The end appears nigh (yet again)

[I Rosputnik]

What if Nissan provide Ford an alibi to bail from the series?

As much as I like Ford's current global strategy (One Ford), it looks like the Falcon might be getting the chop and they could replace it with the Taurus. (Much to my annoyance, because the Falcon looks awesome and that means it will never come over here...)

Sadly, the Taurus would never be a true successor to the Falcon and I don't see Australia or New Zealand taking to it as a V8 Supercar.

[Mixer]

Saying something is "outdated" just because its been around a while just doesn't hold water. Turbochargers were invented in 1904 and superchargers not long after, fuel injection in the 1950s - are they outdated too?

So most of the world uses OHC engines - but it is not a panacea. There are benefits and drawbacks to each.

I think the sheer number of SBC's in sports/racing applications world wide speaks for itself.

[Downoz]

http://www.news.com.au/business/comp...-1226427801418


Looking a little unsure by the sounds.

[Mixer]

Its a real worry. If Ford pulls out then suddenly Toyota and Holden are going to face issues because of potential price rises and so on.

It comes after Ford received a $103 million lifeline from the Federal and State Governments, and the parent company in the US, in January.

That fund was supposed to secure the future of the Australian operations until at least 2016.

One wonders if anybody is taking responsibility for these promises, hundred mill or more to build the Focus here, another $103 mill to maintain operations before cutting 30% of your workforce?

[mountainstar]

Nobody wants to hear it, but they already signed their death warrant years ago by keeping the Falcon hidden from world view and by not engineering it for left hand drive and making it a global platform, like GM did with the Commodore.

Now that platform is the red headed stepchild in the "Global" Ford family, isolated and of little use to the other distributors and parts of Ford. The Focus for instance is being built in 8 different factories around the world.

I think Ford Oz kept the Falcon hidden because they didn't want corporate to get any big ideas, but the problem was the GFC totally exposed everything in the company and what made money and what lost money or didn't provide a great return.

Ford Australia's failure to aggressively promote the Ecoboost Falcon and the lack of sales means it's going to be game over soon. Sorry.

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

I think Ford Oz kept the Falcon hidden because they didn't want corporate to get any big ideas, but the problem was the GFC totally exposed everything in the company and what made money and what lost money or didn't provide a great return.

Ford Oz didn't hide the Falcon, but Dearborn simply had no policy of allowing an Aussie car to compete with their US offerings elsewhere.

Its their loss, I can only imagine how well recieved an XR6T would have been in the US.

[I Rosputnik]

Originally Posted by Mixer

Ford Oz didn't hide the Falcon, but Dearborn simply had no policy of allowing an Aussie car to compete with their US offerings elsewhere.

Its their loss, I can only imagine how well recieved an XR6T would have been in the US.

Yet the funny part of that is that most of the US line up is being slowly replaced with European based cars. (Fiesta, Focus, Transit, Kuga Mk2)

Ford seem to be clueless with their Australian unit. (It's a shame) I never understood why Ford never experimented with the Falcon in RHD Asian Markets such as Japan.

[bluesport]

According to the recent edition of the NRMA Open Road, Ford Aust have done a great job with the ecoboost 4 engine in the Falcon too.........more power and similar torque as the old SOHC, in-line, 4 litre six cylinder.

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by bluesport

According to the recent edition of the NRMA Open Road, Ford Aust have done a great job with the ecoboost 4 engine in the Falcon too.........more power and similar torque as the old SOHC, in-line, 4 litre six cylinder.

And yet they have managed to only snag 53 sales to private customers in 3 months.

All the councils/governments are buying hybrids.

[NinnyMan]

Originally Posted by I Rosputnik

As much as I like Ford's current global strategy (One Ford), it looks like the
Falcon might be getting the chop and they could replace it with the Taurus.

What I don't get, is people aren't buying the Falcon because it's a crap car.
They're just not buying larger sedans. So what makes them think that the
Taurus will do any better, sales wise, then the Falcon??

Secondly, if people aren't buying it now, why continue to build it, this year,
next year or up until 2016?? People aren't suddenly going to change their
minds and go out and get them. Cut your losses and focus (pun-unintended)
on the car segments that people are buying.

[Mixer]

What is most interesting is how the Commodore has stayed so strong in comparson to the Falcon, and the Cruze is comprehensively outselling the Focus, and the bloody Barina is quite close to climbing over the Falcon!

That certainly doesn't reflect on the quality of the vehicles, in my opinion at least, but I think it shows pricing & marketing is strongly in Holden's favour.

[david5]

Ford don't seem to do themselves any favours with their marketing either. I see multiple ads every day about the Holden Volt, a car not yet for sale, but I haven't noticed one for the 4 cylinder Falcon, are there any ?

[Mixer]

Perhaps the Ecoboost car needs to be given more time, it could still be a success but it doesn't look good so far.

Is it perhaps a more pertinent question to ask why they didn't spend this money to put something like the Territory turbo diesel in the Falcon?

I would think this would have been more accepted?

[bluesport]

I wondered about the strategy of the four cylinder Falcon and I thought maybe a two litre V6 turbo might be more acceptable to buyers........I think traditionally that Aussies prefer to have at least a six cylinder engine under the bonnet of a large family car. Many people out there just don't understand about turbos and torque, but they understand "cylinders".

[Mixer]

I don't think anybody has made a v6 under 2.5 litres for a long time.

Either way this was never going to be a bespoke engine, it has to come from elsewhere in the Ford empire, hence the Ecoboost which is quite common.

[PVDA]

From today's Herald Sun via Facebook.

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by bluesport

I wondered about the strategy of the four cylinder Falcon and I thought maybe a two litre V6 turbo might be more acceptable to buyers........I think traditionally that Aussies prefer to have at least a six cylinder engine under the bonnet of a large family car. Many people out there just don't understand about turbos and torque, but they understand "cylinders".

I think most people prefer to have a 4 cylinder under the bonnet, I'm just basing that on sales figures though

[bluesport]

Originally Posted by peckstar

I think most people prefer to have a 4 cylinder under the bonnet, I'm just basing that on sales figures though

I understand what you are saying, but I am thinking that it may not be true for that market segment........although the six cylinder isn't selling either, so maybe people just don't want Falcon.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Mixer

What is most interesting is how the Commodore has stayed so strong in comparson to the Falcon, and the Cruze is comprehensively outselling the Focus, and the bloody Barina is quite close to climbing over the Falcon!

That certainly doesn't reflect on the quality of the vehicles, in my opinion at least, but I think it shows pricing & marketing is strongly in Holden's favour.

They seem to much more aggressively promote their cars, while Ford acts lackadaisical. It might be the constant turnover of Ford employees at the top.

Social media is a great example. I'm signed up for a bunch of pages and the Holden organizations are constantly blasting stuff out there, while you almost never hear from Ford.

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

They seem to much more aggressively promote their cars, while Ford acts lackadaisical. It might be the constant turnover of Ford employees at the top. Social media is a great example. I'm signed up for a bunch of pages and the Holden organizations are constantly blasting stuff out there, while you almost never hear from Ford.

It all matters. The turnovers of CEO from Geoff Polites onwards has been relentless and this can never be good.

Has anybody else noticed how many of Holden's senior marketing staff are female? Clearly some very capable people there.

[bluesport]

Originally Posted by PVDA

From today's Herald Sun via Facebook.

Lol........the real Cars of the Future.

[formerf1champ]

Originally Posted by PVDA

From today's Herald Sun via Facebook.

Have to face reality some day.

[Mixer]

Well lots of cars entered in the early enduros that were not looked at that differently to the Koreans now. Datsun/Nissan for one!

[PVDA]

The fact this has popped up in the general media well away from the Sports Pages at the back suggests it's something to worry about.

[bluesport]

Originally Posted by formerf1champ

Have to face reality some day.

V8 Supercars management and supporters of the category are unable to accept reality.........if people want to watch high powered performance cars race each other, they eventually will have to embrace GT3 and forget about crappodores.