The Ford Falcon is a full size car which has been manufactured by Ford Australia since 1960. Each model from the XA series of 1972 onward has been designed, developed and built in Australia and/or New Zealand, following the phasing out of the American Falcon of 1960-71 which had been re-engineered locally for the harsher Australian conditions.
As a result of the longevity of its Australian production, the Falcon is one of the biggest selling names in world automotive history, selling over 3,000,000 in six generations to 2003, almost exclusively in Australia and New Zealand. As of July 2007, Ford sells upwards of 3,000 units per month.
Ford has manufactured over three million units since 1960, and has topped the sales charts in Australia on many occasions. Currently the Falcon line-up is offered in sedan and utility body styles, however in the past panel vans, station wagons, and hardtops (coupes) were offered. Australian made Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores dominate the ranks of taxis in Australia and New Zealand, and are also used as police patrol cars.
Luxury variants of the current model Falcon, collectively known as the G Series, are marketed as the Ford G6, G6E and G6E Turbo. Other Falcon based models developed by Ford Australia, but no longer in production, are the Ford Futura, Ford Fairmont and Ford Landau, as well as the long wheelbase Ford Fairlane and Ford LTD.
During the 1950s, Ford’s Australian sales were faltering due to the popularity of the Holden which did not have an effective competitor. Ford assembled the English Zephyr and its Consul and Zodiac derivatives. However, while these cars were moderately successful and had a good reputation, Ford could not match Holden’s price, and so sales suffered. One of the reasons for the price difference was the higher cost of imported parts, which were subject to an import tariff. Ford also assembled Canadian-sourced Ford V8 models, but these cars were in a higher price category, putting them out of reach of the average buyer.
Hence, Ford decided to commence local production of a Holden challenger. Initially they intended to produce the Zephyr, using expensive dies they would need to purchase from Ford England. However, during a visit to Ford headquarters in Detroit in 1958, they were shown the new Falcon, which was being prepared for its US launch. Immediately, the executives were attracted to the new car- it was about the same size as Holden, but it was low, long, wide and modern. The width allowed it to accommodate 6 people, and a 2-speed automatic transmission was available. Besides all this, Ford Australia felt they had more experience building North American cars. Hence they decided to make Falcon their new Australian car. In 1959, Ford built a factory at Broadmeadows, a suburb of Melbourne, for local production of the North American Ford Falcon. The factory was designed in Canada, and had a roof which would facilitate dispersal of snow – notwithstanding the fact that snow does not usually fall in Melbourne.
