in Australia to be producing vehicles here... and it's not financially viable to make them here to export when you can make them in Asia/South Africa/South America for a lot less. Yes, countries in Europe like Italy have their own manufacturers but they export them all over the Euro zone with almost no taxes added.

Having said that, if Ford wanted they could have sold A TON of Falcons all over the world. I'm yet to get someone from another country to drive my ute and say it wouldn't sell like crazy where they come from... I'm from Brazil and I can GUARANTEE you the falcon ute, especially the XR6 Ecolpi, would sell faster than they could ever make them here. In fact, it would sell all over South America. But Ford doesn't want that. They have their own plants there making the Ford Ranger. Same goes for the US and Canada... all my mates from these countries say they can't understand why they can't get the Falcon ute or the Commodore Ute but again, Ford (and GM) doesn't want to sell them there. It would cannibalize some of the sales of the F150 (their gold egg) and create a much more complicated net of parts/servicing/etc... In short, it could have happened if they wanted to but they prefered not to and they have their reasons.

EDU wrote:

Blurr wrote:It just to dear to produce a car here FULL STOP.

This. We don't have a big enough market in Australia to be producing vehicles here... and it's not financially viable to make them here to export when you can make them in Asia/South Africa/South America for a lot less. Yes, countries in Europe like Italy have their own manufacturers but they export them all over the Euro zone with almost no taxes added.

Having said that, if Ford wanted they could have sold A TON of Falcons all over the world. I'm yet to get someone from another country to drive my ute and say it wouldn't sell like crazy where they come from... I'm from Brazil and I can GUARANTEE you the falcon ute, especially the XR6 Ecolpi, would sell faster than they could ever make them here. In fact, it would sell all over South America. But Ford doesn't want that. They have their own plants there making the Ford Ranger. Same goes for the US and Canada... all my mates from these countries say they can't understand why they can't get the Falcon ute or the Commodore Ute but again, Ford (and GM) doesn't want to sell them there. It would cannibalize some of the sales of the F150 (their gold egg) and create a much more complicated net of parts/servicing/etc... In short, it could have happened if they wanted to but they prefered not to and they have their reasons.

I agree it could have happened if they wanted to or planned correctly.No it would not be impossible to make cars here because of wages,German wages are not low,japans wages are not low.Both these countrys were bombed into oblivion and look at them.Anyway its a mute argument the industry is dead and the future generations will wonder what the hell happened. NOW watch as we destroy the ship building industry ,the government is already half way there.

Wednesday is pick up day for the Pursuit .it will be the longest drive to Geelong that I have ever had and the last drive for my XR8.At least the XR8 is going to a good home ,im sure my brother will look after it.

z900/zx9 wrote:Wednesday is pick up day for the Pursuit .it will be the longest drive to Geelong that I have ever had and the last drive for my XR8.At least the XR8 is going to a good home ,im sure my brother will look after it.

I hope the FPV is even better that you hope for.
There will be alot of very envious people out there. Me included.

You need to post shit loads of photos

ZXR750 wrote: You need to post shit loads of photos

+1

z900/zx9 wrote:

EDU wrote:

Blurr wrote:It just to dear to produce a car here FULL STOP.

This. We don't have a big enough market in Australia to be producing vehicles here... and it's not financially viable to make them here to export when you can make them in Asia/South Africa/South America for a lot less. Yes, countries in Europe like Italy have their own manufacturers but they export them all over the Euro zone with almost no taxes added.

Having said that, if Ford wanted they could have sold A TON of Falcons all over the world. I'm yet to get someone from another country to drive my ute and say it wouldn't sell like crazy where they come from... I'm from Brazil and I can GUARANTEE you the falcon ute, especially the XR6 Ecolpi, would sell faster than they could ever make them here. In fact, it would sell all over South America. But Ford doesn't want that. They have their own plants there making the Ford Ranger. Same goes for the US and Canada... all my mates from these countries say they can't understand why they can't get the Falcon ute or the Commodore Ute but again, Ford (and GM) doesn't want to sell them there. It would cannibalize some of the sales of the F150 (their gold egg) and create a much more complicated net of parts/servicing/etc... In short, it could have happened if they wanted to but they prefered not to and they have their reasons.

I agree it could have happened if they wanted to or planned correctly.No it would not be impossible to make cars here because of wages,German wages are not low,japans wages are not low.Both these countrys were bombed into oblivion and look at them.Anyway its a mute argument the industry is dead and the future generations will wonder what the hell happened. NOW watch as we destroy the ship building industry ,the government is already half way there.

Those countries were bombed into oblivion and then rescued by LOTS of foreign money to keep them from falling into communism... without that, neither would be anywhere these days.

Germany is one of the most advance countries in the world and not cheap. They don't assemble all their cars, but they do the design and manufacture of key components.

Their are some simple reasons why the car industry failed in Australia
1) They manufactured cars that were either only or largely sold in AUS (Camry is exported thus why they are the last to fold)
2) The Labour twats in partnership with the Greens decided in back in 2009 (or earlier) that company cars would be subject to a flat FBT rate instead of the decreasing rate depending on the amount of kilometres they did. Of course dual cabs are FBT exempt
3) no manufacture picked up point 2, if they had they would have manufactured what was the highest selling cars, (dual cabs and small cars)

Pics from my dealer,teasing me heres your car come and see me next week when its ready

Oh that's nice Mal.

It's no Maloo, but hey it's probably good enough for a Ford lover

I have a feeling you'll love that car... I know I would!