How media diarrhea is responsible for Falcon sales

[David William]

It's safer, quieter, more comfortable and - thanks to an optional four-cylinder EcoBoost engine - more economical than at any time in the 50-plus years it has been Ford's frontline fighter in showrooms.But none of that is going to be enough to save it.The Falcon has been deserted by the Australian families who once saw it as their ideal car, but have either found something more practical and more affordable in the vast selection of imported SUVs, or parachuted down into a baby car to save money.The Holden Commodore had managed to largely resist the SUV rampage over the past decade but even it lost its 15-year crown as the country's favourite - to the compact Mazda3 - last year, with sales also mauled this year.The locally made Toyota Camry and Aurion have had a boost this year thanks to the arrival of all-new models, and there is also a Camry hybrid for eco shoppers, but that was still not enough to save the jobs lost in a redundancy program at Toyota Australia's Altona factory this year.So the times are very tough for any company that makes cars in Australia - and things will not get any easier with 50-plus brands competing in one of the world's most open markets, with a tiny annual sales total of one million cars that is dwarfed by the 10 million-plus purchased each year in the US and China.The announcement yesterday that Ford is cutting its workforce by 440 - and winding back production at its Broadmeadows factory to just 148 cars a day - is the death notice for the Falcon.It means Ford chiefs cannot see a way back for a car that has, sadly, passed its use-by date.Things would be even worse if not for the Territory SUV, which now accounts for about half the monthly sales total for Ford Australia.

[Nikk O'lass]

Here are some Facts.


-Ford are not putting off 440, the number is much lower
-In 2014, there is a major Falcon update that should see it out to atleast 2018
-The falcon is still selling (on average) 1200 odd a month, plus 500 Utes, and 1500 territories (falcon based remember)
-Ford Australia is working closely with the new mustang project, specifically, those involve in the Falcon E8 platform.


And the big one, Ford are shutting down factories world wide, that produce global cars, yet, Ford have committed to Australia, not only with a heavily redesigned "FH" falcon, they have also invested money in plant upgrades...


Suck dick.

[nstg8a]

Joined up just to post that dribble?


Good reply Nikk, some people seem determined for falcon to be no more.

[wicksy]

and kunt learnt to use grammer and sentencing thats a mind **** to read!

[apoc]

Ban on principle?

[TUFED6]

Cool story bro.

[superhuS!]

par·a·graph /ˈparəˌgraf/
Noun:
A distinct section of a piece of writing, usually dealing with a single theme and indicated by a new line, indentation, or numbering.

[SLO247]

Why do the Aussie media want Ford to stop building cars here? Makes no fucking sense. Thousands of jobs will be lost.

[TUFED6]

They did the exact same thing with Mitsu & the Magna/380. Even if there isn't much truth to it they will keep rehashing the story until buyer confidence is gone and they have to.

Its a nice story if there isn't any actual news to report.

[Bipolar]

The only thing that will destroy the Falcon is the media. Every single article I read has one, sometimes 2 new facts in it, and the rest is journo dribble.

Falcon has never dropped out of the Top 20 in sales, yet most other cars have survived in this country for decades having never even made it in. So you can't tell me a top 20 car is failing.

Of course you'd cut production and jobs down if sales weren't at the same level or the company would run into the ground.

You're as big a tosser as the journoes if you believe everything they produce.

[Staff]

David William, you're my hero.

Please don't ban him.

[Bipolar]

The Federal Government needs to step in, stop the Aussie Media shit-canning Aussie companies. Real bunch of geniuses. Seriously I fucking hate the media.

Edit- Props for the thread title change. Much more accurate.

[TUFED6]

I think the government should apply a levy on goods manufactured outside of Australia that don't have a carbon tax, and another one if they don't have EPA laws.

Why do they get a free ride in our system?

I love how people buy shitty little import cars because they are good for the environment. Except the factories in those countries aren't obliged to protect the environment at all...

[EFFalcon]

people are simply short sighted. i don't get peoples obsession with wanting new cars all the time.

[Dumpsta]

The announcement yesterday that Ford is cutting its workforce by 440 - and winding back production at its Broadmeadows factory to just 148 cars a day - is the death notice for the Falcon..

Ergon Energy in Qld is cutting back its workforce by 140+ before Xmas and a further 350 by June next year. Does that mean we're going to be #n doing it rough next year with no electricity.. ?

[Nikk O'lass]

I think the government should apply a levy on goods manufactured outside of Australia that don't have a carbon tax, and another one if they don't have EPA laws.

Why do they get a free ride in our system?

I love how people buy shitty little import cars because they are good for the environment. Except the factories in those countries aren't obliged to protect the environment at all...

Tariffs have dropped to 3% over the past 10 years...


Way to go, Gill-co.





In america, they don't have tarrifs on imports...unless they are pick-up trucks, then there is a 20% rate on them.

[Rollin]

Govt is fucked - expect companies here to go along with the BULLSHIT overdone WH&S regulations, comply with environmental levies and requirements, pay shitloads of tax, pay their workers good salaries (plus super),build cars for a teeny tiny market and a comply with a billion other expensive rules and regulations, but still be competitve with countries that have a 50c/hr minimum wage and where WH&S regulations equate to "please wearsome form of pants".

**** you, Australian Government, you're killing this country and you have only yourselves to blame.

Also, **** YOU Ford Media department - why no ads for falcon, EVER???? You make an excellent product, but nobody ever hears about it, they just read booring hopeless drivel like the sludge in the initial post.

[apoc]

Also, **** YOU Ford Media department - why no ads for falcon, EVER???? You make an excellent product, but nobody ever hears about it, they just read booring hopeless drivel like the sludge in the initial post.

^^THIS. Every time I see a decent Holden ad, I think how much better the falcon is. But theres never any, have seen a handful of retarded ones in the past, but never anything that would compel me to buy the car.

[braad]

Yeah. I've posted that ^^ arguement on ford australias wall a few times. It seems im one of the few that thry ignore. Ford media is fucked. During bathurst there were 3 ford ads that i saw, all about their small cars radio controls... Yup. Totally fits bathursts demographic

[AaronEF8]

Tariffs have dropped to 3% over the past 10 years...


Way to go, Gill-co.

How could it possibly be all Julia Gillard's fault, she hasn't been in office for 10 years. Tariffs have been dropping since the mid 80s. Tariffs are at 5%, not 3%.

The alternative to 'that fucking scum redhead bitch slut etc etc etc' is Tony Abbott, who wants to cut all assistance for Australian car manufacturers, remove tariffs, and tax LPG higher.

Yes, I know the Govt isn't helping the car industry as much as they could be, however the Hawke/Keating labor Govt, the Howard Liberal Govt and the Rudd/Gillard Govt have done the same thing.

Car manufacturing in the US is totally different to Australia too. The US Govt has given buyers of US built cars tax cuts and rebates for some time, and the Ford F-Series sells double the 2nd-best selling car, the Toyota Corolla.

Blame Bob Hawke, Paul Keating, and especially John Button for starting the death of the car industry in Australia in 1984 if you want to put all blame on the Government.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Button_plan

[Rollin]

I wasn't intending to give the impression Mr Rabbit was going to be any better - he just seems to me to be making it up as he goes along. I reckon I should be PM, I'd kick ass

Australian politicians are pretty much suckful to the core - crap on about protecting australian jobs and preventing unemployment etc, but create conditions that make it so hard for aussie companies to compete with foreign ones.

[justa6]

Talking about advertisement for the falcon. I drove an eco-boost falcon the other day, not really my thing, but. Have you ever seen an ad for it on tv. A big family car with all the safety you could ask for and fuel economy of a small car. Yet nobody knows about it.

[Nikk O'lass]

thats because the large car market counts for 5% of sales...and the % of people from that group who would sit through and take notice of ad is lower...