Post by Redforever on Jun 21, 2012 19:14:58 GMT 10
Firstly I have to say I really do feel sorry for those that may lose their jobs as a result of the Falcon going down the toilet. But let's all face facts, Ford due to their inept marketing, wishy washy advertising and stagnating product development have done their best to destroy Falcon sales over the years.
In my opinion the rot began across two clear fronts. Firstly racing. Ford sat back throughout the GroupA era and and let teams like DJR fly the blue oval flag, but with product which was not part of the local Ford line up. Whilst Holden continued to campaign the Commodore against superior international competition from Nissan, Ford Europe and BMW. At the same time Ford decided to drop the V8 option in the Falcon. In 1985 4 litre efi S PAC was the sportiest and fastest factory Falcon you could by. What could Holden sell you? Try a 194 kw VK Group A Brock Commodore. And Ford wonders where the teenage Ford fans of the 1980's went? Well they'd be 40 something fathers and business owners and senior company executives who grew up not knowing what a performance Falcon was. These are the people now making the decisions to buy cars either for their own business or companies they work for. No wonder the Falcon barely gets a look in.
When Ford launched its euro styled EA Falcon in 1988 it came up against the VN Commodore. Now the VN was no masterpiece and anyone who owned one new knows that they rattled like a tin can full of marbles. But Holden launched it with the rough but extremely torquey Buick V6. It had a 4 speed auto too. Ford's answer after having a year extra to finalise the EA? 3.2 litre electronic carny and 3 speed auto... Guess what happened to sales? Then Ford decided to reintroduce the V8 with the launch of the EB. Good strong engine and now with a 4 speed auto. But by then Holden held the sales advantage and the Falcon never got a look in again.
Ford had a chance to right al of these wrongs with the almost completely new AU. Again they had the advantage of launching after Holden with their Euro inspired VT. The result? Probably the ugliest car ever designed in Australia. Whilst the Commodore sat on independent rear suspension the base Falcons still had solid rear axles. And my goodness the AU was an ugly car. What made it worse was that the VT was a well resolved sophisticated and handsome design. Ford then spent the 5 following years trying to modify the ugly design whilst Holden went from VT to VX to VZ. Backed up with tremendous on track racing success Holden consolidated its lead in the large car segment whilst the succession of mild facelifts and wispy washy racing support and results left the AU languishing down the sales charts.
Ford then spent up big to bring as the BA, a design most agreed should have been what the AU was from the start. The BA had greater sales success and on track results followed. The Falcon finally looked to be closing on the Commodore. But Ford had spent so much on the BA and with no development money left meant that the Falcon based products were left to soldier on with little or no development. LTD and Fairlane were closer in design than ever before and left untouched throughout the BA's life cycle. Ute? It didn't even pick up the BA styling updates beyond guards, bonnet and lights. Wagon? Same sadly, beyond bonnet and guards the poor old wagon soldiers on with leaf springs (as did the ute) and from the front guards back it was all AU.
Whilst Holden invested heavily in the all new VE which included all new suspensions as well as complete designs for the ute and long wheelbase statesman and later wagon.
Ford's answer? An 80% refresh of the BA which was a make over of the now 20 year old AU. No wagon update, a cheap reskin of the ute with the same leaf sprung rear and no Fairlane. Where did Falcon sales go? Well with a sedan and old fashioned ute as their only sales weapons against the Commodore and all of its variations.
So with the Falcon suffering in the market and with it's performance arm FPV suffering with sales at a trickle. Ford makes the brilliant decision to drop one of its most successful V8 teams because they wouldn't paint their cars blue?
And now as its factory racing team finally seems to have its act together and FPV could really use some support to leverage that success to help their dwindling sales Ford launch a 4 cylinder Falcon and have all but signed the death warrant on the return of its only V8 Falcon the XR8.
Ford have stumbled from one design, sales, marketing and product disaster to another. The death of the Falcon like the Commodore may have been inevitable, but whilst Holden find new markets and opportunities for its local design. Ford have all but consigned the Falcon to history through their own misguided and stupid decisions.
It is a shame no doubt, but their stupidity can't help but make me laugh...
In my opinion the rot began across two clear fronts. Firstly racing. Ford sat back throughout the GroupA era and and let teams like DJR fly the blue oval flag, but with product which was not part of the local Ford line up. Whilst Holden continued to campaign the Commodore against superior international competition from Nissan, Ford Europe and BMW. At the same time Ford decided to drop the V8 option in the Falcon. In 1985 4 litre efi S PAC was the sportiest and fastest factory Falcon you could by. What could Holden sell you? Try a 194 kw VK Group A Brock Commodore. And Ford wonders where the teenage Ford fans of the 1980's went? Well they'd be 40 something fathers and business owners and senior company executives who grew up not knowing what a performance Falcon was. These are the people now making the decisions to buy cars either for their own business or companies they work for. No wonder the Falcon barely gets a look in.
When Ford launched its euro styled EA Falcon in 1988 it came up against the VN Commodore. Now the VN was no masterpiece and anyone who owned one new knows that they rattled like a tin can full of marbles. But Holden launched it with the rough but extremely torquey Buick V6. It had a 4 speed auto too. Ford's answer after having a year extra to finalise the EA? 3.2 litre electronic carny and 3 speed auto... Guess what happened to sales? Then Ford decided to reintroduce the V8 with the launch of the EB. Good strong engine and now with a 4 speed auto. But by then Holden held the sales advantage and the Falcon never got a look in again.
Ford had a chance to right al of these wrongs with the almost completely new AU. Again they had the advantage of launching after Holden with their Euro inspired VT. The result? Probably the ugliest car ever designed in Australia. Whilst the Commodore sat on independent rear suspension the base Falcons still had solid rear axles. And my goodness the AU was an ugly car. What made it worse was that the VT was a well resolved sophisticated and handsome design. Ford then spent the 5 following years trying to modify the ugly design whilst Holden went from VT to VX to VZ. Backed up with tremendous on track racing success Holden consolidated its lead in the large car segment whilst the succession of mild facelifts and wispy washy racing support and results left the AU languishing down the sales charts.
Ford then spent up big to bring as the BA, a design most agreed should have been what the AU was from the start. The BA had greater sales success and on track results followed. The Falcon finally looked to be closing on the Commodore. But Ford had spent so much on the BA and with no development money left meant that the Falcon based products were left to soldier on with little or no development. LTD and Fairlane were closer in design than ever before and left untouched throughout the BA's life cycle. Ute? It didn't even pick up the BA styling updates beyond guards, bonnet and lights. Wagon? Same sadly, beyond bonnet and guards the poor old wagon soldiers on with leaf springs (as did the ute) and from the front guards back it was all AU.
Whilst Holden invested heavily in the all new VE which included all new suspensions as well as complete designs for the ute and long wheelbase statesman and later wagon.
Ford's answer? An 80% refresh of the BA which was a make over of the now 20 year old AU. No wagon update, a cheap reskin of the ute with the same leaf sprung rear and no Fairlane. Where did Falcon sales go? Well with a sedan and old fashioned ute as their only sales weapons against the Commodore and all of its variations.
So with the Falcon suffering in the market and with it's performance arm FPV suffering with sales at a trickle. Ford makes the brilliant decision to drop one of its most successful V8 teams because they wouldn't paint their cars blue?
And now as its factory racing team finally seems to have its act together and FPV could really use some support to leverage that success to help their dwindling sales Ford launch a 4 cylinder Falcon and have all but signed the death warrant on the return of its only V8 Falcon the XR8.
Ford have stumbled from one design, sales, marketing and product disaster to another. The death of the Falcon like the Commodore may have been inevitable, but whilst Holden find new markets and opportunities for its local design. Ford have all but consigned the Falcon to history through their own misguided and stupid decisions.
It is a shame no doubt, but their stupidity can't help but make me laugh...