FG Falcon: Ford denies it's the least "Australian"

THE level of Australian-sourced components in the Ford Falcon has dropped to 60 per cent in the FG series – but its chief engineer refuses to accept that it is the least-Australian Falcon ever built.

Asked whether it was fair to describe the FG in these terms, Trevor Worthington told GoAuto that an increase in components sourced from overseas was inevitable but its Australian character was not in doubt considering the engineering work undertaken here.

“We have engineered this car – the team that engineered BA Falcon, that engineered Territory (and) that engineered BF Falcon, engineered this car,” he emphasised.

“We are the only team that design our own engines. We are the only team that’s able to create the base, the turbo and the premium-ness in this engine range. We’re very, very proud of the fact that the whole body, the whole engineering program was led in Australia, all under my people.

“And I think at the end of the day the Australian content in this car is at least as good or better than other cars in the segment. So I’m not sure anybody would say that it’s the least Australian.”

Having said that, Mr Worthington admitted that demands for new technology have forced the company to look offshore. A fully-imported V6 engine arrives in 2010.

“There has been a spill-out in the local supply base over the last two to three years, and so part of the inevitability of that is that we have to work with global suppliers that can deliver technology that our customers expect,” he said.

“There is a level of technology that we couldn’t get made here. A lot of the front suspension members, because of the uniqueness of the forging process and the machining process, are made overseas.

“(But) I wouldn’t say that there’s been a big movement. Most of the interior cockpit is all still locally supplied. The fuel tank is still locally supplied. Rear suspension is still local, all the major stampings are stamped in Australia.

“I think it’s just the nature of the globalisation of the industry, and if you want the best technology then sometimes that’s what you need to do. We would always prefer to work with a local supplier given everything else, but if that’s not an alternative then we go where we have to.”

As to the degree in which the FG Falcon is “all-new”, Mr Worthington said: “The upper body is all-new and the under body is about 80 per cent new.

“Where we have been able to carry over some bits, we have. But this is a substantially – probably like 90 to 94 per cent, in terms of part numbers – new car.”

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