Dick Johnson's Plan to save the Falcon

[csv8]

THE Falcon's most famous driver, Dick Johnson, believes Ford needs an export strategy to rescue the Aussie car from the scrapheap.

As Ford this week announced plans to axe 440 jobs from its two Victorian plants and throw the future of the Falcon into jeopardy, the legendary five-time Australian Touring Car champion and three-time Bathurst winner has come out in support of the family car and the company.

"Certainly from our perspective it would be a shame to see the Falcon disappear off the face of the earth," the Queenslander said.

"Surely there is still a market for people who enjoy the luxury of a car with a lot of room."

Mr Johnson said the problem was the lack of an export market. "Where Holden have a slight advantage over Ford is they have an overseas export market, which keeps production numbers up," he said.


$50 million to save Victorian Ford jobs
Ford's $290m loss drives new job fears

"That's the problem. They need an export strategy."

Ford will reduce daily production from 209 to 148 vehicles in response to an industry-wide slump in large car sales, despite a $103 million funding package Ford received from its US parent company, and the Victorian and Federal governments in January.

The package was aimed at securing the manufacture of the Falcon and Territory SUV at Geelong and Broadmeadows until at least the end of 2016.

Industry analysts predict the Falcon will be axed at the end of that period.

Unions say they had expected redundancies amid a decline in large-car sales, but workers were shocked when Ford announced so many jobs would go.

" Nowhere near that amount was expected," Australian Manufacturing Workers Union assistant state secretary Leigh Diehm said yesterday.

Union officials met Ford yesterday in a late bid to stem the number of job losses.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/busine...-1226429394527

[MAFIA]

And we all been saying that all along!!! Dick Johnson right on the money with this too. As american love big car and there really keen on our Aussie built sedan. There is a market over there and they need to test it. And FPV try selling in UK as HSV is with Vaxhull...can't hurt to try!

And instead of Ford axing 440 jobs, the only jobs they should be axing is the whole marketing team at Ford for the lack of effort to any marketing or advertising on our Aussie built cars!!!

Start listening FORD!!!!!

[falconnut]

Ford Australia wont listen
Ford America wont listen
Ford Europe wont listen
Ford Global wont listen

[OZQUAD44]

Go out and buy a new Falcon. Simple

[falconnut]

I dont have the money, i wish i did.

[Kryton]

Originally Posted by OZQUAD44

Go out and buy a new Falcon. Simple

How about you go out and buy a new Falcon.
If you have, go buy another one if you care that much.

[PlukaDuck]

Maybe MAD MAX will save it. Apparently this is the new falcon in MAD MAX 4

[PlukaDuck]

[falconnut]

Wow thanks for the heads up i had no idea !

AWESOME.

Also good luck to johnsons dick trying to get ford to listen to anyone else but ford.

[OZQUAD44]

Originally Posted by davway

How about you go out and buy a new Falcon.
If you have, go buy another one if you care that much.

Clown,

If we care about the Falcon then this is what we have to do. Buy the suckers.

I have bought my fair share of Falcons in my time. How about you boffo?

[falconnut]

anyone got a spare $60k for a G6ET?

[csv8]

Me ?? I have bought an XC, XD, XF, AU3 and BF Mk 2 and an NL Fairlane..

[ED Classic]

Originally Posted by OZQUAD44

Go out and buy a new Falcon. Simple

US on here have and have repeatedley, its past for freaks buying them now. Need to get no buyers to the table "aswell"

[ED Classic]

Originally Posted by falconnut

Ford Australia wont listen
Ford America wont listen
Ford Europe wont listen
Ford Global wont listen

VERY VERY true and the big problem in itself!!

[Kryton]

Originally Posted by OZQUAD44

Clown,

If we care about the Falcon then this is what we have to do. Buy the suckers.

I have bought my fair share of Falcons in my time. How about you boffo?

If you want to act like a 3 year old and start name calling, go right ahead - it just makes you look like a douche.
If your too thick to realise that a couple of extra single sales isnt going to make a difference, Im not going to waste my breath trying to explain it to you.
It isnt the non buying public thats the problem, its the management of Ford itself.
They have no interest in selling Falcons whatsoever.
You could buy 1000 falcons a month, its still going to be canned regardless.

[Keepleft]

My view; Middle East gulf states and Africa, particularly south.

I recall Falcon utes going to England on a small scale as 'Verve Tempest' if memories correct. (They had to fit a rear fog to each). Too tired to do a Google on that atm.

[OZQUAD44]

Davway, thats a bit rich coming from you don't you think. Comments like yours only start stupid conversations like this.

My point was valid. your dumb **** comment about buying two was just inflammatory. You want to come out with inflammatory suggestions don't come crying to me when I call you a Clown.

Without sales the Falcon is history. Simple as that. Ford are in the business of making money. If the Falcon is a bread winner then it stays. If the public don't buy them, it does not earn its keep so its gone. its not the "evil" management that kills it

I think it is you who needs some basics spelt out.

[JG33]

R.I.P. Ford Falcon, you will be sadly missed.

[ego gtp]

It is very hard when no one is listening at ford. My 24 yr old daughter who is very enviro conscious had no idea about fords new start of the art Eco boost falcon ,she was amazed when I told her about it. If its still available in 12 months when she is looking at upgrading her bf xr6. Now wouldnt it be in fords best interest to advertise the fact. In the long term as much as we like our coyotes and they do stuff all to promote them either IMHO , it's things like the Eco boost that will help ford overall. The territory is one of the greatest local manufactured cars of all time. I can hear everyone laughing but really. It gave people something that no one had . A genuine 7 seater that was not a land cruiser or patrol, people mover. I have owned 2 of them one of the first ever registered in oz and a AWD turbo Ghia. I just traded after 6 years on a new gs for my wife. So the marketing dept need a good kick up the ¥¥se now. Take a leaf out of jeeps book cheers Gary

[falconnut]

Originally Posted by ED Classic

VERY VERY true and the big problem in itself!!

Exactly man i mean the dont listen to themselves.

Ford Australia seems particularly dense as they **** Ford Global and Our Govt money up the wall then slash jobs.

Not only do they not listen to eachother but they dont listen to their most important client the poor average bloke or company that buys or used to buy their cars.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by davway

If you want to act like a 3 year old and start name calling, go right ahead - it just makes you look like a douche.
If your too thick to realise that a couple of extra single sales isnt going to make a difference, Im not going to waste my breath trying to explain it to you.
It isnt the non buying public thats the problem, its the management of Ford itself.
They have no interest in selling Falcons whatsoever.
You could buy 1000 falcons a month, its still going to be canned regardless.

I find the comment on ford management a bit ridiculous.
If the sales were up there would be no problem, no company would can a product if the sale figures were profitable for them...simple as that.

[Windsor220]

Whats the point in Ford going all out to save a model that people dont want anymore? I find it funny that people have a go at Ford for not exporting Falcon. As if a major million dolar making company hasn't looked at all their options. They obviously don't see any point in it.

[Moby Vic]

The arguments I see in this topic (and all the topics lamenting the decline of the Falcon) are eerily similar to the arguments regarding the US Panther chassis (Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, and Town Car).

Funny thing is, similar arguments were made about the decline and demise fo the Cortina also.

[Blue Blooded]

Originally Posted by Windsor220

Whats the point in Ford going all out to save a model that people dont want anymore? I find it funny that people have a go at Ford for not exporting Falcon. As if a major million dolar making company hasn't looked at all their options. They obviously don't see any point in it.

Or aren't allowed to...

[GT0132]

I get sick of the threads appearing in the Forums lately from members who suggest "we should all go out and buy a Falcon if we want to save it"...Even if I go down to my local Ford member, pull out my cheque book and write a cheque for $70k for a new GT it ain't gonna make one iota of difference as it's gotta happen in large numbers.

Maybe those who suggest it , ought to contact Ford or FPV to organise a Forums group buy and negotiate a good trade in on my BA Mk2 GT while they are there. I'd be in if the price was right and also have the cash ready to go.

As for Dick Johnsons plan, tell us something we don't know

[Chopped]

I didn't know Dick Johnson was Captain Obvious.

(What's up with forum members turning on each other lately ?! )

[Agile]

Originally Posted by GT0132

I get sick of the threads appearing in the Forums lately from members who suggest "we should all go out and buy a Falcon if we want to save it"...Even if I go down to my local Ford member, pull out my cheque book and write a cheque for $70k for a new GT it ain't gonna make one iota of difference as it's gotta happen in large numbers.

Maybe those who suggest it , ought to contact Ford or FPV to organise a Forums group buy and negotiate a good trade in on my BA Mk2 GT while they are there. I'd be in if the price was right and also have the cash ready to go.

As for Dick Johnsons plan, tell us something we don't know

Put me down for a Territory TS AWD. Winter White, delivered to Adelaide.
Thanks.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by GT0132

I get sick of the threads appearing in the Forums lately from members who suggest "we should all go out and buy a Falcon if we want to save it"...Even if I go down to my local Ford member, pull out my cheque book and write a cheque for $70k for a new GT it ain't gonna make one iota of difference as it's gotta happen in large numbers.

Maybe those who suggest it , ought to contact Ford or FPV to organise a Forums group buy and negotiate a good trade in on my BA Mk2 GT while they are there. I'd be in if the price was right and also have the cash ready to go.

As for Dick Johnsons plan, tell us something we don't know

I think it is more the fact that some here that like to kick others around for purchasing anything other than a Falcon (whether it is Ford or another make) who themselves have never bought a new Falcon, only waiting for them to come to the second hand market. I believe it just escalated after that.

As for the topic on hand, yes Ford need to export the Falcon but i'd imagine that a fair investment would need to occur to ensure it can be LHD and it would use a global engine rather than the I6. It would need to be brought up to equipment levels of other cars in that range too.

[LTDHO]

Good to see Dick come out from under the rock and publically say what we have been saying. But I do not think Ford really want to continue the Falcon. They have made way to many errors in the past and have hurt bad from it. I doubt there will be any Australian made fords by 2020.

[Jim Goose]

Originally Posted by PlukaDuck

Maybe MAD MAX will save it. Apparently this is the new falcon in MAD MAX 4

Ah no... that has NOTHING to do with madmax and certainly wont be appearing in the movie.

It was a request by TOPGEAR last year for people to design a futuristic "madmax" car...
Nothing to do with the film.