Invite - You Yangs Proving Ground

Scudn64 · 07-11-2012, 10:19 AM

Ford Australia have sent out invitations for 20 people to go behind the scenes at the you yangs proving ground.
Including test track, wind tunnel and the full range of cars.
RSVP was at 9am this morning so should be full now.

So whats it all about?

superfly · 07-11-2012, 01:17 PM

I didn't get an invite :(

Resurrection · 07-11-2012, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by superfly

I didn't get an invite :(

+1

**Sorted** · 07-11-2012, 01:32 PM

You lucky bugger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

madmelon · 07-11-2012, 01:37 PM

I think invites only went to those who went to the marketing presentations...

Scudn64 · 07-11-2012, 02:09 PM

I attended the presentation in Melbourne which I really enjoyed,
But I was very supried to get this email last week..

Quote.....

Thank you for attending our exclusive marketing event earlier this year for dedicated Ford Fans. The event gave you the opportunity to meet key Ford Australia staff and to find out what Ford marketing is up to.
As we continue to re-energise the Ford brand in Australia, we know that passionate people such as you can help champion the change. To help keep that passion going, we would like to invite you to spend a day at our You Yangs Proving Ground and go behind the scenes at Ford.*
You are invited to take an insider’s tour of our Proving Grounds, from our wind-tunnel to our testing tracks. The day will provide you with the opportunity to learn how Ford tests its cars to ensure they live up to customer expectations and see how Ford in Australia is leading the Asia Pacific region in design and engineering excellence. The day will also include an opportunity to experience Ford’s latest vehicle offerings from Fiesta to FPV.
This is an exclusive event with only 20 places available and places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. To ensure this is done as fairly as possible, RSVPs will open from next Wednesday, 7 November at 9.00am Melbourne daylight savings time.**
The day will take place on Tuesday 4 December and as it is a weekday, please ensure you are available to attend on that day before responding.
Ford will provide transport to and from the event, including air travel for interstate guests.*
Feel free to respond to this email with any questions you may have and I hope you are able to attend.
Please see the official invite attached.
Regards,
Ford Australia Social Media Team

Defiantly something different. Very excited hope I can go.

Nikked · 07-11-2012, 04:39 PM

I wonder if there will be any hint of the 2014 update...

tex · 07-11-2012, 04:59 PM

Fantastic opportunity!

Well done Ford Au, great initiative..

**Sorted** · 07-11-2012, 05:06 PM

Update on Ford Australia's Facebook Site

We’ve been keeping a secret and now we want to let you in on it! Ford is opening the doors to its highly classified You Yangs Proving Grounds in Victoria to give you an exclusive look at how we test your favourite Ford vehicles before they even hit Aussie roads.

Enter to win access for you and a friend to the Proving Ground as a Roving Reporter for one day in December with our new competition. Check out the note on our page to learn how to enter to win! http://goo.gl/PsgTe

Bossxr8 · 07-11-2012, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikked

I wonder if there will be any hint of the 2014 update...

All the juicey stuff gets tucked away when guests are on site, usually.

Anyone want to wear this hat.

But be careful with it, its only got 2 days till retirement

Nikked · 07-11-2012, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

All the juicey stuff gets tucked away when guests are on site, usually.

Anyone want to wear this hat.

image

But be careful with it, its only got 2 days till retirement

"Your headgear seems to be emitting a buzzing noise, sir. Perhaps you have a bee in your bonnet?"

No.6 · 07-11-2012, 10:48 PM

If their are any lawyers on this site, could you please write up a contract for whoever the lucky sod is that gets to go stating that any NDA agreement signed prior to the event is null and void so we can get a full report on this forum?

Sinead Phipps · 08-11-2012, 09:31 AM

Hey guys, there isn't any NDA required for this event. We only did that for the marketing presentations because the information shared was what we term 'business confidential'. This event on other hand is just about having some fun - having a look at how we test some cars and then getting the opportunity to take most of the cars in the Ford range for a quick spin. Anyone who attends is welcome to write about it and the four winners from our FB competition will actually be given cameras and tasked with becoming roving reporters for the day. We've also extended two invites to Ford Forums moderators as well so you should definitely hear about it one way or the other :-)

RedHotGT · 08-11-2012, 11:52 AM

I'll be there - and i'll happily report/photograph whatever I can for the rest of the FF viewers.

madmelon · 08-11-2012, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loftie

I'll be there - and i'll happily report/photograph whatever I can for the rest of the FF viewers.

As will I. Really excited about this opportunity!

Sinead Phipps · 08-11-2012, 02:34 PM

Oops - I should clarify that any cameras on site will be managed by Ford personnel. The four VIP winners will be given flipcams but we'll 'own' the footage. We'll provide images to everyone who attends but no personal cameras or camera phones will be allowed on site. Anyone who has one will need to hand it over at the start of the day and we'll return it at the end. That's a global security rule at Ford PGs and we have to abide by it.

Dr Smith · 08-11-2012, 07:02 PM

Is it just me or is there a bit more positive zing about Ford Oz lately? Maybe the general media can be given some video or shots of the event down the track. Hope those going have a great time.

Nikked · 08-11-2012, 07:12 PM

This is excellent new age marketing from Ford, great use of social media. Should help stregnthen positive thinking towards Ford's operations in Australia.

P.S:

Can Ford "forget" to hide away some camo'd up 2014 falcons and T6 wagons (if there are any)?

Auslandau · 08-11-2012, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Smith

Is it just me or is there a bit more positive zing about Ford Oz lately? Maybe the general media can be given some video or shots of the event down the track. Hope those going have a great time.

I would say your right ...... and the media has turned their attention to Holden to base their usual doom and gloom for the moment. Hope all continues this way

GTP534 · 08-11-2012, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Auslandau

I would say your right ...... and the media has turned their attention to Holden to base their usual doom and gloom for the moment. Hope all continues this way

I like it! Lucky sods those who will be attending. I've been reading about You Yangs and its development/history in Australian Muscle Car magazine recently too.

FGX-351 · 08-11-2012, 11:12 PM

Going to get my 25 words ready asap!
This is a great idea on ford's part!

No.6 · 09-11-2012, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikked

This is excellent new age marketing from Ford, great use of social media. Should help stregnthen positive thinking towards Ford's operations in Australia.

P.S:

Can Ford "forget" to hide away some camo'd up 2014 falcons and T6 wagons (if there are any)?

This ^^. Or atleast leave some glimpses of its visual design laying around somewhere

Cúl-Báire · 09-11-2012, 01:32 PM

What a fantastic opertunity; I recall going to the proving grounds for an open day when I was a youngster (circa 1990ish) with my father who worked with them at the time. It's something that has stuck with me for life....

ras351 · 09-11-2012, 01:47 PM

Hi Guys,

I went to the You Yangs track back in 2010 when Ford Australia were celebrating the Falcon's 50th Anniversary and I have to say it was an amazing day! We started out at Head Office in Broadmeadow and got a speech by then FoA President Marin Burela, then went on to tour the R&D offices / studio. We then went on a tour through the assembly line and also down at the engine assembly plant in Geelong. We had lunch at the Ford Discovery Centre in Geelong and I was lucky enough to be sitting next to Allan Moffat at the table! After that we went out to You Yangs and toured all around the place including hot laps in an XR6 Turbo on the handling course, a bit of an off road rally in a Territory, a lap around the top speed track in a normal Falcon then a lap around the durability track in a Territory again. One of the highlights of the day was seeing the at the time unreleased GT 5.0 S/C pull up in front of us, stop then LAUNCH HARD as we were heading across the high speed track and into the middle of the infield to do our hot laps in the XR6T! The driver of our XR6T said "hmmm, I'm not sure if you guys were supposed to see that" haha, maybe, maybe not who knows?! So there could be a surprise in store again for some lucky people...

We saw the NVH testing chamber (amazing!) as well as the hot / cold temp. simulator room.
Its great that FoA are running another day similar to this as I considered that to be a once in a lifetime experience. I hope the next 20 people who get to go have just as much fun as me!

superfly · 09-11-2012, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sinead Phipps

. We've also extended two invites to Ford Forums moderators as well so you should definitely hear about it one way or the other :-)

I have to become a moderator in that case

will have more luck than with my writing skills.

Anyways got to be in it to win it so I'll give it a crack.

Buntz · 09-11-2012, 07:39 PM

Shame I don't have family in Victoria. Could've used it as a home base while visiting the PG.

All of you who do attend... have fun guys. And keep those eyes peeled.

Pepscobra · 09-11-2012, 07:47 PM

What day is it?
Look forward to the reports back from the lucky twenty...!

Kieran · 25-01-2013, 02:51 PM

YOU YANGS PROVING GROUND BEHIND THE SCENES REPORT

G'day guys, first post on here.

I was one the lucky four FB competition winners. I showed my wife the competition and she wrote our winning entry. We'd just had baby #2 prior to the big day so she wisely backed out (every winner could bring a friend), and my brother wagged a day from work to be my lucky guest. In fact the FB video thumbnail has his face on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPZDYL7ETNc

Will post some more later.

wulos · 25-01-2013, 03:18 PM

Nice vid - thanx for sharing.

Kieran · 25-01-2013, 10:27 PM

The video was a compilation from the four competition winners, and they had a couple of professional photographers there, too. As it shows the day started with the tour of some of the facilities. As someone before suggested, I suspect all the secret stuff had been hidden away because the only out of the ordinary cars I saw were a couple of Mustangs.

We were piled into Territories for some runs over the suspension testing roads. One of the tests was like driving your car over a street gutter at a 45 degree angle at 70km/h - amazing! We were told that all Fords must do this test, even the GTs , etc.

Then we were taken around the famous circuit used for the 1962 70,000 mile durability run for XP Falcons. I was looking forward to this because the article in Australian Muscle Car magazine really made it sound daunting. And they were right! Lots of turns with only a short straight, and some really steep sections too. It must have been incredible to have been one of those drivers in 1962. The event was done non-stop (except for repairs-apparently 4 of the 5 XPs rolled) for something like five days. We stopped on the top of the hill here to get a look over the testing ground which is thousands of hectares.