Best Aussie car of last 30 years

[Sprintey]

Originally Posted by hackney

The funny thing is though, the AU, eclipsed all previous model Falcons in production numbers @ 322,838 units.This is for all models(series 1,2,3) the next is the XF (1,ADR37,2) 322,778.Even the BA series couldn’t achieve those numbers in their production runs.

Does that include XA-B-C? I thought they had the best volumes?

[anobserver]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2vwYMO...ature=youtu.be

Originally Posted by Sprintey

Did any of you own one of the AWD Magnas? What were they like? Always thought it was a good idea, and hoped they would do a wagon version.

Bought new in Feb 05, and only just moved it on, 243000 km later. It was a reassuring car to drive, heavier and thirstier than the fwd but a small price to pay for always feeling planted. Took it on a skid pan, understeered like mad, but could oversteer with some handbrake.

Had some design issues including the auto trans wave spring, and some rear suspension issues meaning regular replacement of worn bits. Stem seals were no issue provided the oil was changed half yearly.

We had it for 18 years, but longer term there were looming pain points suggesting it was time to go. Not being mechanically inclined, I couldn't work on it myself. But in all, a very overlooked car. Many magnas weren't maintained, and a part failure often meant they were junked prematurely.

Sounded good too. Took it to Lakeside for all Aussie day, and the young guy at the entrance to the tunnel didn't believe it's been made here in Oz. So funny.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2vwYMO...ature=youtu.be

[Sprintey]

Originally Posted by anobserver

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2vwYMO...ature=youtu.be

Bought new in Feb 05, and only just moved it on, 243000 km later. It was a reassuring car to drive, heavier and thirstier than the fwd but a small price to pay for always feeling planted. Took it on a skid pan, understeered like mad, but could oversteer with some handbrake.

Had some design issues including the auto trans wave spring, and some rear suspension issues meaning regular replacement of worn bits. Stem seals were no issue provided the oil was changed half yearly.

We had it for 18 years, but longer term there were looming pain points suggesting it was time to go. Not being mechanically inclined, I couldn't work on it myself. But in all, a very overlooked car. Many magnas weren't maintained, and a part failure often meant they were junked prematurely.

Sounded good too. Took it to Lakeside for all Aussie day, and the young guy at the entrance to the tunnel didn't believe it's been made here in Oz. So funny.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2vwYMO...ature=youtu.be

That's epic, well done!

[FairmontGS]

380 still looks fresh today. Every example i see is in good order. I would consider owning one as a project track car.

[ute83]

I have one. Love the thing. Over 500k km and still on the original nearly everything. Still goes like it did when I bought it. Base models look like crap though. Not much clear left though.

[Honest Gaza]

Wasn't there a movie once that quoted...
"Give me a Squadron of BA-XR6 Turbos" ?

Most excited I've ever been was when I picked mine up in 2003.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Honest Gaza

Wasn't there a movie once that quoted...
"Give me a Squadron of BA-XR6 Turbos" ?

Most excited I've ever been was when I picked this one up in 2003.

Well close, Spitfires.

[Sprintey]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Well close, Spitfires.

Or these

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIkSbL83Rx4

That's the sound of freedom (from invasion)

[Fordman1]

The Cockroach is now running second

[You Yangs]

AU V8 Fairmont in Sparkling Burgundy. Owned it for 9 years and was an exceptional car.
I'd still have it if i didn't get wiped out by a Bogan Commo Ute owner. Solid car that ended up saving my life.

[FERG_51]

Was a hard decision to make as ive owned most Falcon models over the years but being a mechanic/technician at a Ford dealership since 1978 and owner of a few AU's im giving the vote to the AU. They hands down gave me the least amount of grief over the years. Special mention to the BA turbo, Territory ,the miami powered Falcons and the RTV utes.

[Top_Ghia]

The GT-F was certainly a highlight for me. That car was different. It had a real street presence and quite a raw feel to the power delivery. The owners were also a different breed. They were also finished better than regular Falcons and obviously got a bit more tlc on the production line. I’ve been lucky enough to drive half a dozen of these beasts and I’ll never forget it.

Some may argue the Sprint 6 is really the best Aussie car because the V8 isn’t Australian. That’s probably a valid point. But to me it was a little too subtle and lacked presence on the road. Some may like that. I’ve hardly driven any of these further than around the block.

However. The. Best. Aussie. Car. Of. All. Time. Is….. my 2015 SZ II Barra powered Territory. I love it.

[Sprintey]

The AU and Territory are still neck and neck, and the AU vote is mentioning the substance of the cars, interesting

[janddbone]

AU vs Territory. I think that is a clear vote of style over substance. Love both, only one could get mentioned as the 'best' with any hindsight...

[MITCHAY]

I voted Territory. It was the direction the Aussie industry needed to move towards and Ford did very well to get onto it and made a very good product.

Second place to VE/VF. The VE dug the $1b trench and the VF laid the pipe at least in Redline trim.

It's a shame all round when Aussie manufacturing was producing the best we have ever had that it was closed down :(

[russellw]

I'm going to add an honourable mention for the EcoLPi powered Falcons.

They hardly bothered the sales charts and I doubt more than a few thousand were sold over the ~5 years (from July 2011) they were on sale but they advanced the LPG vehicle into the 21st century and removed nearly all the drawbacks of the vapour systems that had been around in Australia for 5 decades plus.

That they produced more power than the petrol version of the I6 (and that could have been a lot more than it was) while not suffering any increase in consumption and using a fuel that still costs less than half the cost of diesel and ~60% that of petrol makes them a bargain to run.

[Big_Daz]

Easy one, the VF, especially in Series 2 V8 Form.. Redline for Holden, any HSV, but especially the W1. A way better all rounder than the FGX.

Territory deserves a very special mention, a truly epic SUV, before we went completely SUV mad. The perfect family car for our Aussie conditions. If they still made them I would 100% have one in the garage as our family truck.

Barra Turbo needs a metion. Not a car, but (again, IMHO) the best engine Australia has ever made... So much tuning potential, and they sound awesome with some work. The yanks are starting to like them as well..

[Seasoned One]

Soft spot for me was my Tickford 220kw xr8, never spent a cent on it bar consumables for servicing, loved to drive it , more comfortable than my g6et.

The g6ET is my pick over xr8 basically for its economy v power balance, like the look, goes when you need it, smooth and so far very reliable, no problems so far, same as xr8

My territory , done nearly 3 times the k's of the falcons, been a solid work horse, treated like a work horse, towed with it, travelled distances with it, kids grew up in it, never let me down , ever, will be sad when it goes. she needs rear bushes, door rubbers are sagging, paint starting to peel on rear lift window, but overall for the sheer work and punishment its had, the old girl gets my vote.

What do I replace it with? might spend a few dollars and keep it another 15 years

[vixf6]

To be the best for me it has to be aesthetically pleasing, this rules out FGX and AU, I don’t smile when I see these. That leaves Terry, FG 1 or 2 and VF. Add a turbo and a a bit of styling like the Panda Eyes of the F6, and give it 310Kw and it has it all, silent but deadly, the sheer force of these things at sweet spots of 80-120 for a stock vehicle @$60k with that ZF has to be driven to be appreciated.

The only car that was close for me was LSA Clubsport, had the looks and sheer grunt to rival the F6 but for $25k more brings me back to FG F6, the only car that has me wanting to buy exactly the same one a second time.

Terry comes in a close second but in Barra form you need a second job to fuel the thing

[Sprintey]

Originally Posted by Seasoned One

Soft spot for me was my Tickford 220kw xr8, never spent a cent on it bar consumables for servicing, loved to drive it , more comfortable than my g6et.

The g6ET is my pick over xr8 basically for its economy v power balance, like the look, goes when you need it, smooth and so far very reliable, no problems so far, same as xr8

My territory , done nearly 3 times the k's of the falcons, been a solid work horse, treated like a work horse, towed with it, travelled distances with it, kids grew up in it, never let me down , ever, will be sad when it goes. she needs rear bushes, door rubbers are sagging, paint starting to peel on rear lift window, but overall for the sheer work and punishment its had, the old girl gets my vote.

What do I replace it with? might spend a few dollars and keep it another 15 years

3 very good cars mentioned there. We've done the spend to keep our Territory going for many more years, because we know the car (bought new, never crashed) it is an easy choice to do this. Closest replacement (none are truly close) for the petrol AWD at the Territory price points would be a Subaru Outback for my money, but you get a CVT ugh. Outbacks are very nice in top spec and now have the 2.4 turbo which puts out Barra power and torque.

I remember in 2002 when AU was running out the Horsham dealer had a Blueprint AUIII XR8 auto sitting in the yard, how I daydreamed while working based out of the town...

[Burnout]

Yep, Id toss between the G6ET & RTV, but Im biased.
The Tuo G6 is just immaculate motoring on the Hwys & the RTV is my go anywhere vehicle.

[GTP534]

I've had 2 Territories, first an SYII Ghia in Ego and the second was the SZ Diesel Titanium.

Both excellent cars, drove beautifully, handled well and rode smoothly.

I kept each for about 5 years, the SZ was written off when I got t-boned (my fault); very sad to see the car like that.

Neither gave any trouble, routine servicing at the selling dealer who actually picked up a couple of issues albeit minor.

[Sprintey]

Originally Posted by GTP534

I've had 2 Territories, first an SYII Ghia in Ego and the second was the SZ Diesel Titanium.

Both excellent cars, drove beautifully, handled well and rode smoothly.

I kept each for about 5 years, the SZ was written off when I got t-boned (my fault); very sad to see the car like that.

Neither gave any trouble, routine servicing at the selling dealer who actually picked up a couple of issues albeit minor.

My brother's SZ TS petrol died in a similar manner with the SIL driving and two kids in the back - car saved them all and they were OK.



"It's amazing how little we've progressed in the Australian new car marketplace since the cessation of local manufacturing. It's like we have transitioned from a first world to a third world market."

Agree completely TM. The next phase shift in the market has begun and it's to electric - the last shift after SUV was the dual cab ute becoming 3 box transport of choice. The electric shift is different to those prior ones - instead of being market driven (we'll forgive the dual cabs' favourable tax treatment here) the electric shift is top-down driven via international and government policy. It's making a shift to more expensive to make vehicles, which should logically price many people out of the market. Will it stick in a similar way to those shifts driven by market demand? If our industry was still hanging in there, I'd hate to be the one in charge wondering how to navigate the shift.

Oh special thanks to Govt departments who specified a CO2 rating (iirc) that Ford developed the 4cyl Ecoboost Falcon for, and then never bought any of them.

[ToryMikey]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

My brother's SZ TS petrol died in a similar manner with the SIL driving and two kids in the back - car saved them all and they were OK.



"It's amazing how little we've progressed in the Australian new car marketplace since the cessation of local manufacturing. It's like we have transitioned from a first world to a third world market."

Agree completely TM. The next phase shift in the market has begun and it's to electric - the last shift after SUV was the dual cab ute becoming 3 box transport of choice. The electric shift is different to those prior ones - instead of being market driven (we'll forgive the dual cabs' favourable tax treatment here) the electric shift is top-down driven via international and government policy. It's making a shift to more expensive to make vehicles, which should logically price many people out of the market. Will it stick in a similar way to those shifts driven by market demand? If our industry was still hanging in there, I'd hate to be the one in charge wondering how to navigate the shift.

Oh special thanks to Govt departments who specified a CO2 rating (iirc) that Ford developed the 4cyl Ecoboost Falcon for, and then never bought any of them.

I think there's a lot to be said for our local product in the 2010s. The prevailing media narrative at the time was two fold:

1. Consumers want SUVs and the local manufacturers didn't build them - umm did everyone miss the Falcon SUV, available in petrol or diesel power? Yes Holden misread the market but it's difficult to say that Ford did.

2. Consumers are sick of gas guzzlers and want efficient cars because they're sick of paying for the high cost of petrol.

Now that second point has proven to be complete codswallop over the past seven years. We have lost almost all of our efficient small cars from the market - only leaving crap behind like the MG3 - and what is left has moved up in price to be equivalent to what a Falcon XT cost in 2016. That Falcon XT was available in classic inline six, liquid injection LPG or four cylinder turbo versions. The latter two providing you with small car running costs.

What are people buying these days? Let's look at the top sellers. Hilux. Ranger. D-Max. Navara. Landcruiser. Everest. Prado. With the exception of the price leader MG3 and the pensioner favourite Corolla (which has ballooned in price), all the top sellers are heavy, thirsty and crap to drive. Reliability? None are a patch on a Barra. Just look at the DPF controversies, and reliability marketing leader Toyota's messing up of the new Landsnoozer's engine. Why did they move away from inline six again?

I personally feel a little aggrieved because I'm 29 now and can easily afford a new car, any one I like. But I couldn't in 2016. I used to hear it all the time, "you love the local cars so much but they have to shut down because nobody is buying them". What 22 year old can afford a new car! As for now, a low kilometre FGX XR6T in manual sounds great, and I'll get a local trimmer to make a top notch leather interior for it. What else would I buy, without stepping up to the Supra or M3?

As for electric cars, everything under $65k is just rubbish. Heck my dear old mum just bought a Chinese (!) EV for close to $80k. Cupra Born looks alright though...as does the BMW I4...but that's just it. In 2023 Australia, all the interesting cars are expensive.

[Sprintey]

Originally Posted by ToryMikey

I think there's a lot to be said for our local product in the 2010s. The prevailing media narrative at the time was two fold:

1. Consumers want SUVs and the local manufacturers didn't build them - umm did everyone miss the Falcon SUV, available in petrol or diesel power? Yes Holden misread the market but it's difficult to say that Ford did.

2. Consumers are sick of gas guzzlers and want efficient cars because they're sick of paying for the high cost of petrol.

Now that second point has proven to be complete codswallop over the past seven years. We have lost almost all of our efficient small cars from the market - only leaving crap behind like the MG3 - and what is left has moved up in price to be equivalent to what a Falcon XT cost in 2016. That Falcon XT was available in classic inline six, liquid injection LPG or four cylinder turbo versions. The latter two providing you with small car running costs.

What are people buying these days? Let's look at the top sellers. Hilux. Ranger. D-Max. Navara. Landcruiser. Everest. Prado. With the exception of the price leader MG3 and the pensioner favourite Corolla (which has ballooned in price), all the top sellers are heavy, thirsty and crap to drive. Reliability? None are a patch on a Barra. Just look at the DPF controversies, and reliability marketing leader Toyota's messing up of the new Landsnoozer's engine. Why did they move away from inline six again?

I personally feel a little aggrieved because I'm 29 now and can easily afford a new car, any one I like. But I couldn't in 2016. I used to hear it all the time, "you love the local cars so much but they have to shut down because nobody is buying them". What 22 year old can afford a new car! As for now, a low kilometre FGX XR6T in manual sounds great, and I'll get a local trimmer to make a top notch leather interior for it. What else would I buy, without stepping up to the Supra or M3?

As for electric cars, everything under $65k is just rubbish. Heck my dear old mum just bought a Chinese (!) EV for close to $80k. Cupra Born looks alright though...as does the BMW I4...but that's just it. In 2023 Australia, all the interesting cars are expensive.

YES, great post. I reckon we've gone backward, lost in a sea of ladder frame chassis and diesel particulates, maybe it's 80's retro?

If you can get a low km local, today's the best time you possibly could (or: in a few months if we go recessionary...). Ie, they will just put kms on them as time goes by... I was lucky enough to do a factory order custom build from an Australian factory. Still have the build sheet, waited 5 weeks for a brand new car. That was special.

Electric cars... Sprintey would presently rather drop the 75K on a well timed entry into a rare earths stock, and rock around in an 5K AU

[whynot]

After praising Ford for the development of the Territory, I should also be a realist about what happened in the following years.

Ford dropped the ball. The most glaring mistakes was;

A) working on getting the turbo into the Territory when they should have released the diesel with the SY.

B) not releasing a revised front end to fix the ball joint issue, much, much sooner.

From memory, the plan was for the Territory to replace the Falcon Wagon. However, the Territory was gulping way too much fuel in city traffic for the fleets to swap across from the wagon. There was also ample warning from the various government fleets that the Territory had excluded itself from selection, purely on its fuel consumption.

As an aside, I would regularly see 18-20l/100km out of my Territory, as it was stuck in the peak hour crawl down Gympie Rd during works for the Clem 7 tunnel. The fleet manager hated me as he was being measured on average fuel consumption, and the Territory stood out in bold on his naughty list.

Fitting the diesel would have corrected this problem. And Ford lost a lot of sales because of the misplaced effort in the Turbo Territory.

I can only assume that the development of the FG Falcon in the period 2005 to 2008 simply saturated what little development capability FoA had left.

It would have been very interesting if Ford went the Prado route with the Territory. Lifted the ride height, converted the rear back to a solid axle (maybe even leaf sprints), installed manual hubs on the front, and given the Territory a low range automatic gearbox. But, that is not to be.

[Syndrome]

Originally Posted by whynot

After praising Ford for the development of the Territory, I should also be a realist about what happened in the following years.

Ford dropped the ball.

No they didn't. After the last Geoff Polities was moved overseas, FoA became a revolving door of CEOs as Dearborn systematically dismantled FoA as it wasn't part of their "One Ford" goal.

I bet Dearborn now wishes FoA was again the Falcon car company instead of the Ranger car company.

I agree the Territory Turbo was a a mistake. The ECOLPi was the saviour but it wasn't allowed to succeed.

[DTFRMONT]

Someone mentioned the Mitsubishi 380 earlier, saw one doing service as a Taxi here in Melbourne a couple of weeks ago, complete with fading paint!

The Camry's would have to have an honourary mention, given how many are still on the roads, still see loads doing Taxi duty, including some from the mid 2000's. They have taken over from the Falcon as the car that can't be killed no matter how it's treated.

The Territory is a class act though, just sold my Mum's SX Ghia, which was still a very nice thing to drive. The little design touches were very classy.

[FTE217]

XA's 129,473
XB's 220,765
XC's 171,082
521,320 total.
As long as all the above is accurate where I found the info.
XC finished in '79, long before your best aussie car of last 30yrs

Terri total 178,214 if I'm right.

For the unliked AU TBH and against the fierce more popular Commodore punched way above its weight selling 322+thou units, long live the mighty AU easily the King lol.....
Feck SUV's and feck Commodores couldn't vote for one but of any holden the dinausor A9X.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by FTE217

XA's 129,473
XB's 220,765
XC's 171,082
521,320 total.
As long as all the above is accurate where I found the info.
XC finished in '79, long before your best aussie car of last 30yrs

Feck SUV's and feck Commodores couldn't vote for one but of any holden the dinausor A9X.

Now in this category I would have some choices.