Falcon AU - Mercedes CL. shell similarities

[Yellow Fire]

I always thought the AUs looked ok from the rear. The front (grille, lights) & side (ride height, hubcaps, wheel arch gap) were another story.

[irlewy86]

Originally Posted by Polyal

Well I reckon a AU3 Forte looks alot better and classier than a BA XT. BA's are very plain.

Im on the hunt for a new daily and the AU3 represents far better value for money. Actually I dont think there is a car that is better value in the entire market. $6k gets a a good low k AU3 pretty easily.

+1

I used to have a maroon AU3 Forte as a work hack. Might have been the "ugly duckling" in the minds of BA and VY drivers but I never minded. AU is one of my favourite drives.

[irlewy86]

Originally Posted by jphanna

just a thought for the people who were around in the 70's...PETER ARCADAPINE (remember that guy) did a lot of fibreglass concept cars during the 70's on Australian cars.

et.al

Was it Peter Arcadapine that did the kits for the XB? ala the Mad Max body kit

[Peuty]

Yes that's him

[Auslandau]

Originally Posted by Polyal

Well I reckon a AU3 Forte looks alot better and classier than a BA XT. BA's are very plain.

Carefulll you might upset a few ...... ooopps .... too late

If there wasnt such thing as personal taste, the AU would have been released and we would still be driving them today ........ which wouldn't be a bad thing. (Except for Series 1!)



| [/url] |

[Burnout]

Originally Posted by Munroman

My personal favourite recent ute is the AU XR's with the 4 round headlights.

Agreed & I still like the AU XR Utes, I must say I'm not to keen on the AU Sedan, there is something about the back end of the AU Sedan.............

[Gobes32]

I personally think it's not an unreasonable assumption for us to think a merc designer looked at the AU and thought "I like that shape, but I also think I can do it better". I am not a fan of the base model AU but, like the majority of people on this site, I think the XR and T series are horn, especially in Series 3 guise. A lot of people would argue that series 3 AU T series were a sign to the future BA model, due to the square grill and wide, flat bodykits not unlike the upcoming BA models. Just a thought?

[bob^]

AU2 onwards XR's IMO look heaps better than a BA. The only reason I wouldn't "downgrade" to one is because it is older than mine.

[phillyc]

Yes, they are similar designs, but MB can't be accused of stealing the styling from the AU Falcon though.

I think the big difference was that the finishing detail (grill, wheel covers, ride height, base model interior) on the AU just wasn't there compared to the more recent MB CLS.

Ford should've put the quad cam 4.6l V8 into the XR8 too. With 240kW, it would've blown the 215kW Gen3 into the weeds. The S/C 4.6L was then only a small step away.

Still, the AU has definitely aged better than most and as an owner of an AU XR i really do think that it's a great looking car. Fun to drive too.

NB Probably the other thing that crippled Falcon sales was the large discounting on the EL. Then the AU had sharper rrp but much smaller fleet discounts in order to pick up private sales. This didn't work and backfired on Ford.

[phillyc]

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

They should have released the BA with the AU interior and engines in 1998 and then the AU with the BA interior and engines in 2002

Spot on! Only it should've been the 4.6L 240kW V8 in the AU instead of the 175/185/200/220kW 5.0L windsors.

Heck the T series could've been 4.6L S/C 300kW/600Nm in 2000! With that rear end, it would've annihilated the GTS300/Clubsport255 models!

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by Russell

That's ok. We find you ugly and the majority of your posts cheap and pointless, much like a Korean car.

: knew it would take long for the AU bashers to start.

Originally Posted by Polyal

Well I reckon a AU3 Forte looks alot better and classier than a BA XT. BA's are very plain

Oh dear dont buck the trend : im not baised but i do agree with you there

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by phillyc

Spot on! Only it should've been the 4.6L 240kW V8 in the AU instead of the 175/185/200/220kW 5.0L windsors.

Heck the T series could've been 4.6L S/C 300kW/600Nm in 2000! With that rear end, it would've annihilated the GTS300/Clubsport255 models!

There was one built :

[DoreSlamR]

Originally Posted by 51RTE

There was one built :

The 300+?

Damn that car looked awesome I remember seeing that at the motor show along with the Dual cab ute

[schnoods]

Having a EF XR8, you notice alot of XR front ends that are similar, the worst one being the Integra front end...



Integra



EF XR

[Gobes32]

Maybe Ford America wouldn't give Ford Oz access to the 4.6 motor? It is the only situation that make sense. Why else did Ford go and create their own V8 from the parts bin?

[Gobes32]

Originally Posted by schnoods

Having a EF XR8, you notice alot of XR front ends that are similar, the worst one being the Integra front end...

Completely off topic, but I always preferred the EL XR6/8 due to the fact it had a grill and the EF didn't.

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by DoreSlamR

The 300+?

Damn that car looked awesome I remember seeing that at the motor show along with the Dual cab ute

Um well there is that one, but i was refering to Daniels (CAT600)'s T1 TS50

[Elks]

Originally Posted by 51RTE

There was one built :

Cat600 has a T1 with supercharged 4.6 quad cam cobra motor

[Elks]

And I wish people would stop comparing my car to a busted a$$ CLS. It cheapens it.









Joking folks, joking.

[DoreSlamR]

Originally Posted by 51RTE

Um well there is that one, but i was refering to Daniels (CAT600)'s T1 TS50

I thought you meant from Ford

But yes I'd prefer Dans car too

It's 500kw too! much better than 300 :

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by myts

And I wish people would stop comparing my car to a busted a$$ CLS. It cheapens it.









Joking folks, joking.

Its only an ugly AU get over it

[BENT_8]

I was never a fan of the Au but i must admit a silver S3 with nice wheels, NO spoiler, and dark tint looks stylish.
I wouldn't rule one out.
In recent times i've taken a disliking to EL's, i dont know who was on what at FoA at the time but honestly, that stupid 'Changing face of Ford' campaign with the butt ugly EL grill.
I like the EL Fairmont front and definately the EL XR's front bar over the EF's, but that Gli front end is aweful.

[needaXYGT]

lol wtf, bagging EF and EL now. They are one of the best looking falcons made from the EA to now!
Nothing wrong with an AU either, series three possibly looks better than a BA XT as well. S II or III XR8's are a great looking car as well!

[ThePistonHead]

I saw this topic on the back page of a motor magazine a few years back.

I remember they were having a go at the AU's cheap copycat designing, when the Merc came out after the AU!

[billyb35]

Lol I think you fellas might be dreaming (i.e. putting the cart before the horse).

Today's "design" trends are so far beyond what is currently on the market. If anything, the AU design probably followed a european concept i.e. the MB, and just got it horribly wrong and out of place for a taxi/family car.

It's like the latest fashion trends in Milan etc are extremely chic and modern but never reflect what people are actually wearing now. It's like Ripcurl taking some motif high fashion from Dolce and Gabana and trying to flog it to their market. It would never work!!

[jphanna]

what your saying makes perfect sense except the fact that the AU came out 6 years before the MB 'copy'. i am going to do a little more research into ARCADAPINE , and find out what makes him tick. that name ARCADAPINE may be his 70's company name, because he did lots of freaky fururistic stuff with holdens and fords at the time. his proper name could be fred bloggs....but he did go to MB for sure.

if someone got a profile shot of an AU and the CL merc, (my computer skills lack) it is clear the (accidental) link in design especially the crease along the side.

it seems like someone saw the AU, and thought, i am gonna do a very sopisticated version of this, and its gonna work real nice.

[Elks]

Originally Posted by jphanna

... that name ARCADAPINE may be his 70's company name, because he did lots of freaky fururistic stuff with holdens and fords at the time. his proper name could be fred bloggs....but he did go to MB for sure.

That's his name alright and if my memory serves me right, his 1st name is Peter.

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by phillyc

Yes, they are similar designs, but MB can't be accused of stealing the styling from the AU Falcon though.

I think the big difference was that the finishing detail (grill, wheel covers, ride height, base model interior) on the AU just wasn't there compared to the more recent MB CLS.

Ford should've put the quad cam 4.6l V8 into the XR8 too. With 240kW, it would've blown the 215kW Gen3 into the weeds. The S/C 4.6L was then only a small step away.

Still, the AU has definitely aged better than most and as an owner of an AU XR i really do think that it's a great looking car. Fun to drive too.

NB Probably the other thing that crippled Falcon sales was the large discounting on the EL. Then the AU had sharper rrp but much smaller fleet discounts in order to pick up private sales. This didn't work and backfired on Ford.

Blown it into the weeds? The local comparisons between the Mustang and the Monaro didnt show any weeds being blown, im pretty sure the Monaro was slightly faster.

[mrbaxr6t]

I own both a series II AU xr6 with VCT and a BA xr6 turbo. The AU is shockwave blue and the BA phantom purple, they are incomparable like they were of different times almost. The AU is great on long hauls at highway speed, has great economy and is just easy as sleep to drive. The BA is an animal, wants to spin wheels and just go fast and make lots of turbo related noises while doing so. As far as aging goes I must admit I prefer the look of the BA by miles. Its just a more modern car inside and out. I still love and enjoy both. The design philosophy in my opinion was very different when the AU was built compared to the BA. This shows in the final product. There are lots of pros and cons to each car. And are very difficult to compare. History will likely call the AU the car that went forever, and the BA the car that went like stink.

[demondan]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

I reckon the rear of the FG has an AU look to it, not surprising since it was designed by the same person

The head designer of the FG had nothing at all to do with the AU design.
The AU was designed by Steve Park. The FG was designed by Simon Butterworth (ex Jaguar designer) with the finishing touches mainly the XR series done by Scott Strong who was also the head designer on the BA, which ironiaclly was finished by Simon Butterworth.