Australia is known for the Marupials, mamals that evolved somewhat uniquely over thousands of years of isolation. And in a similar way Ford of Australia has evolved in relative isolation over the decades. In 1960 a new Ford was brought out in the United States and globally including Australia, the Falcon was Ford's first small car that attempted to compete with the foreign imports in the US. While the Falcon lasted only one decade in the US, elsewhere it flourished and continued. In South America, versions of the original Falcon were built until the early 90's with only upgrades and slight modifications. But in Astralia the Falcon evolved more fully into a unique vehicle that is still Ford of Australia's Flagship. The Falcon,Fairmont, LTD, Territory and Ute are all built on variations of the same chassis, with features such as IRS and both I6 and V8 powerplants. Here's a surprise, the most powerfull versions are both 6 & 8 cyl powertrains.
In the link above, you can check Ben K's Oz Auto Blog. Ben's a friend from down under, and he asks the same question that many have, "Is the Aussie Ford, the solution for Ford US's problems?"I've been very clear on my views over the last 10 months. I firmly believe there is a need for this design here in the US, possibly several areas of the market that it could help Ford's US sales.
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