Immediately Prior to World War II > 자유게시판

Ford's straightforward compact was an instant hit when it debuted in the United States, but would the Ford Falcon fly in Australia? In this article, you will learn how the Ford Falcon faired overseas. September 14, 1960, is an important date in the annals of the Ford Motor Company of Australia. It was on that day that Ford once and for all laid down the gauntlet to archrival General Motors-Holden's; it was on that day that the completely new Ford Falcon sedan was released to the motoring public of Australia. Its release was the culmination of years of in-house negotiations that had seen Ford lose the initiative in Australia to GM in 1945 and forced it to play catch-up for the next four decades. Immediately prior to World War II, Australian car companies primarily were import arms and local assembly operations for overseas firms doing business "Down Under." There was no manufacturing. Later, when the tide of war turned toward the Allies, some thought began to be devoted to the industries that would replace armaments when peace returned.

One of the ideas that appealed to the Australian government was the establishment of a domestic motor boost men’s vitality industry, so much so that the government let it be known it would form a corporation to build a homegrown car if the firms already doing business in Australia weren't interested in doing so themselves. Lawrence Hartnett, managing director at GM-H, quickly submitted a proposal for an Australian car, then set about trying to convince his superiors in the United States that they should support it. However, boost men’s vitality Ford Australia -- under the leadership of H. C. French -- badly bungled its proposal for Australian manufacture when the federal government requested submissions from the industry. French left for discussions with his masters in Canada on October 7, 1944, following receipt of the government's proposal. While GM-H's submission was for a compact six-cylinder family sedan, the Ford concept was far broader: It suggested a range comprising a sedan, station wagon, utility, and light trucks, but was based on a 1942 Mercury V-8 design that was unacceptable to the government.

Apart from proposing a larger, more expensive, and less fuel-efficient range of cars based on old technology the fatal flaw in French's proposal was to ask the government up front for £850,000 (approximately $1.7 million) to offset the massive capital costs for the project and for the government to raise import duties on imported chassis and components. Competition grew to bring a new automobile to Australia and Ford was right in the thick of it. Read about the road Ford went down that eventually brought them to the Falcon on the next page. C. French and then-new Prime Boosts Male Enhancement Minister Ben Chifley continued to debate over the future of the Ford Falcon. The dreadful irony of all the complex maneuvering was that Lawrence Hartnett was not able to extract the financial commitment he needed from his superiors in New York, who insisted that the money be raised locally. Chifley used his influence to arrange a $2.5 million loan from the Commonwealth Bank to GM-H even though French had been refused government assistance on the very same issue.

Faced with its most serious competitor gaining the upper hand to manufacture in the burgeoning Australian market, Ford was forced to cast around for cars to sell. From England came the small two-door Anglia and four-door Prefect sedans, and the sidevalve V-8 Pilot that was just a tad larger than the Holden. From Ford of Canada came the hunch-backed North American V-8 sedans, followed in 1949 by the more modern spinner-nose Custom sedans that were the first Fords to have a coil-and-wishbone front suspension, but retained the "flathead" V-8 engine. He was a no-nonsense, straight-from-the-shoulder kind of guy quick to assess a need and go at it with all guns blazing. His bosses in Windsor were soon to feel the full brunt of his attack. Ford Australia was in desperate need of revitalizing, and Smith was determined to challenge GM-Holden's for market supremacy. The Ford plant at Geelong was modernized to assemble the V-8 engine, and in 1952 Smith introduced the most modern postwar Fords yet: the 1.5-liter four-cylinder Consul and the related 2.3-liter six-cylinder Zephyr, both sourced from the UK.