Alright ford, a rose by any other name smells as sweet, bring back the fairmont/ghia

[RAPID_BA]

Ford have no doubt released some cracking cars with the fg, including g6, g6e and of course g6et.

But isnt the game up? We all know its still the fairmont and fairmont ghia! How many people must go into ford dealers, look at the g6et and say "is it the same as the fairmont ghia?"

A rose by any other name smells as sweet, so lets just call a fairmont ghia a fairmont ghia? (a spade is a spade, a rose a rose)

[Fev]

While that's true, i like the G6/G6E/G6ET name plate. It's alot more modern, as is the point of changing it. It suits the new styling well and works.

The reply of the "is it the same as the fairmont ghia?" question is usually, "No, this is what we have replaced the fairmont range with. The new FG G6XX."

[b0son]

Originally Posted by Fev

While that's true, i like the G6/G6E/G6ET name plate. It's alot more modern, as is the point of changing it. It suits the new styling well and works. "

Now they just need to update the Ford logo.

[Road_Warrior]

The only people who know/care about the Fairmont Ghia nameplate are the Ford nerds on this forum like you and me. The average G series buyer wouldn't know, or probably care.

[Danny]

And I see DOZENS more G6 and G6E's on the road than I ever saw BA-BF Faimonts and Fairmont Ghia's. So they are doing something right.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Thank god they got rid of the Fairmont name.

The G6 series would not been as successful as it has been under the Fairmont Ghia name, alot of young people are buying G6ET's then ever bought Fairmont Ghia V8s....

[SpoolMan]

Holden could bring back the SLE, things do change as the years roll by.
One name they will never play with is the GT..

[davez104]

Originally Posted by b0son

Now they just need to update the Ford logo.

If you're talking about the blue oval then you should wash your mouth out with soap you bad, bad man

[anto]

Originally Posted by b0son

Now they just need to update the Ford logo.

NEVER!!!!!! the blue oval is a beautiful timeles logo.

G6 ,...its hip its now,...no, is a dorky contemporary name that will sound as dumb as commodore, astra, meteor and the rest of those at one time "modern" names did , given another 5 years .

they could have just dropped the fairmont bit and kept Ghia if they wanted it to be snappy.

using XR6 was bad enough when they had a perfectly good name with some history to boot in GS.
I remember thinking when the XR6 first came out that it sounded like some jap motor bike .

and when did it become fashinable to use "series" for every conceivable model designation ?
falcon FG series 2 G series....

[ST]

Are you serious? The G-series was an excellent idea by Ford, it sounds more upmarket and fits into the trends of the modern automotive industry.

A nameplate doesn't become definitive overnight, people associate it with the Fairmont because the FG is the first model to rename it. By the next model (if there is one) it will be synonymous with Ford and most won't even mention or reference the Fairmont.

As everyone has said even though Falcon sales aren't flying (terrible pun not intended) the G-series itself has been very successful within the platform. The last thing Ford needs to do right now is take a backwards step.

[csv8]

Apparently, FG 2..G6E will become Titanium??? Will G6 become Zetec????????

[RAPID_BA]

I saw a G6ET at a servo, someone debadged it and placed fairmont ghia badges on it. I took a photo too

I was thinking to myself he calls a spade a spade

[2.8L Hilux]

The "Fairmont" & "Ghia" names sound very dated to me. I think ford did the right thing calling the replacements the G6 and G6E.

[ST]

Originally Posted by HULK_BA

I saw a G6ET at a servo, someone debadged it and placed fairmont ghia badges on it. I took a photo too

I was thinking to myself he calls a spade a spade

I would be thinking to myself he calls a G6ET a Fairmont Ghia, but that's just me.

[zdcol71]

To use a motorcycle comparison...
Bikes became very alien to me when they started calling them GPZXRDFZ...PHTTZLGIGS
I much prefered something with a little evocation...think,Dominator, Commando, Venom, Bonneville. From all the (reasonably) modern crop, the only one hat has "done" anything for me is the "THRUXTON"
I love the names Falcon, Fairlane, Mustang, Ghia, etc..(hey, but I'm an old fart, my opinion only)

[Brazen]

I suspect the G6 and G6E has been a sales disaster.

I reckon they used to sell double the amount of Futuras compared to G6 let alone the Fairmont.

It also fails the basic BBQ test,
"what do you drive?"
" a G6"
"Is that a Kia?"
"ummm a Falcon"

I mean come on, how many limited-edition bargain, leather-lined G6s and G6Es have there been and how fantastic do they look? They should be selling ten times the amount they are. The name has killed a lot of recognition in the market...

[onfire]

The Marketing Potential.

[ST]

Originally Posted by Brazen

I mean come on, how many limited edition G6s and G6Es have there been and how fantastic do they look? They should be selling ten times the amount they are. The name has killed a lot of recognition in the market...

Oh right it's because of the G-series that sales for the entire Falcon range are down.

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by DASH GT

Thank god they got rid of the Fairmont name.

The G6 series would not been as successful as it has been under the Fairmont Ghia name, alot of young people are buying G6ET's then ever bought Fairmont Ghia V8s....

+1 Brent

[onfire]

Originally Posted by Brazen

I suspect the G6 and G6E has been a sales disaster.

I reckon they used to sell double the amount of Futuras compared to G6 let alone the Fairmont.

It also fails the basic BBQ test,
"what do you drive?"
" a G6"
"Whats that?"
"ummm a Falcon"

I mean come on, how many limited edition G6s and G6Es have there been and how fantastic do they look? They should be selling ten times the amount they are. The name has killed a lot of recognition in the market...

Now, now. 10 years ago, how many people bought an AU XR6 as a family sedan over the Forte SII/I? Not many.

That certainly changed with the BA. Performance was the same as the base model, overall it's just a done up XT. But still, every man and his dog has a XR6 these days.

And, anyone man brings up " what car are you driving? " at a BBQ, knows what the G6 Falcon is.

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by ST

Oh right it's because of the G-series that sales for the entire Falcon range are down.

well that makes sense actually...

You got a turbo G6ET, You have 50th Anniversay G6, G6E and G6ET. They start fully equipped at 36k... They look great.. Whats wrong?

In the FG series the XR6 sells really well, so why not the G6? Guess which one is the brand-new namplate with no market recognition.


Listen Im playing the devils advocate to the G-series lovefest, but I seriously think less people are car-enthusiasts than what people realise. A recognised nameplate means a lot to the vast majority of buyers.. A bloody heck of a lot.

[ST]

You didn't happen to look at sales comparisons with the Fairmont in the B-series did you? It was much the same, in fact it was even worse.

Nameplate recognition is not the issue. Do you honestly think by throwing FAIRMONT back on these cars twice as many will move out the door?

[MITCHAY]

I dunno green man. I think the FG has it all over the BA. I have never heard or seen a BA Fairmont that sounds or moves as good as the G6ET not even close

[NCF302]

i liked the fairmont ghia name. g6 and g6e arent that bad. the car buyer will know they are more up market than the falcon and they will know what models what.

just remember, the fairmont ghia name still sort of lives on. the fg is called the fg because is stands for fairmont ghia!

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by ST

You didn't happen to look at sales comparisons with the Fairmont in the B-series did you? It was much the same, in fact it was even worse.

Nameplate recognition is not the issue. Do you honestly think by throwing FAIRMONT back on these cars twice as many will move out the door?

I seriously think many G6 and G6E buyers are/were XR6 buyers. I think in the process of removing the Fairmont name and 'sportying' up the G models, all they have done was gone after the buyer which would have traditionally bought an XR6, but in the process have alienated traditional Fairmont buyers, conservative car shoppers and non-car enthusiasts who buy recognised names. Just a gut feeling... Its like Ford brought out variants which compete with itself.

[XR8putts]

I'm sorry guys, nothing says middle-age balding fathers of three like Fairmont.

G6 / G6E / G6E-T is a winner.

[ST]

If you're a Fairmont buyer the name change will be obvious and you'd get one regardless. If you're conservative/non-enthusiast a badge means nothing, you look at the price tag and features.

They haven't alienated anyone with this and have definitely added a more prestigious and upmarket feel with the new badging (complementing the styling of course).

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by puts99

I'm sorry guys, nothing says middle-age balding fathers of three like Fairmont.

They said the same thing about the Ford Taurus, actually they said even worse as it hadnt changed for 12 years and was basically sold dirt-cheap to rental companies....

So what did they do? In 2005 they brought out the new Ford 500 to replace the Taurus... it tanked as no-one knew what a 500 was. Two years later it was rebadged the Ford Taurus.

As much as I prefer G6, most car companies would KILL for nameplate recognition of Fairmont and Ghia. Nissan Australia was forced to replace the Pulsar name with Tiida, they reckon it costs them 5000 sales a year. The next Tiida will be renamed Pulsar solely for the Australian market.

[Mansal]

Having one of each (BA Fairmont Ghia V8, FG G6ET 50anniv.) I say the name change goes really well with the updated styling of the vehicle (more contemporary, 'luxury sports' look n feel).

As for the 'Ghia' nameplate - gotta remember where that came from - in the 50s and 60's Italian motor designer house - Carrozzeria Ghia - designed specialist cars for Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Chrysler, Volvo, Volkswagon and Ford. The company then became 'Ghia Design' and eventually got sold to Ford in the 70s. The nameplate became a mainstay for top-trim level Ford models in Europe, US, Sth America and Australia.

In 2010 Ford retired the Ghia nameplate in favor of 'Titanium' to identify the new range of top-trim vehicles, and we're going to see Aussie built Fords take on that nameplate starting with the Territory.

..in short, the Ghia nameplate - like 'Pinafarina' (Focus Cabriolet, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo and others) have a time and place, and clearly now it's the time of the Titanium!

Wikipedia
Ghia Logos

[zdcol71]

Originally Posted by puts99

I'm sorry guys, nothing says middle-age balding fathers of three like Fairmont.

G6 / G6E / G6E-T is a winner.

Hey!! I resemble,er, resent that....