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Ford Australia

From Alfawiki
Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryAutomotive
FoundedMarch 31, 1925; 101 years ago (1925-03-31) in Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Headquarters
Campbellfield, Melbourne
,
Australia
Area served
Asia Pacific and Africa
ProductsAutomobiles, SUVs, pickup trucks
Number of employees
Approximately 1,300 (post-2016)
Websitewww.ford.com.au

Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited, operating as Ford Australia, serves as the Australian branch of the American automotive giant Ford Motor Company. Established in 1925 originally as a division of Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited, Ford Australia began by assembling Model T cars from complete knock-down (CKD) kits supplied by its Canadian counterpart. The company’s flagship model was the Falcon, produced continuously from 1960 until 2016, which was initially a US design modified to suit Australian conditions.

Initial Progress

On 31 March 1925, Ford declared its Australian headquarters would be located in Geelong, Victoria. The inaugural assembly plant commenced operations on 1 July 1925, initially housed in a repurposed wool warehouse while constructing a dedicated facility in Norlane. Early vehicle bodies were sourced from Holden's Motor Body Builders Ltd. The factory shifted production from the Model T to the Model A in 1928 and introduced the Ford V8 engine in 1932.

In 1934, Ford Australia unveiled a locally engineered coupé utility based on the US Model A "Closed Cab Pickup Truck," designed by engineer Lewis Bandt. This innovative vehicle catered to farmers during the Great Depression by qualifying as an agricultural work vehicle eligible for bank financing, combining practicality with passenger comfort.

By 1956, Ford acquired land in Campbellfield, located in northern Melbourne, to establish the Broadmeadows Assembly Plant, which later became the company's headquarters in July 1961.

Cessation of Local Manufacturing

Facing global economic pressures and aiming to avoid financial collapse like General Motors and Chrysler, Ford began reducing its international projects in 2009. By July that year, Ford Australia received approval to introduce a small car variant alongside the Falcon. However, on 23 May 2013, after 88 years of operation, Ford Australia announced its withdrawal from local manufacturing due to uncompetitive production costs and declining sales. The financial year 2012 recorded a loss of A$141 million (£90m/US$136m) after tax, following a A$290 million loss in 2011 and A$600 million over five years, resulting in approximately 1,200 job cuts.

Ford maintained two primary manufacturing sites in Victoria: Norlane (Geelong) and Campbellfield (Melbourne). The Ford Discovery Centre museum in Geelong was closed, with Deakin University taking over the premises.

Between 1972 and 2016, all Ford Falcons were designed entirely within Australia. The company also produced the Territory SUV until production ended in 2016. The closures of Broadmeadows and Geelong’s engine and stamping facilities marked the end of Falcon manufacturing. The Geelong plant produced its final Australian-made engines on 26 September 2016; assembly at Broadmeadows ceased on 7 October 2016, concluding Ford’s manufacturing footprint on Australian soil.

Ford Australia functioned as one of five global product development hubs. Since factory closures in 2016, it has focused on importing vehicles for the Asia/Pacific region while retaining roughly 1,300 employees domestically.

Facilities

Recognised as one of five comprehensive Regional Product Development Centres worldwide, Ford Australia concentrated on markets across Asia Pacific and Africa. Key developments included the Ford Ikon and Fiesta models for India, the Bantam ute and Ikon sedan tailored for South Africa, as well as the new Ranger pickup truck.

On 24 January 2019, Ford revealed plans to reduce its workforce by over 100 positions across Victorian locations such as Broadmeadows, Lara, and Geelong. This reduction impacted around 40 salaried employees, 75 hourly workers, and approximately 90 contractors amid operational consolidation. Engineering responsibilities for the Ranger and other vehicles largely transitioned to the United States; however, remaining Australian engineers continue to hold strategic roles in designing a new medium-sized pickup for both Ford and its German subsidiary.

Models manufactured

Ford Australia started by assembling the Model T and gradually introduced newer Ford models for local assembly. During the Second World War, production shifted focus towards military manufacturing to aid wartime demands.

Following the war, assembly recommenced with imported vehicles, beginning with the UK-sourced Pilot, then expanding to British models such as the Prefect, Anglia, Consul, Zephyr, and Zodiac. The Canadian-built Ford V8 was also assembled domestically.

Hatchback

Between 1981 and 1994, the Ford Laser was manufactured at Ford's Flemington facility in Sydney; after this plant closed, the Laser was entirely imported from Japan. The Laser was succeeded by the Ford Focus in 2002, which remains available in both sedan and hatchback versions equipped with a 2.0L engine and has consistently ranked among top-selling vehicles. Additionally, the globally recognized Fiesta was offered from 2004 until 2022.

Mid-size

Locally built mid-size vehicles included UK-imported models like the Ford Cortina, Capri, and Escort, which were modified to suit Australian driving conditions—for instance, from 1972, the Cortina featured either a 3.3L or 4.1L six-cylinder engine, while the Escort utilized the Cortina's 2.0L engine across its lineup. Due to capacity limitations in 1977, assembly of Cortina wagons was outsourced to Renault’s Australian plant in Heidelberg, Victoria.

The Mazda 626-based Telstar initially saw local assembly. In 1989, the Telstar sedan was replaced by the locally produced Ford Corsair, essentially a rebadged Nissan Pintara. Following Nissan’s exit from Australian manufacturing in 1992, the Telstar name returned as a rebadged Mazda 626. The Telstar was phased out in 1995 when Ford introduced the imported Belgian-built Mondeo.

The Mondeo was discontinued in Australia in 2001 due to a shrinking market segment but was reintroduced with the fourth-generation Mk IV model in 2007.

Large car

The Ford Falcon, based on a North American design, began production locally at Broadmeadows on 28 June 1960. Initially resembling its US counterpart but tailored for right-hand drive and Australian conditions, it underwent significant evolution by the mid-1960s, offering various body styles including sedan, wagon, coupé, utility, and panel van.

After North American Falcon production ceased in 1970, Ford Australia developed its own model line starting with the all-Australian XA series launched in June 1972. Subsequent XD and XE Falcons (produced from 1979 to 1984) incorporated styling cues from Ford Europe’s Granada II but remained largely unique engineering efforts with limited parts interchangeability.

Over its 56-year run, the Falcon became an Australian automotive icon deeply embedded in local culture and motorsport. It fulfilled numerous roles such as taxis, police cars, family vehicles, and tradesmen’s transport. High-performance variants like the Falcon GT and GTHO muscle cars solidified its legacy through achievements in competitions including the Australian Touring Car Championship and Bathurst 1000.

More than four million Falcons were produced between 1960 and 2016, frequently leading sales charts. By the final years of production, only sedan and utility variants were offered; earlier models had also included panel vans, wagons, and hardtops. Falcons were commonly deployed as taxis across Australia and New Zealand alongside the Ford Fairlane and were preferred as police pursuit vehicles due to their high-performance versions.

Luxury automobiles

Throughout much of its history, Ford Australia manufactured full-size luxury vehicles alongside the Falcon, notably the Fairlane and the LTD models. The initial Fairlane, launched in 1959, was an Australian-assembled iteration of the American 1957 Fairlane. By 1967, Ford Australia unveiled the ZA Fairlane, a locally engineered model featuring an extended wheelbase and a larger trunk, based on the XR Falcon platform.

The Fairlane gained popularity among business executives and political figures. In 1972, the LTD was introduced as a more upscale variant, equipped with features such as retractable headlights, a vinyl roof, and an elongated wheelbase. From its third generation forward, the LTD shared the same wheelbase and body design as the Fairlane but was positioned as a more premium alternative rather than a completely separate model.

For approximately twenty years, the Fairlane dominated Australia's luxury car market until European brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz began to erode its market share in the late 1980s. By the year 2000, sales of the Fairlane were overtaken by the Holden Statesman. Due to declining demand and uncertain future prospects, Ford Australia discontinued production of both the Fairlane and LTD after 2007. Following this, Holden's Statesman and Caprice models led the full-size luxury segment until their own discontinuation in 2017.

Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)

Between 2004 and 2016, the Ford Territory, a crossover SUV, was manufactured alongside the Falcon on a shared assembly line. During its production lifespan, it frequently held the title of Australia's best-selling SUV.

Current lineup

Previous lineup

Sponsorships

Ford Australia holds the distinction of being a principal sponsor of the Geelong Football Club, a collaboration that began in 1925 and stands as the longest-running sports sponsorship globally.

In August 2023, Ford Australia established a multi-year agreement with Basketball Australia, resulting in the Ford emblem appearing on the uniforms of both the Australia men's national basketball team and the Australia women's national basketball team.

Back in 1962, Ford supported the Latrobe Valley Soccer League team IASCOG, which was subsequently renamed the Morwell Falcons following the introduction of the Ford Falcon model. The Falcons notably advanced from competing in a regional league to participating in Australia's premier National Soccer League.

Additionally, Ford Australia collaborates with Deakin University by sponsoring the Ford Australia Women in STEAM Scholarship program.

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