Ford Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited

Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Automotive
Founded	1925; 100 years ago (1925)
Founder	Henry Ford
Headquarters	Richmond, Melbourne (Head Office) Broadmeadows Assembly Plant (Asia Pacific Engineering Centre)
Key people	Andrew Birkic (President & CEO)
Products	Automobiles, pickup trucks
Number of employees	2,000
Parent	Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited, often called Ford Australia, is the Australian part of the American car company Ford Motor Company. It started in Geelong, Victoria, in 1925. Back then, it was an offshoot of Ford Canada, which was a separate company from Ford USA. Henry Ford had given Canadian investors the rights to make Ford cars in the British Empire, which later became the Commonwealth.

Ford Australia's first cars were Model Ts. These cars were put together from special kits sent from Ford of Canada. Over the years, many models followed. The most famous was the Falcon, made from 1972 to 2016. The Falcon started as a US model in Australia in 1960. It was later changed to suit Australian roads and needs.

History of Ford Australia

Early Days and Growth

On March 31, 1925, Ford announced that its main office in Australia would be in Geelong, Victoria. The first Ford car built in Australia was a Model T. It was launched in June 1925. The first cars were put together in an old wool warehouse in Geelong. A new factory was being built a few miles away in an area now called Norlane.

In 1928, the factory started making the Model A. This was followed by the Ford V8 in 1932.

In 1934, Ford Australia created a special type of car called a coupé utility. This car was based on a US Ford pickup truck. A local Ford engineer named Louis (Lewis) Bandt designed it. During the Great Depression, banks would not lend money to farmers to buy regular cars. They said cars were not needed. But they would lend money for "working" vehicles. The coupé utility was perfect because farmers could use it for work and also "to take the wife to church on Sunday and the pigs to the market on Monday."

In 1956, the company bought a lot of land in Campbellfield, a suburb of Melbourne. They built the Broadmeadows Assembly Plant there. In July 1961, Ford announced that this new Melbourne factory would become the company's main headquarters.

End of Australian Car Making

In 2009, the main Ford company in the US faced financial problems. They started to stop projects in other countries. By 2009, Ford Australia had permission to add a new small car to its Falcon production line. However, on May 23, 2013, Ford Australia announced it would stop making cars in Australia after 88 years. This was because manufacturing costs were too high, and car sales were low. The company had lost a lot of money in the years before. About 1200 workers lost their jobs.

Ford had two main factories in Victoria. One was in Norlane, Geelong, and the other in Campbellfield, Melbourne. The Ford Discovery Centre, a museum about Ford's history in Australia, also closed.

From 1972 to 2016, Ford Falcons were fully designed in Australia. The company also made the Territory SUV, which also stopped production in 2016. The Falcon's production ended when the Broadmeadows and Geelong factories closed. The Geelong factory made its last Australian-made engines on September 26, 2016. Assembly at Broadmeadows finished on October 7, 2016. This ended Ford's 88 years of making cars in Australia.

Ford Australia was one of Ford's five global product development centers. Since 2016, it now brings in all its cars and trucks from other countries for the Asia/Pacific region. The company kept about 1300 workers in Australia for design and engineering.

Ford Australia's Facilities

Ford Australia was one of five global centers for developing new products. It focused on the Asia Pacific and African regions. They helped develop cars like the Ford Ikon and Fiesta for India and the Ford Bantam ute for South Africa. They also developed the new Ranger.

On January 24, 2019, more than 100 engineers and designers lost their jobs at Ford in Victoria. This happened as Ford continued to make its operations smaller. Ford said that engineering work for its Ranger ute and other models would now be led from the United States. However, some Australian engineers still have an important role in developing a new medium-sized pickup truck for Ford.

Cars Made by Ford Australia

Ford Territory (2004–2016)

Ford Australia began by putting together Model Ts. As Ford introduced new models, they were also assembled in Australia. During World War II, Ford Australia stopped making cars. Instead, they made military equipment to help with the war.

After the war, Ford started assembling imported Ford models again. First, they put together the UK-made Pilot. Then came a range of British cars, including the Prefect, Anglia, Consul, Zephyr, and Zodiac. Ford also assembled the Canadian Ford V8.

Hatchback Cars

The Ford Laser was made in Ford's factory in Flemington, Sydney. This happened from 1981 until the plant closed in September 1994. After that, Lasers were brought in from Japan. The Laser was replaced by the Ford Focus in 2002. The Focus is still a popular car today. The Fiesta, a global Ford car, was also sold in Australia between 2004 and 2022.

Mid-size Cars

Mid-size cars once assembled in Australia included the Ford Cortina, Capri, and Escort from the UK. These cars were changed for the Australian market. For example, from 1972, the Cortina could have a larger 3.3-litre or 4.1-litre six-cylinder engine.

The Cortina was replaced by the Mazda 626-based Telstar. This car was first put together in Australia. In 1989, the Telstar sedan was replaced by the Ford Corsair, which was a Nissan Pintara with a Ford badge. When Nissan stopped making cars in Australia in 1992, the Telstar name came back. In 1995, the Telstar was replaced by the Mondeo, which was imported from Belgium.

Ford Australia stopped selling the Mondeo in 2001. They said that type of car was not as popular anymore. But in 2007, they brought a new Mondeo model to Australia.

Large Cars

Ford Falcon (1960–2016)

The Ford Falcon was made in Australia based on a North American design. The first one rolled off the production line at Ford's Broadmeadows factory on June 28, 1960. At first, it was very similar to the American design. But the Falcon struggled on Australia's tough roads. So, Ford made many changes to make it more reliable. By the mid-1960s, the car was very different from its American cousin. It came in many styles, like sedan, wagon, coupé, utility, and panel van.

The North American Falcon stopped being made in 1970. This meant Ford Australia had to design its own Falcon. The first truly all-Australian Ford Falcon was the XA model, launched in June 1972. Later Falcon models, like the XD and XE (1979-1984), looked similar to Ford Europe's Granada II. However, they were still completely Australian in their engineering and shared almost no parts with the European car.

The Falcon was an Australian "automotive icon" for most of its 56 years. It was a big part of Australian culture and motor racing. Falcons were used as taxis, police cars, family cars, and work vehicles. They won many times in the Australian Touring Car Championship and the Bathurst 1000 race. The Falcon's reputation for great engineering was set in the early 1970s with the Falcon GT and GTHO "muscle car" versions.

Ford made over four million Falcons between 1960 and 2016. It was often the best-selling car. By 2016, the Falcon was only sold as a sedan and a utility vehicle. In the past, there were also panel vans, station wagons, and hardtops. Falcons were very popular as taxis in Australia and New Zealand, along with their sister car, the Ford Fairlane. Powerful versions of the Falcon were used by police for many years.

Luxury Cars

Ford Fairlane (1959–2007)

Ford Australia also made large luxury cars alongside the Falcon for most of its history. These models were called the Fairlane and the LTD. The first Fairlane, released in 1959, was an Australian-assembled version of the US Fairlane. US cars continued to be assembled until 1967. Then, Ford Australia designed its own luxury car, the ZA Fairlane. It was based on the Falcon but had a longer body and small style changes.

Ford Fairlanes were often chosen by politicians and business people. In 1972, a new model, the LTD, joined the Fairlane range. It was a Fairlane with more features, like hidden headlights and a vinyl roof. From the third generation of Fairlane onwards, the LTD shared the same body as the Fairlane. It was sold as a more luxurious version of the Fairlane.

The Fairlane was the top-selling luxury car in Australia for twenty years. But its popularity slowly dropped in the late 1980s as more European cars like BMW and Mercedes Benz were imported. By the year 2000, the Fairlane was outsold by the Holden Statesman. In 2007, Ford Australia announced it would stop making the Fairlane and LTD. This was because sales were falling, and the future of large luxury cars was uncertain.

Ford's Current and Former Cars

Current Vehicle Range

• Ford Mustang
• Ford Puma
• Ford Mustang Mach-E
• Ford Everest
• Ford Ranger
• Ford F-150
• Ford Tourneo
• Ford Transit Custom
• Ford Transit

Former Vehicle Range

• Ford Escape (2001-2023)
• Ford Fiesta (2004–2022)
• Ford Focus (2003–2022)
• Ford Mondeo (1995–2000, 2007–2020)
• Ford Ecosport (2013–2020)
• Ford Endura (2018–2020)
• Ford Falcon (1960–2016)
• Ford Territory (2004–2016)
• Ford Fairlane (1967–2007)
• Ford Courier (1973–2007)
• Ford Explorer (1996–2005)
• Ford Econovan (1980–2004)
• Ford Ka (1999–2003)
• Ford Cougar (1999–2002)
• Ford Laser (1981–2002)
• Ford Festiva (1991–2000)
• Ford Taurus (1996–1998)
• Ford Probe (1994–1997)
• Ford Maverick (1988–1994)
• Ford Telstar (1982–1994)
• Ford Capri (1969–1972, 1989–1994)
• Ford Corsair (1989–1992)
• Ford Bronco (1981–1987)
• Ford Meteor (1981–1987)
• Ford Cortina (1964–1982)
• Ford Escort (1970–1981)
• Ford Landau (1973–1976)
• Ford Galaxie (1964–1972)
• Ford Anglia (1939–1967)
• Ford Consul (1956–1962)
• Ford Zephyr (1951–1962)
• Ford Custom (1949–1962)
• Ford Prefect (1939–1961)
• Ford Customline (1952–1959)
• Ford Mainline (1952–1959)
• Ford Pilot (1949–1951)

Sponsorships

Ford Australia is a big supporter of the Geelong Football Club. This partnership started in 1925, making it one of the longest sports sponsorships in the world!

In August 2023, Ford Australia announced a major partnership with Basketball Australia. As part of this multi-year deal, the Ford logo will be on the jerseys of the Australia men's national basketball team and the Australia women's national basketball team.

Ford Australia also partners with Deakin University. They help fund the Ford Australia Women in STEAM Scholarship, which supports women in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.

Images for kids

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  Ford Model T parked outside the Geelong Library at its launch in Australia in 1925.

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  Ford Australia plant under construction in Geelong in 1926.

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  Ford Australia stamping plant in Geelong was closed in 2016.

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  Ford Capri (Australian developed model)

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  2001 Ford Laser