A decade on: Our favourite Australian-made Fords

Ford Australia stopped manufacturing cars in Australia exactly a decade ago on October 7, 2016, when the final Ford Falcon and Ford Territory rolled off the production line at Broadmeadows, north of Melbourne.

It was a sad farewell to more than 90 years of Ford manufacturing in Australia, starting with assembly of the Model T in Geelong in 1925, with the end of local manufacturing coming as the Blue Oval brand increasingly switched its priorities to models such as the now top-selling Ford Ranger ute.

In between the Model T and those final Falcons and Territory models, Ford produced some of the most iconic Australian vehicles across several segments, and became one of the most popular auto brands in the country.

While its local history is dominated by the Falcon, Ford Australia built vehicles such as the Coupe Utility, the world's first ‘ute’ developed by Lewis Bandt; local versions of the Cortina, including the 1965 Cortina GT 500 Bathurst homologation special; and the Mazda-based Ford Laser in 1981, and its 1989 Capri convertible spin-off.

Ford Australia's world-class design centre, still in operation today, as well as ground-up vehicle engineering capability – which has been reduced in size, but is still going – produced significant models like the XA Falcon, the alloy cylinder-head developed with Honda for the 1979 XD Falcon, and specials like the Carla Zampatti Laser and the LTD Cartier.

They’re almost side stories for die-hards compared with the legendary 1971 XY Phase III GT-HO Falcon, the undisputed poster child of iconic Australian performance cars, and multiple Tickford and FPV (Ford Performance Vehicles) performance cars.

The endless debate over which is best may never be settled, but Australian-made Fords have played a role in many of our lives, transported us to and from significant life moments – and occasionally interrupted them – and that can’t be disputed.

Sometimes they let us down (like my poorly modified 1976 Mark II Ford Escort). At other times, they were cherished members of the family.

Ten years since the lights went out, here are some of the most revered Australian-made Fords across the CarExpert editorial crew.

Paul Maric, Founder

2016 Ford FG X Falcon Sprint sedan

This is an easy one: while most Ford fans loved the V8, it was the turbocharged six that did it for me.

My favourite was the final XR6 Sprint, and a close second was the last run of the FPV F6 310. It was the culmination of Australian engineering at Ford, with the F6 310, for me, being the most potent-looking recent Falcon.

While the supercharged V8 looked and sounded great, there was always a charm to the turbo six and, as history has shown, its ability to be tuned within an inch of its life demonstrated how much headroom was baked into these locally built engines.

A bunch of the guys who worked on fast Fords then went on to develop the Ranger and Everest. It’s part of the reason the Ranger Raptor is such a weapon of a dual-cab in its own right.

Alborz Fallah, Founder

1991 Ford EB Falcon sedan

My first car was a lavender EB Falcon passed down to me from my dad. With its 14-inch tyres, a Formula 1-hopeful pilot and zero active safety features, the fact that I did not die in that car is a testament to good luck and Ford’s engineering.

Nonetheless, towards the end it gave me nothing but problem after problem, with possibly everything that could go wrong, going wrong. It was the first and last Ford I ever owned.

Marton Pettendy, Managing Editor

1964 Ford XM Falcon

There’ve been several significant homegrown Fords over the past 101 years, not least the all-conquering current RA-series Ranger ute and related UB-series Everest SUV, both launched in 2022, and the one and only Falcon-based Territory – Australia’s first locally developed SUV, sold for more than a dozen years from 2004.

But the most important Falcon isn’t the first Australian-made one, released in 1960, given the original XK was effectively a locally built version of the US Falcon – nor is it the final, finest Falcon, the FG X, which was launched in 2014 and closed the door on 91 years of Ford manufacturing and 56 years of Falcon production Down Under in 2016.

No, it’s the 1964 XM Falcon, which was developed on the rough gravel roads of Cape Catastrophe, at the bottom of South Australia’s rugged Eyre Peninsula, before the You Yangs proving ground was established and the later XP Falcon proved its mettle there with the nine-day, 70,000-mile durability run in 1965 (pictured here).

While the higher-profile XP is widely regarded as the car that banished the fragile reputation of earlier Falcons, including the original XK – which was never properly tested in local conditions despite being advertised as such – the XM was actually the first Australian-engineered Falcon.

Ford Australia spent a million pounds and developed 1500 new components to fix it, including beefier clutches, ball joints, axles, shock absorbers, windscreens, wipers and headlights, then sent six engineers to test it for 1000 miles a day over several weeks before allowing journalists to sample the finished product on the same roads.

The bold move set the Falcon up for success over the following decades, including in the 1980s when the bigger, boxier XD and XE outsold the equivalent Holden Commodores, and started a tradition of vehicle development that continues to this day at Ford Australia.

James Wong, Senior Editor – Reviews

2004 Ford Territory

Unlike many of my colleagues, I haven't had many Fords in the family, save for my dad's Laser TX-3 in the early '90s, which my parents fondly remember putting me in the back of, then laughing as I sniffled, squinted, then asked for the pop-out windows to be opened. Anyway, I digress...

The reason I've chosen the Territory is because when I grew up in the late '90s and 2000s, the Territory was arguably Ford Australia's golden child. It was also ahead of its time, being a car-based, seven-seat SUV that was nice to drive and helped pioneer a segment that's now a staple of today's new-car market.

I tried my darndest to get Dad to buy a Territory Ghia in 2006 and failed. Instead, he chose a Kluger Grande for its more premium-feeling interior in lieu of the Territory's superior on-road manners – or so it was reported at the time.

The impact the Territory nameplate has had on Australian families from the mid-2000s through to the late 2010s cannot be overstated. It's such a shame it couldn't save local manufacturing; I'd be interested to see what it could have evolved into today – and yes, I'm ignoring the Chinese-built Ford Territory.

While we're on the topic, the closure of Ford's Australian manufacturing operations 10 years ago was the basis of one of my first feature projects as a young, budding automotive journalist.

I was lucky enough to sit down with a number of Ford lifers who, while sad that their time with the Blue Oval was coming to an end, provided wonderful accounts of their respective journeys through the ranks of the brand's local operations, some spanning three or four decades.

William Stopford, Senior Editor – News

2002 Ford BA Falcon XR6 (manual)

My family had always been a Holden family, dating back to the 1970s. My first car was a Holden. And yet the first car I bought with my own money was a 2004 Ford BA Falcon, and it remains my favourite Aussie Ford.

The 2002 BA was a $500 million overhaul of the controversial AU, giving it more conventional and decidedly elegant styling inside and out. The interior, in particular, was a much nicer place to be than the rival Commodore. There was now a turbocharged inline six available in addition to a new 5.4-litre V8, but the base 4.0-litre inline six was an excellent mill and much better than the V6 in the rival Commodore.

I had test-driven a VY Commodore S manual but was unimpressed, and looked to the Falcon. My BA was a naturally aspirated XR6 – I was on my Ps, so I couldn't get an XR6 Turbo – with the rare five-speed manual. It was finished in Phantom purple with that purple-accented fabric upholstery, and the previous owner had poorly repainted the wheels black and fitted a loud exhaust.

I had actually narrowly missed out on buying a dark-green XR6 manual with the optional black leather and sunroof. But once I found my purple Falcon, I was in love. Other than a couple of minor build-quality bugbears, the Falcon didn't put a foot wrong, and I only sold it because I was moving overseas.

Just remember, this was a time when Ford Australia was doing a much more impressive job at this end of the market than any of the Blue Oval's overseas subsidiaries, even if the Holden Commodore had retaken the sales crown in the late 1990s.

Ford of Europe's dopey-looking Scorpio was dead. In the US, the Taurus was being left to wither on the vine, while the Crown Victoria was a relic with a weak V8. It's appalling that Ford Australia was never given a left-hand drive export program like Holden's, because this car would've run rings around a Crown Vic.

Let's not forget, either, that the BA Falcon spawned the Territory. The Aussie automakers were often criticised for not building what people wanted, but the Territory was exactly the right car – or rather, SUV – for the moment.

I later bought a Holden VE Calais, but it wasn't long before I was back in another Aussie Ford: an FG Falcon G6E. It was good too, but I still miss my BA XR6 manual...

Ben Zachariah, Road Test Editor

2006 Ford Territory Turbo

I grew up as a dyed-in-the-wool Holden fanboy. Partly because Holden was an Australian-born brand, but I also fell in love with V8 Supercars in the 1990s – watching Brock, Lowndes and Skaife dominate in VS, VT, VX and VZ Commodore race cars. Then I grew up and discovered other cars existed, but my love for Holden never went away.

When Ford and Holden shut down local manufacturing, I began to care less about what badge was on the grille and just appreciated these cars for what they were – world-class vehicles developed by a nation with a population smaller than Texas.

After spending six months driving a Holden VF Commodore wagon, and loving it, I realised that I'd reached my 30s without ever having owned an Aussie car. So I began my search to replace my old HiLux as my daily, which led me to my Ford SY Territory Turbo Ghia.

Despite prices of all V8-powered Holdens and Fords going through the roof, the Territory still seems to be underappreciated. On paper, the Terry Turbo is a special thing: a 4.0-litre turbocharged inline six sending 245kW and 480Nm to all four wheels through a ZF six-speed automatic transmission.

Keep in mind, the top-spec BMW E53 X5 4.6iS of the same period produced only 15kW more and the same torque from its 4.6-litre V8, and used a ZF five-speed auto. The BMW cost $152,300, whereas the Ford cost just $65,490.

With an LPG system fitted, aftermarket Bluetooth and a good set of tyres, the Territory was a fantastic car for me for many years. I used to spend every other weekend driving hours to Central Victoria or Gippsland, and no matter the weather, the Ford would sit on cruise control at 110km/h and get me to my destination in safety and comfort.

I always thought of the Territory Turbo as a bit like a seven-seat SUV version of the Nissan Skyline GT-R, with a powerful turbo-six and all-wheel drive. Or perhaps a Toyota Mk4 Supra – not being that special dynamically, but having Australia’s version of the bulletproof 2JZ under the bonnet.

The Territory is becoming a rarer sight on Australian roads these days, but it remains underappreciated for what it was: a powerful family car that satiated Australia's increasing appetite for SUVs.

Sean Lander, Video Producer

2005 Ford BF Falcon XR8 ute

Finally, after nearly a decade of working in this industry, someone has asked a question I'm qualified to answer – except I can’t.

I have been blue-blooded my whole life; I came home from the hospital in an EA. Growing up, we had F-250s, F-350s, an ED, a Ford Louisville 9000 with a 48-foot gooseneck, and my first set of wheels was an AU ute (R.I.P.). My second car was an AU Forte, finished in striking gold with a waterfall grille – I stand by it, they aged gracefully.

My family lineage with Ford extends back to pre-Broadmeadows. My Pop got around in Fords, and they bought the first-generation Falcon – the XK – and I believe they also had an XL wagon.

My favourite movie is Mad Max; there's just something about a hardtop XB that gets me excited. I'm a touring car nutter, so Moffat and Bond at Bathurst in 1977 tingles the spine, as does Dick Johnson with the XD and ‘The Rock’ in 1980, his Greens-Tuf XE in 1983-84, and in more recent years soaring to success in 2013 with Frosty driving the FG and Mostert in the FG X.

I love them all. Every time I see an FPV getting around I smile, because I know that person is having a great day.

The XA changed the Australian automotive industry, the XY is one of the most sought-after cars in the world – and was the fastest four-door for a spell – while the BA showed the world Aussies can make a powerhouse that can decimate the Europeans.

But if it all boils down to choosing one car, I would choose the one I have in my garage: the BF XR8 ute, with a manual gearbox and a custom exhaust behind the 260 Boss V8, plus the power bulge in the bonnet, a six-stacker CD player, and sloppy handling.

Few cars bring me as much joy as that beast does. I hope I never have to sell it, because there will never be another car like it – unless Ram brings the Rumble Bee...

Josh Nevett, Deputy Road Test Editor

2004 Ford Territory

While I've always been a performance-car kinda guy, the Aussie-built Ford that resonates most with me is a seven-seat family SUV.

The Territory mightn't go down in history as one of the greatest Fords, but it sure did the family-chariot thing very, very well. I would know, given Mum owned a 2005 Ghia for several years.

That silver beast took us everywhere – from school to sport to weekend road trips – and I remember it being comfortable (at least in the first two rows), practical, reliable, and generally fuss-free.

Best of all, it came with a DVD player that kept my brother and me distracted on longer journeys, which I'm sure mum and dad appreciated.

Max Davies, Journalist

1974 Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop

My understanding and appreciation of cars was only really beginning as Australia’s favourite auto brands were winding down their local manufacturing operations, so I don’t have quite the same connection to these cars as countless other petrol-heads do.

Further, my family was never wedded to one side of the blue/red rivalry. My dad loves sharing tales of the Cortina he used to drive and endlessly repair, yet the first car I can remember spending meaningful time in was a fairly dull silver VS Commodore.

But if you asked me which of Australia’s two brands I preferred, I'd always say Ford.

There's just something about them that I can't put my finger on, though I must admit I am drawn to the fact the Blue Oval's Australian cars were often more Australian than most of Holden's catalogue, even if I'm still quite fond of the excellent VF Commodore. Thanks, GM.

As for which Fords I find coolest, there are a few. I love the FPV FG GT with its stickers and front-end mascara, and the Mad Max XA is absolutely iconic. My pick, though, is the XB Falcon GT Hardtop, coincidentally also featured in Mad Max.

It looks fantastic with its two-door body and Mustang Mach 1-esque bonnet, yet avoids coming across as gaudy or in-your-face, and it had the gloriously rumbly 351ci Cleveland V8 that couldn't have been a better fit for such a vehicle if Ford tried. It's just so cool.

There’s a box-bound XB Falcon GT Hardtop scale model in the family home, which I was very clearly told not to touch as a young child. Maybe that’s why the real car feels so special.

Damion Smy, Deputy News Editor

2008 Ford FG Falcon G6E Turbo

It’s hard to choose my favourite homegrown Ford; I love early Falcons, I’ve owned a few locally made Escorts too, and of course the Phase III remains a true icon in an era when the term is applied to much, much less worthy stock.

I think the Territory was a masterstroke, and perhaps Ford Australia’s finest hour: a brilliant car, at the right time, with clever marketing. It was Aussie ingenuity and design at its best, at a time when rivals over at Holden were also doing amazing things from a single vehicle platform.

Yet I cannot forget the brilliance of the FG G6E Turbo we took to my mum’s birthday in 2009. I love the more powerful FPV F6E, but the G6E Turbo’s cleaner exterior, as a luxury car rather than an out-and-out performance model, meant it flew much lower under the radar – but it still utterly flew.

It looked like a non-turbo Falcon, apart from the larger 19-inch alloys and the gaudy front-guard badges I hated, so to the untrained eye it may as well have been a fax-machine salesman’s rig.

Yet that amazing 270kW/550Nm turbocharged six raised hell when you nailed it – although it needed an LSD – and the beige interior was classy, comfortable and as inviting as a cloud. There was nothing like it, and there isn’t anymore.

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