Shannons Design to Driveway Series

Ford17 · 26-10-2022, 12:35 AM

Episode 2 - David Ford - Ford Australia Product Planner

The XC Landau design looked interesting - it's at the 17:55 mark:

Bossxr8 · 26-10-2022, 11:50 AM

I watched this yesterday. Some interesting insights.

**DFB FGXR6** · 26-10-2022, 09:27 PM

I loved this one with Leo Pruneau. No bullsh.t here, he even unloaded on the golden boy Brock.

Ford17 · 30-10-2022, 12:16 PM

Episode 3 is now available - on Crysler and Mitsubishi Australia:

This is the link for what will be a 7 part series:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...KU85PUnWShY5Tx

Paull · 03-11-2022, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ford17

Episode 2 - David Ford - Ford Australia Product Planner

The XC Landau design looked interesting - it's at the 17:55 mark:

Fun fact. The P6 LTD vertical grille moulding has "Landau" cast into it. In that, the P6 Landau was definitely well into the production planning phase.

EBSXR6 · 04-11-2022, 03:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ford17

The XC Landau design looked interesting - it's at the 17:55 mark:

Looking at the rear of the Landau, a dual exhaust would have made the rear look better.

**DFB FGXR6** · 06-11-2022, 06:11 PM

This weeks episode features Holden's Phil Zmood -

Dr Smith · 06-11-2022, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I loved this one with Leo Pruneau. No bullsh.t here, he even unloaded on the golden boy Brock.

Interesting to hear Leo say the VK Commodore was the first time the local designers just didn't get handed the Opel design and were able to have more input.

Ford17 · 13-11-2022, 12:31 PM

Episode 5 - Leyland design

**janddbone** · 13-11-2022, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ford17

Episode 5 - Leyland design

When is a Rover not a Rover.

Ford17 · 20-11-2022, 12:34 PM

Episode 6 - Graham Wadsworth - Ford Australia Designer

Mainly AU to BA design, plus they designed a doomed Aussie Mustang.

**DFB FGXR6** · 20-11-2022, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ford17

Episode 6 - Graham Wadsworth - Ford Australia Designer

Mainly AU to BA design, plus they designed a doomed Aussie Mustang.

This is my favorite episode yet!

Plenty of interesting info with this one, lots of explanation regarding the AU and BA Falcon's, especially comments regarding the design of the first gen Mercedes CLS.

Not surprisingly, more evidence supporting the internal competition and "not invented here" syndrome that hampered Ford Australia's opportunities.

Dr Smith · 20-11-2022, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

This is my favorite episode yet!

Plenty of interesting info with this one, lots of explanation regarding the AU and BA Falcon's, especially comments regarding the design of the first gen Mercedes CLS.

Not surprisingly, more evidence supporting the internal competition and "not invented here" syndrome that hampered Ford Australia's opportunities.

I agree.. more divulged here than years of gossip and inuendo...very powerful silo mentality.

Interesting to hear the BA work was well underway before AU first gen was released after the positive feedback initially received at early design stage for AU completely changed by the time it was nearing release....and the knowledge if they got BA wrong there was no second chance.

Made me also think if BA was released before AU and AU followed on say 8 years later what might have been....?

**DFB FGXR6** · 20-11-2022, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Smith

I agree.. more divulged here than years of gossip and inuendo...very powerful silo mentality.

Interesting to hear the BA work was well underway before AU first gen was released after the positive feedback initially received at early design stage for AU completely changed by the time it was nearing release....and the knowledge if they got BA wrong there was no second chance.

Made me also think if BA was released before AU and AU followed on say 8 years later what might have been....?

I really liked the tapered side profile of the AU sedan, the strong belt line and the arching rear light/boot lid aesthetics. I even liked the waterfall grill, teamed with the central ridge line on the low-series/XR bonnets. The roof line that domes front to back AND left to right is what ruined the design in my opinion.

For me, I would like to see an AU Falcon design drawing that removes the domed roof and ovoid front and back windscreens. In other words, a BA roof and glass on the AU body..........or the Mecedes CLS.

Dr Smith · 20-11-2022, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I really liked the tapered side profile of the AU sedan, the strong belt line and the arching rear light/boot lid aesthetics. I even liked the waterfall grill, teamed with the central ridge line on the low-series/XR bonnets. The roof line that domes front to back AND left to right is what ruined the design in my opinion.

For me, I would like to see an AU Falcon design drawing that removes the domed roof and ovoid front and back windscreens. In other words, a BA roof and glass on the AU body..........or the Mecedes CLS.

I'm going to rewatch the show and take more note of the designs and mockups shown because ironically the boot deck height and profile you may be referring to was lowered on Nasser's say so straight after he got back to the US having spent the weekend in the local Ford design studio.
And maybe I'm too Ford biased but the pictures and mock-up of the Aussie Mustang looked better than the Monaro as I've always felt the Monaro was too bulbous over the rear arch and quarter panel.

**DFB FGXR6** · 20-11-2022, 06:56 PM

This design caught my eye, check out the variation on the headlamps, a single dip down a nod to the BA XR -

**DFB FGXR6** · 20-11-2022, 07:19 PM

Check out this one with XR style headlights.

You can see a Ford Europe influence with these ones -

These have shades of Ford US / Lincoln -

**DFB FGXR6** · 20-11-2022, 07:22 PM

Some AU proposels -

Alternative XR headlight treatment -

This AU design is almost identical to the 2005 CLS, note the straighter rear glass -

Bossxr8 · 21-11-2022, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Smith

I'm going to rewatch the show and take more note of the designs and mockups shown because ironically the boot deck height and profile you may be referring to was lowered on Nasser's say so straight after he got back to the US having spent the weekend in the local Ford design studio.
And maybe I'm too Ford biased but the pictures and mock-up of the Aussie Mustang looked better than the Monaro as I've always felt the Monaro was too bulbous over the rear arch and quarter panel.

Sounded like Jac the knife had a lot to answer for. I really don't get what happened with him, he was great when he was Ford Australia President, bringing back the V8 and setting things up for the future. Then he ended up at the top at Ford HQ in Dearborn, and completely bottled it, and well as making adjustments to the AU that made it much worse than it could have been.

I wonder what it would have looked like without his negative styling influences. Seems like the more he got envolved, the worse the styling clinic reactions were.

Definitely some S-Max and Mondeo influences in the front ends of those early E265 clays.

Dr Smith · 21-11-2022, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Sounded like Jac the knife had a lot to answer for. I really don't get what happened with him, he was great when he was Ford Australia President, bringing back the V8 and setting things up for the future. Then he ended up at the top at Ford HQ in Dearborn, and completely bottled it, and well as making adjustments to the AU that made it much worse than it could have been.

I wonder what it would have looked like without his negative styling influences. Seems like the more he got envolved, the worse the styling clinic reactions were.

Definitely some S-Max and Mondeo influences in the front ends of those early E265 clays.

I think he also became the fall guy for the "Exploder saga" and wasn't it around his time Ford bought Volvo, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover etc. or merged them into the Premier group with Lincoln etc.......maybe it was a case of "stick to your Knitting" as while the company made probably the biggest profits it's ever achieved in many areas including car manufacturing things changed later.

**DFB FGXR6** · 21-11-2022, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Sounded like Jac the knife had a lot to answer for. I really don't get what happened with him, he was great when he was Ford Australia President, bringing back the V8 and setting things up for the future. Then he ended up at the top at Ford HQ in Dearborn, and completely bottled it, and well as making adjustments to the AU that made it much worse than it could have been.

I wonder what it would have looked like without his negative styling influences. Seems like the more he got envolved, the worse the styling clinic reactions were.

Definitely some S-Max and Mondeo influences in the front ends of those early E265 clays.

I have always thought that it would have made logical sense for the BA Falcon to have followed the EF/EL Falcon. There are enough stylistic themes for that to have been a logical progression.

Having watched that video, it sort of makes sense owing to the fact they started designing the BA Falcon while the EL was still on sale.

**DFB FGXR6** · 21-11-2022, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Smith

I think he also became the fall guy for the "Exploder saga" and wasn't it around his time Ford bought Volvo, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover etc. or merged them into the Premier group with Lincoln etc.......maybe it was a case of "stick to your Knitting" as while the company made probably the biggest profits it's ever achieved in many areas including car manufacturing things changed later.

I think Jac Nasser ended up being the sacrificial lamb. Going from past examples, I'm guessing there was also a bit of not-invented-here syndrome going on there too, as in a dumb "Aussie" running an American car company.

Bossxr8 · 22-11-2022, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I have always thought that it would have made logical sense for the BA Falcon to have followed the EF/EL Falcon. There are enough stylistic themes for that to have been a logical progression.

Having watched that video, it sort of makes sense owing to the fact they started designing the BA Falcon while the EL was still on sale.

The styling themes for Falcon are there in BA for sure, a natural progression. Headlights etc have that similar sort of shape.

That was probably the AU's problem, it didn't carry any themes through and was way too different.

Ford17 · 27-11-2022, 12:50 PM

Final episode 7 - Holden Chief Designer Richard Ferlazzo

barra240t · 28-11-2022, 01:53 PM

Tried to get as many of the Australian designed Mustang as possible but some are covered by the Shannons logo. A few aren't too bad considering they are from the mid 90s. Second last is my fav. Would have loved to have seen what the model looked like.

remove repeated lines

Bossxr8 · 28-11-2022, 02:03 PM

Can see a lot of Mercedes SL and CL in a few of those.

**Gothefalcon** · 01-01-2023, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ford17

Episode 3 is now available - on Crysler and Mitsubishi Australia:

This Chrysler vid focuses on Dennis Nicolle.
In the 70's, when I was just a lad, Dennis rented a flat from my Parents.

Over about 8yrs, I had struck up a friendship with Dennis and he would show me design drawings and other stuff he was working on at Chrysler.

As I've always been such a car nut, I was fascinated by the stories he would tell me of how a car would come to be, from sketch to production, and everything in between.

Dennis took the time to teach me how to draw cars and share some of his techniques etc.
I used those to make some cash by drawing the cars that kids wanted to get, when they left school

Even though I'm a Ford dude through & through, I love all sorts of cars in general... and I was really happy to see that Dennis was getting some deserved recognition in this Shannons series !

D