October 7 2016 for the last Australian made Ford

[new2ford]

I gotta say I feel for you guys because I've been through this once before with the end of a local manufacturer that designed some excellent cars. I was won over to the Ford camp only to see the same thing happen all over again! Although in the long term it was predictable and inevitable, the way the country was being "restructured".

If a globalised "One Ford" is the way Ford HQ has to save itself, you can't begrudge them that, but unfortunately for the discerning consumer it leads to a bland, dumbed down product.

Looking back a decade there was still Ford's excellent European range and the talented Australian designs. Personally I was very keen to stay with Ford it was looking so bright - then this. Unfortunately it's all USA-directed so we won't see anything particularly good or interesting again.

Even in Europe, I see the once-excellent and top-selling Focus having its head chopped off by VAG group models that capture the needs of the market much better.

In Australia, there will be nothing from Ford that will replace the design excellence of the Falcon and Territory, though I hope the Australian-designed push into the 4WD market (Ranger, Everest) will give Toyota's dominance there a bit of a bruising. If you're buying in that 4WD/light-truck sector I reckon that's the best path for a Ford enthusiast in Australia and I certainly hope the local design centre is allowed to survive and keep doing its excellent stuff.

Unfortunately I'm not in that sector of the market so it has to be bye bye to Ford. As I said, been through it before and it's painful.

And as for what's happened to Australian industry I seriously worry for my kids where exactly this country is going to go in the future.