Ford Australia: Difference between revisions

| location = [[Richmond, Victoria|Richmond, Melbourne]] (Head Office)<br />[[Broadmeadows Assembly Plant]] (Asia Pacific Engineering Centre)

| key_people = Andrew Birkic ([[President (corporate title)|President]] & [[Chief executive officer|CEO]])

| parent = [[Ford Motor Company]]

| brands =

| subsid =

| homepage = {{URL|https://www.ford.com.au|ford.com.au}}

}}

 

Ford Australia's first products were Model T [[car]]s assembled from [[Complete knock down|complete knock-down (CKD) kits]] provided by Ford of Canada. Of the many models that followed, the best known was the [[Ford Falcon (Australia)|Falcon]] produced from 1972 to 2016, originally a [[United States|US]] model introduced in Australia in 1960 and eventually adapted to Australian requirements and road conditions.

{{multiple image

| align = left

 

| image1 = TModel launch Geelong.jpg

 

| image2 = Ford geelong construction.jpg

| alt2 = Ford assembly line under construction in Geelong

}}

On 31 March 1925, Ford announced that its Australian headquarters were to be at [[Geelong]], [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]]. The first Australian-built Ford was a [[Ford Model T|Model T]] launched in June 1925. The improvised production line was in a disused Geelong wool storage warehouse while work was under way on a factory several miles away, in an area later renamed [[Norlane]].

 

=== End of Australian production ===

In 2009, the parent Ford company, seeking to avoid the [[Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code|Chapter 11 bankruptcy]] that had already befallen General Motors and Chrysler, began abandoning overseas projects. By about July 2009, Ford Australia had received permission from Detroit to add a new small car to its Falcon production line. On 23 May 2013, Ford Australia announced that it would leave the Australian market after 88 years due to uncompetitive manufacturing costs and lacklustre sales. The carmaker's annual financial report, for the previous year, showed a loss of A$141&nbsp;million (£90m/US$136m) after tax for the 2012 financial year. This followed a loss of A$290m in 2011 and a total loss of A$600m over the preceding five years. As a result, 1200 staff would lose their jobs.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ford Australia to stop|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/may/23/ford-australia-stop-making-cars|location=London|work=The Guardian|date=23 May 2013}}</ref>

 

 

== Models produced ==

Ford Australia started by assembling Model Ts. As Ford introduced new models, they were assembled in Australia. During World War II, Ford Australia ceased producing cars to commence military production to support the war effort.

 

After World War II, Ford recommenced assembly of imported Ford models. Initially, they assembled the UK sourced [[Ford Pilot|Pilot]], then a range of British cars, including the [[Ford Prefect|Prefect]], [[Ford Anglia|Anglia]], [[Ford Consul|Consul]], [[Ford Zephyr|Zephyr]] and [[Ford Zodiac|Zodiac]]. Ford also assembled the Canadian Ford V8.

 

=== Hatchback ===

=== Mid-size ===

Mid-size cars formerly assembled in Australia included the [[Ford Cortina]], [[Ford Capri|Capri]] and [[Ford Escort (Europe)|Escort]], from the UK. These were adapted for the Australian market: for example, from 1972, the Cortina was available with the option of either a 3.3-litre or 4.1-litre six-cylinder engine, and the Escort could be offered across the range with the Cortina's 2.0-litre motor. In 1977, lack of capacity required the Cortina wagon to be assembled in [[Renault]]'s (now long since closed) Australian factory in [[Heidelberg, Victoria]].

The Cortina's replacement, the [[Mazda 626]]-based [[Ford Telstar|Telstar]], was initially assembled in Australia. In 1989 the Telstar sedan was replaced by the locally assembled [[Ford Corsair]] which was essentially a rebadged [[Nissan Pintara]]. When Nissan shut down its Australian manufacturing operations in 1992 the Telstar nameplate was reintroduced, and as before it was a rebadged and respecced Mazda 626. In 1995 the Telstar was dropped in favour of the [[Ford Mondeo|Mondeo]], imported from [[Belgium]].

 

 

=== Large car ===

 

=== SUV ===

Between 2004 and 2016, the [[Ford Territory (Australia)|Ford Territory]] had been built on the same production line as the Falcon. The Territory (technically a [[crossover SUV|crossover]]) had regularly been the most popular SUV in Australia.<ref>[http://www.overlander.com.au/vehicle_tests/index/full/232/4WD-Of-The-Year-2005 4WD Of The Year 2004 – Vehicle Tests – Overlander 4WD Magazine – Australia's leading four wheel drive magazine<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611132249/http://www.overlander.com.au/vehicle_tests/index/full/232/4WD-Of-The-Year-2005 |date=11 June 2008 }}</ref>

 

 

=== Current vehicle range ===

* [[Ford Mustang]]

* [[Ford Puma (crossover)|Ford Puma]]

* [[Ford Mustang Mach-E]]

* [[Ford Everest]]

* [[Ford Ranger (T6)|Ford Ranger]]

* [[Ford F-Series|Ford F-150]]

* [[Ford Transit Custom]]

* [[Ford Transit]]

 

=== Former vehicle range ===

* [[Ford Fiesta]] (2004–2022)

 

==Sponsorships==