Not good at all.........
http://www.theage.com.au/national/en...0111-m2o8.html
End of the road nears for FalconJEZ SPINKS
January 12, 2010
THE days of producing a home-grown Falcon for the Australian market are over, says Ford's world president and chief executive, Alan Mulally.
The Falcon has been designed and engineered in Australia since the 1960s, but Mr Mulally said at the Detroit motor show that under the new "One Ford" program there would be only one large-car platform for all markets.
"The best thing for Ford is to bring our scale and volume (to the market)," Mr Mulally said. "(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."
Ford's large car is likely to be based on the American-designed and built front-wheel-drive Taurus, which was unsuccessfully imported into Australia in the 1990s.
Mr Mulally would not confirm if Ford Australia would play a key role in the development of the Ford global large car or whether the Falcon would continue to be built here.
Ford Australia president Marin Burela hopes his parent company will tap into Australian engineering talent, which has played a significant design and engineering role in the development of a new one-tonne utility vehicle and worked on styling projects for Ford of India.
Mr Burela said Ford was still considering whether the new large car would be driven by the front, rear or all wheels, but there was at least 12 months before a decision had to be made.
"The all-new Falcon doesn't have to come into play until the end of 2014, early 2015, and we don't have to make a decision until 2011 on what that vehicle will be, in terms of styling, technologies …" he said.
Ford Australia is adamant it can continue to make a viable business case for the Falcon, despite large-car sales continuing to shrink.
Mr Mulally said the Taurus and other Fords sold in the United States would be be available in Australia.
He left the door ajar for Ford Australia to help develop Ford's US muscle car, the Mustang, which uses the same rear-wheel-drive layout as the Falcon.
"We also have some really good RWDs, like the Mustang. You can imagine another new platform, just like the Falcon, that's going to be RWD for Mustang, so you can imagine driving the One Ford we're going to have every one of those, and so there's no reason why we can't have it in Australia."
With RICHARD BLACKBURN