Ford Australia farewells Fairlane

[jpd80]

LINK to Story

Ford boss Tom Gorman admits it is a sad day for the Blue Oval.

 

“We’re not making a big song and dance about it but we’ve marked the occasion at the plant,” he says.

 

“It is a little sad. But in the same way that its sad about the Fairlane, it’s great about the Mondeo and Focus. It’s a business where there are some constants but there are changes as well and you have to move where the market’s going.

 

“We would have loved to have a long wheelbase product but there just isn’t enough volume to make it competitive,” he says.

 

He says that without an export program, the company couldn’t make a business case for Fairlane.

 

“If you look at Holden they spent $200 million on (the long wheelbase) Statesman and they couldn’t have done that without an export program,” he says.

 

The withdrawal of Fairlane leaves the Statesman to battle against Chrysler’s 300C and GM’s own Cadillac brand, which recently announced it was returning to Australian roads.

 

Well, that's the end of another Ford era.

Can you believe their budget was so tight they had to use the Falcon's shorter rear doors!!

Fairlane is 2" longer than D3 Taurus but has a longer 114.8" wheelbase.

Edited December 16, 2007 by jpd80

[LincolnFan]

Woah look at the back doors....

 

Why the hell did you have to bring that dreaded Volvo platform, Mr. Bill? Why...

[jpd80]

We thought America might develop the next Fairlane as a CV replacement and send some back to us in AUS.

Unfortunately it was not meant to be.

 

LincolnFan,

The cost of developing new doors is $50 million a piece, FoA diverted funds into making the Territory and now reap the benefits.

The Territory Ghia is now the new Fairlane, country folk who traditionally preferred the Fairlane now by Territory or Holden Caprice.

Edited December 16, 2007 by jpd80

[LincolnFan]

That sucks, the Fairlane could have been used world widely..

[wescoent]

That sucks, the Fairlane could have been used world widely..

 

Tragic, and speaks volumes about the dangers of an inflexible platform. No AWD means no US sale. The next-generation Fairlane will essentially be the next Crown Victoria/Taurus, with the key distinction being engineering costs spread across a wide range of vehicles, AWD capability, and the resulting worldwide sale (US, Australia, Middle East).

[LincolnFan]

Tragic, and speaks volumes about the dangers of an inflexible platform. No AWD means no US sale. The next-generation Fairlane will essentially be the next Crown Victoria/Taurus, with the key distinction being engineering costs spread across a wide range of vehicles, AWD capability, and the resulting worldwide sale (US, Australia, Middle East).

 

Oh give me a break, the Avalon is selling w/o AWD. So is the Camry, Accord, Civic, Corolla. AWD isn't the major player you think it is. If Ford of US invested in that platform they could have easily made it AWD. If it can spawn the Territory and AWD. I don't see why the sedan can't.

[wescoent]

Oh give me a break, the Avalon is selling w/o AWD. So is the Camry, Accord, Civic, Corolla. AWD isn't the major player you think it is. If Ford of US invested in that platform they could have easily made it AWD. If it can spawn the Territory and AWD. I don't see why the sedan can't.

 

All the cars you mentioned are FWD... remember, we Americans are deathly afraid of snow. RWD by itself isn't going to work anymore in the luxury market. And Ford IS investing in a platform for that exact purpose. At least half the families I know would never consider a car unless it has AWD or 4WD, or are sure to have at least one in the household. And again... thats why DEW98 was dropped. It's cheaper to have D3 match DEW98's dynamics than rebuild DEW98 for AWD.

Edited December 16, 2007 by wescoent

[LincolnFan]

All the cars you mentioned are FWD... remember, we Americans are deathly afraid of snow. RWD by itself isn't going to work anymore in the luxury market. And Ford IS investing in a platform for that exact purpose. At least half the families I know would never consider a car unless it has AWD or 4WD, or are sure to have at least one in the household. And again... thats why DEW98 was dropped. It's cheaper to have D3 match DEW98's dynamics than rebuild DEW98 for AWD.

 

BMW 3-series? 5-series? Mercedes' RWD cars? Like I said, I never said dump AWD all together, I just said that AWD could have been engineered into the Falcon if they spent the money to the Falcon instead of updating an old Volvo platform.

[TomServo92]

BMW 3-series? 5-series? Mercedes' RWD cars? Like I said, I never said dump AWD all together, I just said that AWD could have been engineered into the Falcon if they spent the money to the Falcon instead of updating an old Volvo platform.

 

Isn't the new GRWD platform supposed to be AWD capable?

[suv_guy_19]

Oh give me a break, the Avalon is selling w/o AWD.

 

 

Aren't the Avalon's numbers similar to those of the Taurus which you call a flop?

Edited December 16, 2007 by suv_guy_19

[jpd80]

All the cars you mentioned are FWD... remember, we Americans are deathly afraid of snow. RWD by itself isn't going to work anymore in the luxury market. And Ford IS investing in a platform for that exact purpose. At least half the families I know would never consider a car unless it has AWD or 4WD, or are sure to have at least one in the household. And again... thats why DEW98 was dropped. It's cheaper to have D3 match DEW98's dynamics than rebuild DEW98 for AWD.

The Falcon RWD and Territory RWD/AWD showed what could be done with limited funds and AWD development.

If the Americans get behind a RWD/AWD platform, they could make the AWD option as cheap as it is for FWD.

 

The Falcon won't do as the world platform but, it makes development much simpler than greenfielding with no real world data.

 

Isn't the new GRWD platform supposed to be AWD capable?

Yes, but no one is confirming anything - I believe there's still a lot of planning going on to review

potential products and their business cases.

Edited December 16, 2007 by jpd80

[wescoent]

BMW 3-series? 5-series? Mercedes' RWD cars? Like I said, I never said dump AWD all together, I just said that AWD could have been engineered into the Falcon if they spent the money to the Falcon instead of updating an old Volvo platform.

 

BMW 3-Series has AWD, 5-Series as well, same with the S-Class, E-Class, C-Class, all Audis... need I go on? The Falcon platform is completely unsuitable for a luxury car, where the Volvo platform IS a luxury platform. The Falcon V8 actually shakes at idle... wonder how well THAT would go over with buyers.

Edited December 17, 2007 by wescoent

[wescoent]

The Falcon RWD and Territory RWD/AWD showed what could be done with limited funds and AWD development.

If the Americans get behind a RWD/AWD platform, they could make the AWD option as cheap as it is for FWD.

 

The Falcon won't do as the world platform but, it makes development much simpler than greenfielding with no real world data.

Yes, but no one is confirming anything - I believe there's still a lot of planning going on to review

potential products and their business cases.

 

General engineering principles are going to keep the very basic Falcon chassis, although rewired for global use, and made into a hybrid for its various functions. For example, the 2013 Mustang will probably be a hybrid of GRWD and S197. The new sedans will be a hybrid of D3 and GRWD... same with the Falcon. AWD is practically a given... it's inconcievable that Ford would leave out AWD, especially considering that was one of the primary reasons for dropping DEW98.

[jpd80]

Yeah, I sense turmoil in GM's ranks that Zeta coulda been done lighter/smaller....

You won't see on again/off again false starts with Ford's RWD plans, they will be right from get go and 4 years newer too!

Ford will get much more bang for bucks out of their RWD plans by knowing exactly which products are definitely slated for production.

 

And it's probably more a case of how much platform flexibility is really required for given products, something FoA can bring to the table.

Developing a good RWD/AWD on the back of current experience and using some of today's parts modules will make it easier as well.

Edited December 17, 2007 by jpd80

[LincolnFan]

BMW 3-Series has AWD, 5-Series as well, same with the S-Class, E-Class, C-Class, all Audis... need I go on? The Falcon platform is completely unsuitable for a luxury car, where the Volvo platform IS a luxury platform. The Falcon V8 actually shakes at idle... wonder how well THAT would go over with buyers.

 

Dude, do you know how much a Fairlane costs in Australia? It IS considered a luxury vehicle there. But it's more like a 300C competitor there than a German fighter.

 

Add to that, it's not that hard to fix the Falcon. If they used the money they spent to make the Five Hundread, they could have made the Falcon a decent American vehicle. 427 styling, need I say more? The 300C would have been raped if this was true.

 

You have to remember that FoAus has been on a very tight budget, they didn't refresh the Fairlane because they didn't have enough money to do so, and if they did, all what they could have done for the Falcon was a facelift. FoUS obviously has the cash to make it happen.

Edited December 17, 2007 by LincolnFan

[jpd80]

The Falcon V8 actually shakes at idle... wonder how well THAT would go over with buyers.

Whoever told you the Falcon shakes at idle is pulling your leg!

You're saying the 5.4 3V mod motor that goes in all your F trucks shake at idle?

The 5.4 4V is hand built and silky smooth at idle as well!

Edited December 17, 2007 by jpd80

[silvrsvt]

That C-pillar is a rip off of a 88 Continental!

[630land]

"Dude, do you know how much a Fairlane costs in Australia? It IS considered a luxury vehicle there."

 

Then why are sales so low it has to be dropped? Get over old time RWD boats, the 60's ended 40 years ago.

Edited December 17, 2007 by 630land

[LincolnFan]

"Dude, do you know how much a Fairlane costs in Australia? It IS considered a luxury vehicle there."

 

Then why are sales so low it has to be dropped? Get over old time RWD boats, the 60's ended 40 years ago.

 

 

That isn't the point, someone wesconent said the Falcon platform can't underpin luxury vehicles because it wasn't designed for that. The Fairlane was the counterpoint argument. Is it selling? No, but that might have to do with skyrocketing gas prices, and fresh new competitors (the current Fairlane wasn't changed much from the old one, the Fairlane could be 10 years old by now).

[igor]

 

That isn't the point, someone wesconent said the Falcon platform can't underpin luxury vehicles because it wasn't designed for that. The Fairlane was the counterpoint argument. Is it selling? No, but that might have to do with skyrocketing gas prices, and fresh new competitors (the current Fairlane wasn't changed much from the old one, the Fairlane could be 10 years old by now).

I can take a Focus and try to build a "luxury vehicle" on it .. if the sales are 0 - can you stil lcall it a luxury a vehicle, or does it tell you thast your "attempt" FAILED ..

 

Fairlane was a failed attempt at luxury sedan based on the Falcon - FoA did not have the funds to do it right, and the market rejected their half-assed effort.

 

the GRWD platform will make the whole thing a distant memory - Ford has big plans for several small volume US models besides the Mustang and their wheelbases will be almost identical to what FoA needs for new Falcon and Fairlane - making the nnew cars BETTER, CHEAPER, and more PROFITABLE ..

 

but not for LincolnFan - F-NA touched it so it has to be garbage.

 

Igor

[Edstock]

the GRWD platform will make the whole thing a distant memory

 

With the latest CAD systems and new structural algorythms, and building techniques like the use of multiple alloys, it's a whole new world.

[igor]

With the latest CAD systems and new structural algorythms, and building techniques like the use of multiple alloys, it's a whole new world.

and the world of 9 models based on the same architecture

3 Lincolns

2 US Fords

4 Aus Fords

 

Igor

[LincolnFan]

I can take a Focus and try to build a "luxury vehicle" on it .. if the sales are 0 - can you stil lcall it a luxury a vehicle, or does it tell you thast your "attempt" FAILED ..

 

Fairlane was a failed attempt at luxury sedan based on the Falcon - FoA did not have the funds to do it right, and the market rejected their half-assed effort.

 

This is what I have been saying, the Fairlane is old and FoAus is tight on money, they couldn't even develop new doors for it. But the thing that it seems I have to repeat a 100 times is that the Fairlane is an example of the Falcon's platform capability of underpinning a luxury vehicle, or a failed attempt. (due to the lack of money, FoNA could have changed that)

 

the GRWD platform will make the whole thing a distant memory - Ford has big plans for several small volume US models besides the Mustang and their wheelbases will be almost identical to what FoA needs for new Falcon and Fairlane - making the nnew cars BETTER, CHEAPER, and more PROFITABLE ..

 

but not for LincolnFan - F-NA touched it so it has to be garbage.

 

Igor

 

Don't take this personally Igor, but a good chunk of your "inside" news are well... not true. Sadly, it was the mostly the good news that never became true. This just sounds "Too good to be true", I am not going to take it seriously till Mr. Mulally or any bigshot at Ford says or hints something about it.

 

I never said anything that FoNA touched is garbage, if you actually read my posts before this one you'd know I supported FoNA helping FoAus back then in the Falcon and engineer it for FoNA instead of wasting money on Volvo's old platform.

 

PS: I thought you blocked my posts, wat happen?

[igor]

^^ I decided to read your posts inthis thread - cause the discussion is stil lfactual .. you are still blocked elsewhere

 

I know some of my predictions are not panning out at the moment .. still new to the game... but the simple truth is you are overestimating the ability of the Falcon platform - it FAILED to underpin a luxury sedan. The D3 will do a much beter job under the MKS whether you like it or not. and yes,. part of it is because Ford NA had the money to do it right, while FoA did not. but you do not have an argument about how D3 is inferior to the Falcon platform.

 

Igor

[jpd80]

"Dude, do you know how much a Fairlane costs in Australia? It IS considered a luxury vehicle there."

 

Then why are sales so low it has to be dropped? Get over old time RWD boats, the 60's ended 40 years ago.

A lot of the Fairlanes used to go to government fleets and country folk.

Ford Australia recognised several things 5 years ago:

1. Unless Ford spent $300 million on Fairlane/LTD sales would all go to Holden Statesman and Caprice.

2. With such low domestic sales, there is no business case for the Fairlane without an export plan.

3. Diverting that money into Territory project resulted in five times the sales return.

4. There was a chance Ford NA would do a LWB luxury they could import.

5. Likelyhood of GRWD platform makes that an even better decision in hindsight

6. The similarly equipped but $10,000 cheaper Falcon luxury, Fairmont Ghia surged in the retail market.

 

It would have been nice to continue a Fairlane/LTD luxury pair and Holden still sells well in this market.

It was an easy decision for Ford to chose the Territory over Fairlane/LTD, they got so much more back.