The place of an all-Australian Ford Falcon is looking uncertain.

Ford Motor Company CEO, Alan Mulally, talked about having only one large vehicle platform that would be built for all global markets under the company's One Ford programme.

Mr Mulally said, the best thing for Ford is to bring our scale and volume to the marketplace.

These comments are almost in complete contrast to the new direction that Toyota Japan are looking to do with their new global strategy announanced in the second week of March 2011. They are planning to move away from the old adage that one size fits all and are looking to emerging markets with solutions to fit those market expectations.

Is this possibly Australia & New Zealand's last Ford Falcon?

Mr Mulally went on to say Car-makers who make one vehicle, a different vehicle for one country, I think those days are gone, because you can't compete with the global companies, and Ford's going to be a powerhouse globally. The Ford Australian president, Marin Burela said that, Ford Australia will still be a very important part of the global motor company despite the plans to put an end to the Australian Falcon. The Falcon marked 50 years on Australian and New Zealand roads last year.

Three months ago Marin Burela discussed the future of the Falcon in Australia and New Zealand with the Ford CEO Alan Mulally. He told reporters; one thing for sure is that Ford is now considering its future operations for the replacement of the Falcon. However a final decision is not required for 12 to 18 months. And I'm absolutely confident that the Australian auto industry, having gone through the worst crisis in three generations and remaining pretty much intact, will continue to play a vital part in Australia's future.

What will the Falcon replacement look like?

The likely successor for an Australian designed and engineered Ford Falcon will be a vehicle based on the American Ford Taurus, which unlike the Falcon is a front-wheel drive, transverse engine vehicle. The Taurus was imported to Australia in the late 1990s with very little success. Mr Mulally would not say if Ford Australia would play a leading role in developing the large vehicle platform, or whether a local version of the global vehicle would be built in Australia. I guess we will all wait and see.

14/3/2011