CATEGORIES

• Ask ColCam
• Commercials
• Full Ford
• Going Ford
• Industry News
• My Wheels
• Racing
• Events
• Test Drive
• Ford Dealer List

SPECIAL

Ford Territory

SPECIAL

Ford Territory

Falcon Celebrates 45 Years on the Road

Staff, Tuesday June 28, 2005.

Page 1 of 1

On June 28, 1960, the first Australian-built XK Falcon rolled off the production line at Broadmeadows, launching the longest continuous model line in Australian motoring history.

Since then, Australians have bought more than 3 million Falcons, making the iconic brand the biggest selling in the history of Australian motoring.

Ford Australia President Tom Gorman said the Falcon had a unique place in Australia's social history.

"Over the years, the Falcon has established itself as a brand name synonymous with Australian innovation in design and engineering," he said.

"It has spearheaded the charge by the Australian motoring industry to become a world class player with a car featuring the latest in engineering technology, and personifying the changes in styling tastes of Australians over more than four decades.

"In the sixties, the Falcon was all chrome and white wall tyres, while in the seventies we had burnt orange soft top Falcon coupes to go with our flares and platform shoes.

"Today, the BA MkII Falcon reflects Australia's growing sophistication in the world of the 21st century."

Mr Gorman said most Australians had a special memory of a Falcon.

"It might have been watching Moffat, Johnson or Ambrose greet the chequered flag on their way to another race win, their first set of wheels after securing their driver's licence or loading up the Falcon wagon for the traditional family holiday," he said.

The Falcon has been part of Australian life longer than colour television, decimal currency, maternity leave, the jumbo jet, the pill, Four Corners and the Opera House.

During its lifetime, the Falcon has seen ten prime ministers, five popes, ten Olympic Games and two national anthems.

The BA Falcon is the 21st model designation for the Falcon. It is estimated that Australian Falcons have collectively covered more than 450 billion kilometres since they first hit the road in 1960.

Pictures

Today, the XK Falcon lined up alongside the latest BA Falcon MkII at the Ford Discovery Centre in Geelong to mark the occasion.

Also on hand were two Ford employees who ? like the XK Falcon ? started their careers in 1960.

Giorgio Torcia began work as a maintenance fitter in July 1960, and has continued to work in the body build department of the Broadmeadows plant ever since.

Torcia has seen every iteration of the Falcon go down the line in his time.

"When I started there it was all manual labor and we lifted every part of the car to put it together.

"There were no robots, all the welding was done by hand.

"The way we build cars today is 300 per cent better than how we did it then," he said.

Allan Jones began work in production control in Ford Geelong and went onto a career in product engineering that has also spanned every version of the Falcon.

"Back then we didn't have computers, it was all manual labor.

"Everything we do now is just so far advanced from the way did things then."

Captions

Picture 1 ? The old and the new. One of the very first XK Falcons lines up alongside a current Falcon BA MkII XR8 to mark 45 years since Ford Australia started assembling Australia's longest running and biggest selling nameplate ? the Falcon.

Picture 2 ? Ford Australia workers Giorgio Torcia (left) and Allan Jones were on hand to commemorate the 45th anniversary since Ford started assembling the Falcon. Both men started their long running careers with Ford the same year as the first XK Falcon rolled off the assembly line in 1960 and have seen every one of the 20 different models that have been built in Australia since then.

Picture 3 - Ford Australia workers Allan Jones (left) and Giorgio Torcia were young men when they started their careers with Ford in 1960, the same year the first XK Falcon rolled off the assembly line. They are still with Ford and have played their part in the construction of more than 3 million Falcons since then.

Picture 4 ? Creature comforts were far and few between when Ford Australia workers Allan Jones (front) and Giorgio Torcia started work on the first XK Falcon back in 1960. No CD, no bucket seats, no cruise control ? just a cigarette lighter and two-speed heater! Both men have continued their careers with Ford Australia since then.

High resolution images can be downloaded from www.autonews.net.au

For further information, please contact:
Ford Australia Public Affairs
Phone: 03-9359 8491
Fax: 03-9359 8900

Previous Article: Ford Racing to Mark Falcon Milestone in Darwin
Next Article: Falcon Celebrates 45 Years - The Falcon in Australian History