REAL Australian cars?

[Yellow_Festiva]

Looking at burnz's list, was the Giacoletto made here only? Would have thought it would be on that list. My thoughts were AU as well.

[Psi-Pop]

E series.

What foreign bits are in them?

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by Psi-Pop

E series.

What foreign bits are in them?

Taxi drivers



All falcons have used minor parts from other cars...E-Series used Volvo door hinges IIRC...


But, XA falcon aside, the EA would have been the First Fully designed falcon...


What about the EH? First all aussie holden?

[in_xcess]

Sorry for double post, iPad weirdness going on.

[KIWI-1]

Originally Posted by in_xcess

This makes for interesting reading, but not sure how the Magna rates a mention.

Maybe due to the transition from Chrysler to Mitsubishi? But what about the Sigma that came before it then?

[GhiaEB]

Alright KIWI-1 what would you rate as the most Australian car? You seem to be shooting down everyone else's ideas.

[KIWI-1]

Originally Posted by Nikked

What about the EH? First all aussie holden?

EH was based on EJ, EJ was based on an Opel apparently http://holdenpaedia.oldholden.com/Holden_History_EJ. Almost looks like a 105E front end though.

[KIWI-1]

Originally Posted by GhiaEB

Alright KIWI-1 what would you rate as the most Australian car? You seem to be shooting down everyone else's ideas.

Was thinking XA until I saw the Maverick.

[Psi-Pop]

Originally Posted by Nikked

Taxi drivers

[pottery beige]

ones that arent made anywhere else than australia.. der..

[wulos]

The XF Falcon was 97% by volume Australian. By that 97% of the components that went into it's construction was Australian designed / manufactured / assembled.
At the time this compared to approx 83% for Commodore being it's nearest rival.

Obviously ALL cars have at least "SOME" percentage of overseas influence in them. Even those overseas built ones, are not entirely designed / constructed.
It's called globalisation & is a fact of life that's been around almost as long as the car itself.
To believe otherwise is to believe that the Earth is flat. Everyone know that it isn't - look at all the hills...

[buickman]

Originally Posted by GhiaEB

Alright KIWI-1 what would you rate as the most Australian car? You seem to be shooting down everyone else's ideas.

All cars mentioned are Australian manufactured by foreign owned companies but I would call them Australian cars myself.

Light burn Industries in Adelaide did make an Australian car called a Zeta in the 60's.


http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au..._lightburn.htm

[mik]

i really don`t care if falcon and commy are owned by companies over the pond, we build them and put x percentage of parts made here by Australians in them, for me they Australian cars.

[malazn mafia]

Surprised the Territory doesn't get a mention ??

[flooded one]

Originally Posted by KIWI-1

The 48-215 was a Chevy.
The XK was a Yank Tank.
The AU was a European water bottle.
SS Commodores wear bow-ties.

Just wondering how many REAL Australian cars have there been.

they where built here and therefore are australian. AU is more australian then what you think and not all SS commodores had bow ties.

[Iggypoppin']

After quickly re-reading your comments in regard to the AU, I am curious as to your agenda. The AU had styling cues that I would say are influenced a little bit, at best, by some European designs. There is nothing to suggest the designers borrowed heavily from a specific vehicle, and the car has been proven to be pretty Australian. So what's your argument? I think you just don't like it.
Now, in light of this thread and some of your comments I'll ask you, KIWI-1, what car do you own? Do you own an Australian built car? And before you attack me for owning a Hyundai, I will tell you of the Australian built cars I have owned in the past: XF falcon, VL commodore, BA falcon, HQ ute.

[SpoolMan]

One that has been developing for many years, The Joss Supercar Australian built and designed, after many years of development this car is going into production, presented by a guy who many of us know Glenn Everitt former owner of G&D Performance.

Video from the motor show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OLBFwuvPas
Website
http://www.joss.com.au/home.html

[302 XC]

Originally Posted by KIWI-1

Has there ever been an all-Australian car?

So your looking for a car that was designed, built, all parts manufactured, every nut ,bolt,screw,engine componenet 100% solely designed, costructed in austarlia, with NO parts ,design time from another parent company or another counrty ???

[Ford_The_Win]

Anyone else see the irony that this thread was started by a dude with the username 'KIWI'?

[flappist]

Originally Posted by 302 XC

So your looking for a car that was designed, built, all parts manufactured, every nut ,bolt,screw,engine componenet 100% solely designed, costructed in austarlia, with NO parts ,design time from another parent company or another counrty ???

G-O-G-G-O......not the Dart.......

Actually they are german I think.

There were a few pre WW2, the Tarrant comes to mind but since WW2 there have be very few, if any, vehicles made anywhere in the world that were 100% single country technology, design and manufacture.

[bingoTE50]

We are an island with a smallish population with foreign owned car companies ,I would suggest there was foreign input for all mass produced vehicles in Australia ,albeit - design , engineering ,part supply etc .
for mine the P76 and Magna . Two car of the year winners ...

[crymoarpls]

chev badges on commodores always make me laugh. i thought holdens don't usually have 'chev' v8s in them, with all engines made by gm powertrain. didn't think there had been a 'chev' engine since about 1990.

[RedHotGT]

Originally Posted by in_xcess

Can't really consider the XA when seeing the 1968 Ford Maverick concept from US. I was gutted when I discovered this... love the XA!

image

I reckon what Bolwell did was pretty special...

This makes for interesting reading, but not sure how the Magna rates a mention.

http://news.drive.com.au/drive/motor...119-1q7ik.html

Well you learn something new every day - I had no idea that the origin of the XA sedan went back to the USA in 68. Clearly it's the same design!

[GTP-RPD]

doesnt get more Australian than this.

[lilmattie]

Originally Posted by in_xcess

Can't really consider the XA when seeing the 1968 Ford Maverick concept from US. I was gutted when I discovered this... love the XA!

image

I reckon what Bolwell did was pretty special...

image

Where did you get those images from? (interested to know).

I may be mistaken, and I'm happy to be proven wrong but I read an article that was posted on here recently, that goes into detail where the design for the XA came from. I tried to locate it and link to it, but I couldn't find it.

The summary was that an Australian design team flew over to the US to work with US designers on the new XA Falcon. The Australian team successfully rejected the American design and was told to provide a design within a certain number of months, which is what they did.

If that's true, then although it incorprorates attributes that were driven by US design - the XA Falcon was designed by Australians, produced in Australia and thus in my mind: is the REAL Australian car!

[DJR-351]

Maybe this article Matt....?

http://www.aussiecoupes.com/xafalcon.html

The XA was certainly the first Australian Falcon that couldn't claim close kinship with an American Falcon. Sometime early in 1968 the decision had been taken to discontinue production of the US Falcon. Thus it was that in May of that year, a team of Ford Australia executives flew to America to begin work on what was to become the 1972 XA Falcon. There they would collaborate with senior Dearborn stylists because the Australian operation was at that time considered to be too small to have complete autonomy.
Very early on in the project the Americans suggested that an abbreviated version of the new Fairlane/Torino - a car of which they were proud - would do the job. By using the center section of the car in conjunction with a shorter wheelbase and shorter front and rear overhangs, an attractive car of Falcon dimensions could be created.

But the Australians had immediate doubts, believing that the effectiveness of the Fairlane/Torino styling was largely a consequence of those long, flowing overhangs and the long wheelbase.

A clay model was built and everyone agreed that the Australians' reservations had been right. While the XA bears some resemblance to the Fairlane/Torino, it was in fact an all-new design.

In October 1968, work was completed after three Australian designers had worked 90 hours. Dearborn was so impressed with the work achieved by the Australian stylists that Ford Australia was told to build itself a design center.

[bingoTE50]

Well on that article , the XA for sure...one of my favourite Falcons...

[lilmattie]

Originally Posted by DJR-351

Maybe this article Matt....?

http://www.aussiecoupes.com/xafalcon.html

That's it John! You refreshed my memory - Thanks for putting that one up.
I was also reading the making of the Torino at the same time.

Originally Posted by barra64

http://www.torinocobra.com/articles/birth_of_torino.htm

the XA guys went over and worked on the aus version(s)..
xa ute ~ ranchero
xa hardtop ~ torino
landau ~ cyclone

http://www.aussiecoupes.com/xafalcon.html

[TUF_302]

All this thread needs is... wait for it.... HulkBA lol!!

[Olbucko]

Falcons from the XC on or Territory has little or nothing in common with any overseas model, even the 6 cyl engine was redesigned in Aust. They may have looked similar but were completly different under the skin.

How about the Lightburn Zeta, designed by a washing machine and Cement mixer Co. in South Aust, 1963 to 1965. Total sales 363 It had a 324cc 2 stroke motor and no reverse gear, when you wanted to go in reverse you stopped the motor and restarted it backwards.