It’s been said that every Aussie has had a Ford experience, be it owning one, knowing someone who did, or working with the brand – a car maker that at its peak in this country employed some 9,000 people.
For this writer, that began in a paddock that’s now full of houses, with a steel key and a tray full of paint equipment, where I drove my first car. A Ford Falcon XF ute that belonged to my late father.
Never mind the fact I was well below legal age; I eagerly looked forward to those early Saturday morning sessions and it began a life of motoring enthusiasm, much to to the old man’s retrospective discontent.
Exhaust Notes Australia was lucky enough to be there to help Ford recently celebrate a centenary of operations down under, as it transformed Melbourne Showground into a veritable museum.
Ford’s Australian presence began on 31 March 1925, following early scouting work by North American executives from 1923. Geelong was selected as HQ thanks to its deep seaport, available land, proximity to rail and a willing and able pool of workers.
Starting with the assembly and marketing of the venerable Model T, local operations focused on taking global experience across manufacturing and design and building cars like the Ford Falcon to suit the local market.
Anyone with even a skerrick of motoring in the blood will recall the heady days of motor shows and magazine launches showcasing the latest Ford to rival Holden’s Commodore. Australia’s automotive darlings, built by locals for locals.
That same passion drives melancholy about the demise of these nameplates, but that’s for another story on another day. Wandering the paddock and displays had us taking in some incredible examples of Ford’s history in the form of their own heritage vehicle collection.
They were joined by hundreds of examples brought in by motoring clubs. Everything from an XR2 Capri (which we found was owned by an ex-Ford employee) through to a lovely Landau, as well as ex-race cars like Dick Johnson’s Tru Blue XD Falcon.
The event also highlighted historic community engagement and support in the form of sponsorship of the Geelong Cats AFL club, a partnership that was also celebrating a centenary, and one that will continue based on announcements made on the day.
An incredible racing heritage was demonstrated with the presence of multiple drivers (including Supercars), while a video of a live call where Dick Johnson was told he would be supported by Edsel Ford himself following his horrendous Bathurst crash was a tear-jerker.
Comedian and MC for the event, Shane Jacobsen arrived in his very own mint gold ZD Fairlane and was in good company with said race drivers, other enthusiasts donning the blue oval and even motor dealers who had brought the brand to the masses over the years.
Amazingly, there were dealers present who was celebrating their own centenaries supporting Ford Australia. But it was the presence of Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company William Clay Ford Jr that really nailed things home.
After all, this monolithic company was the first to build a mainstream motor vehicle for the masses, markets cars in 180 countries today, and while it’s a publicly listed company, it’s still influenced by the Ford family. These facts were echoed in his words.
The truth is, Ford never stopped doing amazing things in Australia, despite the demise of mass local manufacturing through nameplates like the Falcon. Yes, the size of the team is a fraction of earlier quoted numbers, but local expertise and passion contributes globally.
The Ranger is engineered here and is the biggest selling vehicle in Australia, but is also sold in every market that Ford operates in, across the globe. With the launch of the Ranger Super Duty, the local team has again created a new market for utes.
Much like they did with the Raptor all those years ago, the Australian development team has again been key. Automotive manufacturing is far from dead in Australia, it’s just, different – and Ford has no plans to step away from that any time soon either.
