Ford has been manufacturing cars here in Australia, locally since 1925. The first ever Ford Falcons were sold back in 1960. The first generations of the Ford Falcon included the XK, XL, XM and the XP. The last and final generations for the Ford Falcon here in Australia include the FG and the FGX.
Holden have been manufacturing the Holden Commodore in Australia since 1978. The original Commodores were only available as a sedan and then in 1979, consumers had the choice of a station wagon or sedan. The first generation Holden Commodore included the VB, VC, VH, VK and the VL.
According to the sales statistics for 2015, both Holden and Ford suffered and took a plunge in sales, with Holden dropping 2.9% and Ford dropping a huge 11.6%. Hyundai and Mitsubishi overtook Holden and Ford in sales. Ford dropped out of the top 5 car sales brand for the first time. In December 2015 the top ten brands (in order) were Toyota, Mazda, Holden, Mitsubishi, Hyundai, Ford, Nissan, Volkswagen, Subaru and Honda. The public demand for smaller and more economic vehicles (over the once popular SUV’s or larger sedans) has caused the big drop in sales. We do wonder what type of an affect the closure of Ford and Holden are also having on sales in Australia.
However, there is a glimmer of hope yet for Holden and Toyota. Kim Carr, the Shadow Industry Minister stated that it would boost funding by approximately $300 million to keep the manufacturing industry operational in Australia for a short period of time and would assist with the research and development within the car industry.
So, we will have our beloved Commodore and Falcon for a little while longer. The last generation of these models will always hold a special place in the heart of all Australians and the car manufacturing industry.