DFB's Image Collection

[DFB FGXR6]

FG-X Falcon continued..........................

The Final Falcon (and Territory) -

On the 7th of October 2016, the last cars rolled off the Broadmeadows production line. Having completed its first car on the 20th of August 1959, it ended 57-years of car making on the site, while also ending more than 91 years of Ford production in Australia. The Geelong Engine Plant (GEP) made its last engines on the 26th of September 2016, a 5.0 Miami V8 and a Barra Turbo.











A Kinetic Blue Falcon XR6 sedan and a Territory Titanium in Winter White were the last two vehicles to roll down the line. However, there is some conjecture over this. Those last two vehicles were not fitted with VIN numbers, and which one actually crossed the line last I can’t say, you would hope it was the Falcon. There were also four vehicles that were auctioned off for charity, so it's safe to assume those were the last to be serialized. Those vehicles included a Kinetic Blue Falcon XR6 sedan, a Lightning Strike Territory Titanium diesel, a Winter White Falcon XR6 Sprint and a Smoke XR6 Turbo. So in a way, there were six vehicles that all have some claim to being the last.

From memory, those four auction vehicles didn’t raise a lot of money, there whereabouts today is unknown. The final Falcon Ute, Falcon Sedan and Territory are likely housed within Ford Australia’s heritage collection. Without serial numbers, those cars can’t be sold or registered, so that gives some hope Ford will hold onto and protect them. On the other hand, it also exposes them to the crusher if Ford US executives got their way.





































Following the factory closures, in mid-October 2016, Ford held an event in partnership with Wheels Magazine. This allowed Ford and its ex-employees to regroup a little after the heavy media surrounding the closures. The idea of the event was to engage with Falcon fans, which to me at least showed Ford had acknowledged the impact the closures had on their most loyal customers. In actual fact, Ford didn’t need to do that.



Held at Avalon Airport, the day was intended as a celebration of Australian made Ford’s, and Falcon in particular. The event was hosted by Wheels Magazine, readers were asked to register their interest and were selected to take part in a morning or afternoon session. Various Ford and Wheel’s representatives were present including Ford president Graeme Whickman, engineer Justin Capicchiano, drivers Mark Winterbottom and Cameron Waters, and Wheels editor Glen Butler and long-term contributor Peter Robinson. A broad selection of Falcon’s made up the indoor display, including the last cars off the line, which attendees could stand next to for photos.











In many ways, it was essentially a wake. However, it was clear Ford had a message to get across. The event itself was termed “Falcon, The Legacy Lives On”, with Ford outlining how the same people who brought us Falcon, were continuing their work in Australia work on other Ford products, naturally with a focus on Ranger.

Vehicles on display were drafted from the various Ford and Falcon car clubs. Many of the cars were also used for a Wheels photo shoot to accompany a story that was published soon after.











I was lucky enough to be selected to attend this event. While the day was split into morning and afternoon sessions, I actually stayed beyond the changeover into the afternoon session. It was a weird day actually. Despite being surrounded by so many fine examples of the Falcon lineage, it just felt really sad that this was the last time Falcon fans would get to engage with Ford like this. In some ways it reminded me of the old FPV open days, being surrounded by beautiful cars, like-minded people, and set against the backdrop of factory that made our cars. And while that was certainly the case here, it was also heartbreaking that something like this would never happen again.

Still, it was an incredibly special moment standing next to the last Australian made Ford's.