Ford Falcon (Australia)
| Ford Falcon | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Ford Motor Company |
| Production | 1960—present |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Full-size |
| Body style | 4-door sedan 4-door station wagon 2-door ute 2-door panelvan |
| Platform | FR/RWD EA169 |
| Related | Ford Fairmont Ford Fairlane Ford Territory |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 4.0 L Barra 190 I6 4.0 L Barra 245T I6 Turbo 5.4 L Barra 230 V8 5.4 L Boss 260 V8 |
| Transmission | 5-speed manual (XT) 6-speed manual (XR) 4-speed automatic 6-speed automatic (XR6T, XR8) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | None |
- This article is about the Australian car model. For models produced for other countries, see Ford Falcon (disambiguation).
The Ford Falcon is a car manufactured by Ford in Australia since 1960. The Falcon remains Ford's most popular model in Australia. The Falcon is a fully Australian designed, developed and built car. As a result of the longevity of its Australian production, the Falcon is one of the biggest selling names in world automotive history.[1]
Overview
Ford Australia has manufactured over three million of its versions of the Falcon which have been sold since 1960, being the top-selling car in Australia on many occasions.[2] Throughout its history the Falcon has been available in sedan, station wagon, utility, and panel van versions. Falcons dominate the ranks of taxis in Australia and New Zealand and are also widely used as police cars.
Other Falcon-based models continue to be made in Australia, including the better-appointed Ford Futura, and a luxury version called the Fairmont. Falcon and Fairmont station wagons, as well as the Fairlane and LTD limousines, have a longer wheelbase than the Falcon. For this reason they are sometimes rebuilt for uses such as stretch limousines and hearses.
History
Beginnings
In 1959, Ford built a factory at Broadmeadows, a suburb of Melbourne, for local production of the North American Ford Falcon.
The first Falcons sold in Australia, from September 1960, were designated the XK and were essentially a right hand drive version of the North American model. Ford Australia needed a car that was larger than modified European Fords, such as the Zephyr, which were not considered suitable for the Australian market. However, XK sales suffered from complaints about the durability of US-designed cars on rough outback roads; the car earned the unflattering nickname "Foul Can" during this time. Ford Australia introduced some local design changes to the XL in early 1962, such as a heavier suspension system. Nevertheless, the Falcon was still widely perceived as unsuitable for local conditions and was not a rapid success in the Australian market. Ford stuck with the Falcon and sales increased over following years.
First Australian design
The XM, released in 1964, was the first Falcon with an Australian-designed body, although it differed little in appearance from US models. The following model, the XP, saw the Fairmont introduced as an upmarket variant. During this perioud Ford Australia took a major gamble to prove the XPs strength and mercilessly drove a fleet of XP Falcons around its You-Yangs testing grounds for 70,000 miles at over 70 mph. it was a major gamble but it paid off with the Falcon winning the prestigious Wheels Car of the Year award. The largely American styled XR won the award in 1966 giving Ford two straight Car of the Year Awards. Ford introduced a GT variant of the XR in 1967, featuring a 289 cubic inch V8 sourced from the Mustang. The GT heralded the dawn of the Aussie muscle sedan. All of the orginal XR GTs were painted in the colour 'GT Gold', except for around eight that were silver. These silver GTs, while having the same specifications, are probably the rarest of the early Australian muscle cars. The 1968 XT model featured a mild facelift, with a divided grille and and fog lamps for the GT. The GT also gained stripes along the sides of the car.
With the XW in 1969, the GT gained a bigger V8, the 351 cubic inch (5.8 L) Canadian-made Windsor engine, producing 291 hp (217 kW). The XW also gained a GS ('Grand Sport') model, with a 302 Windsor and optional 351. The GS lasted until the 1978 XC series, when the runout Cobra GS coupes were built. GTs remain valuable collectors' cars and this is especially true of the XY GT, released in 1970, in which the Windsor was replaced by a 351 Cleveland, producing 300 hp (224 kW). An upgraded Cleveland, in the 1971 XY GTHO Phase III, produced 385+ hp (287 kW). Power figures are still debated today as Ford still claimed 300 hp as the standard 351 Cleveland V8 in the GT though the GTHO Phase III received many modifications to increase its reliability and race performance.
The end of production in the US paved the way for much greater Australian input in the design of Australian-made Falcons, from 1971 onwards, although for several years there was still a distinct resemblance to US-made Mustang.
During 1976 Ford Australia started producing the Cleveland V8s locally.
The Falcon, while popular, was outsold in Australia by GM Holden's Kingswood until 1978, when Holden decided to replace the Kingswood with a smaller model called the Commodore, based on the European Opel models.
XD-XF success
Ford's next model Falcon, the XD, introduced in 1979, bore some styling resemblances to the European Ford Granada, but was somewhat larger.
Initially, quality and fuel consumption concerns dogged the XD. 1980's introduction of the crossflow Alloy Head improved fuel consumption of the ageing 4.1 OHV engine, an engine with its roots in the 1960s. Government pressure and the fuel crisis began to curtail the development of high performance cars. The Australian assembled V8s were continued until 1982 when Ford Australia built up a large stockpile of V8s to last until 1984. After the announcement of the end of the V8 the stockpile was evaporated by the end of 1982. During this period, Ford Australia also built a quantity of 4-bolt 351s - similar to those used in NASCAR at the time - for race purposes in Australia. When the 351's race career ended in 1985, the remains were shipped and sold in the United States. The 4.1L EFI six-cylinder was introduced to replace the V8 but initially produced only 111 kW and 325Nm of torque, well down from the 149 kW and 415Nm previously produced by the 5.8 litre V8. The Ford V8s remained absent between 1983 and 1991.
With hindsight, the deletion of the bent-eights was the lesser of two evils presented at the time. Ford had considered replacing the Falcon with a model from "Project Capricorn", which would have seen a front-wheel drive car based on a stretched Mazda 626. A four-door version of the European Ford Scorpio, which at the time had only been designed as a five-door hatchback, was also proposed and progressed as far as the clay model stage.
As the fuel crisis eased, Australians moved away from the downsized Commodore back to the traditional full-size Falcon. In 1982, For the first time in more than a decade, the XE Falcon eclipsed its Holden rival in terms of sales and did so for the next decade. The XF, sold between October 1984 and February 1988, remains Ford's best-selling Falcon model to date; over 278,000 XFs were built.
Ford persisted with developing an all-Australian car under the codename EA26 (E for the large size, A for Australia, 26 for the (usually in sequence) global project number). EA26 would retain the traditional Falcon hallmarks of width and rear-wheel drive. This proved to be the correct move as sales of the Falcon began to climb after the fuel crisis aftermath, while those of the rival Commodore slipped. It became clear that Australian buying patterns had not truly changed and what the public wanted was a full-size family car.
In addition, Ford's dominance of the taxi market in Australia meant that a car that could comfortably seat three along the back seat—and even the front, with a bench seat installed—was necessary. It also ensured that Ford could retain, at least until Holden released the new Statesman in the late 1980s, the market for official cars for governmental use.
The E-Series Saga
The EA model Falcon introduced in 1988 bore a passing resemblance to the European Ford Scorpio but under the skin, it remained entirely Australian. The EA was only produced in sedan and station wagon models, with the previous-model (XF) ute and panel van continuing in production. Between 1989 and 1992, a version of the XF Falcon ute was badged as a Nissan under an unsuccessful government-backed model-sharing scheme called the Button Plan (which also saw the Nissan Pintara badged as the Ford Corsair). The EA model, while initially popular, ultimately proved unreliable: transmission issues and electrical faults (also experienced by their major competitor at the time, the VN Commodore) were the usual culprits before the EB model was hurriedly released in 1991.
An irony of the unsuccessful release of the EA series was that its final body design was completed and - through scoop photographs in Wheels magazine - shown to the public in 1985, three years before the car hit the market.
When the EA series II was introduced it brought with it many benefits that should have been introduce on the original EA but due to supplier problems were not available. These options included a 4 speed Australian designed automatic transmission. Also during the EA series II Ford released the 30th anniversary Falcon to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the release of the Falcon in Australia.
EA model reliability also curtailed resale value and still does to this day; most second-hand car purchasers usually prefer to pay more money for the preceding XF model or the succeeding EB model than for the EA. This also affected the ute and panelvan models, which still persisted with their old XF styling, to eventually get a quick update from the EB model release in 1991 (known as the XG).
The XG Falcon was basically the same as the XF but housed the EB's 4.0 litre straight six. The Windsor V8 was reintroduced on the EB range but did not reappear in the ute until the "EF shaped" XH series ute in 1997 .
The EB saw many firsts; anti-lock brakes became an option, a Falcon first, and in 1993 a lap sash rear seat belt became standard - a first for an Australian car. The EB also introduced the Smartlock security system which featured Tibbe locks and an engine immobiliser. To demonstrate the effectiveness of Smartlock, South Australian Police invited four professional car thieves to steal the EB. After four days, they gave up.
Also introduced in the EB in the EB series II upgrade were foam filled A pillers which greatly increased crush protection and stiffened the frame helping to reduce NVH.
The ED was arguably one of Ford's best ever Falcons, righting the wrongs of the previous EA and EB models - so much so that no substantial changes were made until the EF of 1994.
Introduced in August 1994, the EF brought with it a new sleeker body design and new interiors. The 4.0 litre six-cylinder engine was upgraded to aid refinement and increase power to 157 kW. The EF is also the first Australian produced car to have a driver's side airbag as standard across the range, even though the Holden Commodore was the first to feature it as an option. Changes were also made to the suspension with the aim of providing a more supple ride, but drew criticism for producing nervous handling and an unsettling feeling of roll oversteer (a problem not corrected until the EL facelift).
By this time, the popularity of the panel van had faded and Ford released their final panel van in 1997 with their XH & XH2 models (based on the EF model of the previous year). The XH Falcon ute was basically the old XF ute with an EF Falcon nose grafted on. From the A pillar forward it was EF and from there back it was XF. It was also during this model the V8 was reintroduced into the ute range.
The final E-series model, the EL, was produced from 1996 to 1998. A mild facelift of the EF, the EL introduced improvements to the rear suspension and steering to address handling concerns with the EF.
Falcon-based utes continued evolving along the lines of the sedan, however; the next model (AU) offered the first tray-model ute in many years commonly known in Australia as the One-Tonner.
AU
The AU model Falcon was released in 1998, but was panned by the motoring press, and faced an uphill battle against the new VT model Holden Commodore.
The AU — actually developed under the code name "EA169" — had Ford's New Edge design style, which was meant to differentiate it from the Audi-like styling prevalent in the 1990s. The gamble, which had worked with the Ford Focus, did not particularly endear the AU Falcon to its buyers. Complaints were also leveled at the AU's NVH, cheap-looking dashboard and the lack of a competitive high-performance "halo" car for the range, with the aging Windsor V8 engine unable to compete in a 'power-hike' war with the Commodore's new LS1 V8.
Attempts were made to address these issues with the AU Series II (April 2000) and Series III (November 2001) updates, which brought with them minor styling changes, a laminated firewall to reduce NVH and incremental power upgrades for the V8 among other things.
During this period the Windsor was phased out of production with the last being sent to Australia. These Windsors were then hand assembled by Tickford Engineering and turned into the most powerful EFI Windsor V8 made in the world. It was stroked to 5.6 litres and boasted 250 kW and 500 Nm of torque. The six cylinder engine was not forgotten during this perioud with the XR6 version recieving VCT in the top of the range model XR6 and optional on Fairmont Ghias. This engine had 172 kW though was detuned for the Fairmont Ghia to 168 kW through the use of a quieter exhaust system. However, it was not until the release of the BA model that Ford's sales fortunes were turned around.
Some AU Series II vehicles were bundled with free servicing during the warranty period.
BA: Ford fights back
Ford Australia fought back with the BA Falcon, introduced in September 2002. It was yet another unique design that addressed many of the issues of the AU Falcon, most notably its styling. The BA Falcon retains the same doors as the AU (due to engineering limtations), but otherwise appears as a very thorough redesign. Engineering-wise, substantial improvements were made to allow the BA — also officially part of the "EA169" platform — to compete well against the Commodore.
BA brought the new Barra engines to the Falcon range, the 210 hp (157 kW) SOHC 4.0L was given a new DOHC variable valve timed head (this version produced 245 hp (182 kW)), with the Windsor 235 hp (175 kW), 268 hp (200 kW) & 295 hp (220 kW) 5.0L versions and 335 hp (250 kW) 5.6L V8 replaced with a 24-valve 295 hp (220 kW) SOHC 5.4L V8 in lower models; 32-valve 349 hp (260 kW) and 389 hp (290 kW) 5.4L DOHC V8s powered the sportier FPV GT models.
Also new to the model range was the XR6 Turbo, powered by a 323 hp (240 kW) turbocharged version of the base model's 4.0L engine (Barra 240T). This engine is currently unique to Australia, and is also used in the Territory Turbo models. Turbocharging was initially experimented with during the early development of the 4.0L engine, which was being developed for the EA in 1988. Its relatively high power output - 147 kW in MP-EFI version - was considered more than adequate for the time and plans for turbocharging, along with a DOHC variant, were dropped.
The turbocharged BA engine is lightly stressed and a favourite platform for tuners who have extracted over 1,000 kW from it. Companies such as Air Power Systems can supply kits to provide around 400 kW (536 hp) for around $AU4,000. Rumours and conspiracy theories abound, but a widely held belief is that the turbocharged engine was over-tuned in the initial BA release and, during routine servicing, would be de-tuned to reduce the stress and the possibility of warranty claims.
The BA model offered substantial improvements in styling, interior, engines, reliability and performance. Within a year of its release, Falcon sales had increased subtantially and, for a time, eclipsed Commodore sales. The BA Falcon won Wheels Car of the Year in 2002, ending a 36-year drought.
The BA Mark II, introduced in October 2004, incorporated small improvements more akin to a model-year upgrade.
BF
The BF model, introduced in October 2005, brought many mechanical upgrades to the Falcon, including but not limited to dual-independent variable cam timing on the 6-cylinder engines and improved knock sensing on the SOHC V8 which, in conjunction with ECU modifications, led to increases in power and fuel economy, required to comply with recently introduced Euro III emissions standards. Long a Falcon (and indeed, Australian-built vehicle) weakness was the continued use of 1980s-originating 4-speed automatic transmissions. With the BF, Ford introduced a 6-speed automatic developed by German company ZF and Bosch dynamic stability control available as an option on many models. The XR6 Turbo got a power increase to 245 kW.
On the 6 October 2006, the BF Series II was officially launched by Ford President Tom Gorman.[1] Disappointingly, stability control was not included as standard across the BF range.
It is interesting to note that much of the Falcon's success in Australia can be attributed to Ford Australia (and indeed also Holden) continuing to face the same problem that led to the Falcon's introduction in the 1960s: the resistance of Australian Ford buyers to "smaller" models. Attempts to sell the US Ford Taurus in Australia and New Zealand as a possible future replacement for the Falcon proved unsuccessful. Conversely, the Mondeo - which proved unpopular in Australia (but a success in New Zealand) - is the largest model available from Ford in Europe since the Scorpio was dropped in 1998.
Falcon Ute
The Australian affection for the ute (short for "utility") allowed the Falcon to serve as the base model for their line of utes and panel vans, starting in the late 1950s and gaining rapid recognition by (usually younger) enthusiasts by the mid-1960s. As the base sedan and station wagon models of the Falcon further evolved, so too did the ute and panel van models, although usually up to a year or so after initial release into the market.
The only exception was the XF series, which lasted through the initial EA26 era due to the perceived unreliabity of the base EA model. While EA26 pickup prototypes were actually built, the XF shell continued through to the 1998 release of the AU model, in 1996 gaining the nose treatment of the then current EL series Falcon.
Exports to other countries
Australian Falcon exports have traditionally been confined to right-hand-drive countries in the Asia-Pacific region, such as New Zealand, and Pacific Island nations like Papua New Guinea and Fiji. Since the closure of Ford's assembly plant at Wiri, Auckland in the early 1990s, all Falcons sold in New Zealand have been fully imported from Australia.
The only significant export market for the Falcon outside of Oceania has been South Africa, where it was released in 1996 after an absence of nearly 20 years, but was dropped in 2003. Some limousines and hearses are exported to the UK by Coleman Milne, which used to convert European-made Granadas and Scorpios for the same purposes.
Hong Kong also imported a small batch of Falcons for trial as taxis, but they have not seen success there.
The Falcon will undergo some changes involving the E8 Orion platform in 2008. It is expected to be designed for left-hand drive from the get-go, increasing the likelihood that the car will be exported to some left-hand drive countries. However it is unknown what bodystyles will be on offer, or if long-wheelbase versions (Fairlane, LTD) will be available.
Model Line Up
1960: XK Falcon^^
1962: XL Falcon
1964: XM Falcon
1965: XP Falcon
1966: XR Falcon^^
1968: XT Falcon
1969: XW Falcon^
1971: XY Falcon
1972: XA Falcon^^
1973: XB Falcon
1976: XC Falcon
1979: XD Falcon^^
1982: XE Falcon
1984: XF Falcon^
1986: XFII Falcon
1988: EA Falcon^^
1991: EB Falcon
1992: EBII Falcon
1993: ED Falcon
1994: EF Falcon^
1995: EFII Falcon
1996: EL Falcon
1998: AU Falcon^^
2000: AUII Falcon
2001: AUIII Falcon
2002: BA Falcon^
2004: BA MkII Falcon
2005: BF Falcon
2006: BFII Falcon
^ - Major Facelift
^^ - Complete New Car
Ford Performance Vehicles
Ford Performance Vehicles (commonly abbreviated to FPV) is the official high-performance arm of Ford Australia, replacing Tickford in this role with the introduction of the BA Falcon platform in 2002. FPV currently offers three sedan models (GT, GT-P and F6 Typhoon) and three ute models (Pursuit, Super Pursuit and F6 Tornado). The F6 models feature the Barra 270T turbocharged 6-cylinder engine, while the other models feature a higher-performance version of the Barra V8, known as the Boss 290.
Ford Territory
The Ford Territory is a crossover SUV built by Ford Australia and based on the EA169 platform of the Falcon, released in April 2004. Its code name inside Ford was E265. It won the prestigious 2004 Wheels Car of the Year award, the reviewers praising car-like handling and practicality as reasons for its win. Ford had reportedly spent A$500 million on developing the range over four years. It is built on the same production line as the Australian made Ford BF series Falcon. Ford's reputed design brief was for its engineers to develop 'a BMW X5 for Falcon money'. With the clever use of an extensible platform, parts-bin components and a competent though superseded all-wheel drive system, Ford came very close to achieving its goal. The Ford Territory was heavily criticized in its model change in 2005, due to the fact that it was 'the only car to ever be allocated a different model designation' without any external modifications. However, there were major advancements mechanically due to the upgrade from the BA's 182 kW/4speed auto combo to the 190 kW/6 speed auto combo, which provided drastic improvements in fuel efficiency (gains of up to 30% were spoken of). Of late (July 2006) Ford has released a Turbo Territory which runs the BF Turbo driveline and a top mount intercooler (rather than the Falcons front mount intercooler).
Falcons in motorsport
Falcons have been raced in Australia's premier touring car racing categories for many years. The car first took the spotlight in 1962, when Harry Firth and Bob Jane won the 500-mile Enduro at Phillip Island in an XL Falcon. When the race, open only to showroom-standard production cars, shifted to Mount Panorama in Bathurst, it became a stage where Ford could showcase a high performance version of the Falcon to appeal to buyers. The XR GT raced to immediate success in 1967, when Firth and Fred Gibson teamed up to win at Bathurst.
In 1969, Ford debuted the XW with a GTHO (Handling Option) variant, dubbed the Phase I. The following year, the Phase II won the Bathurst race in the hands of Allan Moffat, who went on to win again in an XY GTHO Phase III in 1971.
In 1972, Ford built a GTHO variant of the newly-designed XA, called the Phase IV. Ford had intended to race them at Bathurst, with Moffat at the wheel, but only a few were built. On June 25, 1972, The Sydney Morning Herald published an article by Evan Green, its motoring editor, suggesting that carmakers were building street legal supercars that could top 220 km/h. The article and its impact later became known as the "Supercar Scare". Government pressure forced Ford to abandon the Phase IV, and Moffat and others to drive outdated Phase IIIs at Bathurst. That year, Peter Brock won the Bathurst race in a Holden Torana. Ironically, Green later became a PR boss and board member at Holden and made his name as a rally driver.
Since 1973, touring car regulations in Australia have allowed for modifications to the cars and thereby eliminated the need for race-ready supercars on showroom floors. For many years after Ford Australia did not have a factory team (there were drivers that got 'back-door financing' however), and support for the Falcon occasionally dipped and dived. It was due to the true believers in the Falcon, the likes of Allan Moffat, Colin Bond, Dick Johnson and Murray Carter that it maintained a presence on the racetrack. It was not until the rise of V8 Supercars in the 1990's that the Falcon became popular again on the track.
Ford Performance Racing, a factory-sponsored team, is just one of many teams who race Falcons in the two-make V8 Supercar series.
Falcons as police cars in Australia and New Zealand
The Ford Falcon and its rival the Holden Commodore make up the majority of the state police fleets in Australian states and territories, as well as those of the New Zealand Police. General duties cars are almost identical to the stock Falcon XT, except for upgrades such as modified seats which provide better support and comfort to officers wearing equipment belts, a limited slip differential, sports suspension and dual airbags.
Other modifications include a heavy duty battery, alternator, and wiring, to enable the installation and use of extra equipment like speed detection radar and police radios, a police-certified speedometer with two kilometre increments which provides greater accuracy, a map reading lamp, and reduced insulation in the car roof to facilitate the fitting and wiring of the emergency lights. The various police forces fit their own sirens, emergency lights and decals.In the Northern Territory, Ford Falcons are fitted with special police brake pads for better stopping ability. These brake pads collect more road grime and leave the wheels and wheel housing dirty. Although it is not an individual modification only available to the police force, they are lowered using the 'FE2' suspension pack. This lowers the car by an inch or two to the ground and is much stiffer, therefore more control is held over the vehicle by the driver.
General Duties patrol cars run the standard 190 kW six-cylinder engine, and some states use high powered Falcon XR6 Turbo (245 kW) and XR8 (260 kW) sedans as traffic enforcement vehicles.
Falcon sedans are commonly used as police vehicles in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, and the Northern Territory. The South Australia and Western Australia police forces mainly use Holden Commodores, however when the AU Falcon was released in 1998 they were used almost exclusively. Caged trucks based on the Falcon XL cab chassis are frequently used in Victoria and Queensland, and occasionally in South Australia and Western Australia.
Safety
In Australia, Ford Falcons were assessed in the Used Car Safety Ratings 2006.[3]
- Ford Falcon XE/XF (1982-88) - "average" level of occupant protection
- Ford Falcon EA/EB series 1 (1988-92) - "better than average"
- Ford Falcon EB series 2/ED (1992-94) - "better than average"
- Ford Falcon EF/EL (1994-1998) - "significantly better than average"
- Ford Falcon AU (1998-2002) - "significantly better than average"
- Ford Falcon BA (2002-04) - "better than average"
Falcons in popular culture
- Falcons featured prominently in the George Miller films Mad Max and its sequel, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, mostly in the role of police patrol cars. A 1973 XB Falcon GT was the basis for the black Pursuit Special driven by protagonist Max Rockatansky (a car famously referred to as "the last of the V8 interceptors"). One XA and two XB sedans were the basis for the blue and yellow police interceptors in the first film. The original car was sold after the first movie and had to be repurchased for Mad Max 2 after the original film was a hit. A replica was destroyed in the second film and the restored original is displayed in the Cars of the Stars museum in the United Kingdom. There are a number of replicas around the world; one company will build a Pursuit Special replica to order as well as the blue/yellow cars.
External links
- Ford Australia
- Decode This! Ford Falcon VIN Decoder
- Fastlane.com A brief history of the Falcon's 40 years
- SaveMyXY.com A resource for information and links on the XY series of Ford Falcons
Footnotes
- ^ "The Ford Falcoon Story...", FalconClub.com
- ^ Ford Heritage, Ford Australia website
- ^ Used Car Safety Ratings 2006
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