FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT_ FORD FALCON
COMPLETE GLOBALISATION DOESN'T WORK WITH CARS_ HERE IS THE COOL STUFF OTHER COUNTRIES GET THAT WE IN THE UK DONT..
Around 5 years ago, Ford announced the ‘One Ford’ strategy which would be rolled out amongst its global ranges to align model line’s and boost investment while reducing costs. Theoretically, this was a meant to be Ford’s gravy train ahead of years of struggle out of their own financial issues and the global recession, but 5 years later, Ford seem to be humming a different tune. The viability of truly global products just don’t work as the realities of different needs in different markets have resulted in the ‘global’ Ford’s released so far not being universally successful. This has led to Ford widening its concept of ‘global’ and diversifying core product moving forward.
Thanks to this variability in different markets there are loads of models and manufacturers we in the UK have no idea about. I want to check out the best of these foreign models in ‘foreign correspondent’ reviews starting with both an on topic Ford and a little homage to my place of birth and its unique family sedan.
1971 saw Ford Australia's own Falcon, designed specifically for the harsh Aussie conditions (ie. snake proof)
Ford started building an American based Falcon in Australia back in 1960, and thanks to its wide reaching success, Ford decided to replace it with an all-Australian model in 1971. Like many family saloons at the time, the car was rear wheel drive and powered by big 6 and 8 cylinder engines to satisfy the Australian market place. Thanks to large distances and tough roads – even by British B road standards – the Falcon was uniquely talented when it came to reliable comfortable motoring. Joined by rivals from G.M and Chrysler, only Ford and G.M owned Holden have lasted the change of time resulting in the current Falcon and Commodore.
The Holden Commodore is a better-known car, being imported to the UK in high spec performance guises as various Vauxhall models since 2004 as well as into the U.S initially as Pontiac’s and then the highly underrated Chevrolet SS. With small block V8’s and a full arsenal of G.M technology to work with, the Commodore is an impressive combination of those parts, even donating its platform for the reborn Camaro back in 2006. Ford’s epic saloon though was a little more subtle; without an extensive set of high-performance components to work with, Ford Australia had to engineer their car and most of its parts from scratch leading to the very unique entity that the Falcon ended up by being.
Sharing very little with any other Ford global product, engines, chassis, suspension and even electrical systems were all unique to the Falcon. Scattered at the top of the tree, American made V8’s did come and go, but it was the enduring 4.0 straight 6, which outlasted and outclassed the American engines. Upon the Falcon’s most significant redesign in 2002, the ‘BA’ Falcon introduced independent rear suspension 12 years before a Mustang knew what that was, while new integrated HVAC and infotainment controls in the cabin predated even the Germans as one of the first fully integrated infotainment systems.
The culmination of years of shrewd engineering resulted in the Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV for short) F6 Typhoon. Instead of migrating to American built V8’s the F6, as its name suggests, used a heavily turbocharged version of the standard saloon’s straight 6. Unlike the large, high capacity 6 cylinder turbo in something like a Porsche 911, the 6 Ford used was a torque rich motor, redlining at a diesel-like 5500rpm. With connections right back to that first Falcon in the 60’s, when paired to a turbocharger the old 4.0 could be likened to the Bentley 6.75 V8 in character, seemingly at odd’s with the F6’s sporting nature, but perhaps is closer in experience to something like a BMW M550xD.
What was most impressive about the F6 was how Ford’s Aussie engineering team made the lumbering dinosaur into such an impressive sports saloon. There is no doubt that against the likes of Mercedes-AMG and BMW it was entirely outclassed, but it also came at a very un-German Australian price point of around AUD$65k (compared to AUD$220k of an M5). With 410bhp it was nearly on par with those guys on power upon its initial release in 2004 and despite losing out to the G.M rival for power, its superior torque, chassis tech and set up made the F6 an unsung hero of the performance car world.
Thanks to AWD, its not uncommon to see gently modified Turbo Territory's like this F6X pull 10's on the 1/4 mile.
Despite closing down the production lines back in October, the Falcon represented one very big half of the colossal Ford/G.M rivalry that has existed since those dowdy family saloon’s in the 60’s. It was only in the fishbowl of nostalgia and low fuel prices that a large non-premium saloon could survive up till this point. This was a case of natural selection, and despite Ford’s successful attempt of following the customers with the also universally loved Falcon based Territory SUV, it was not enough to support the expensive and remote manufacturing facility, which thanks to high manufacturing cost in Australia, could only support the local market. Thankfully, Ford’s Australian engineering and design teams are the center of Ford’s Asia Pacific product development explaining the excellence of the Ranger and upcoming Bronco SUV which is to developed using the skills fostered in Australia.
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