Should Ford Oz Rebrand and go International?

**Luke Plaizier** · 13-04-2006, 05:32 PM

It seems that the main reason that Ford Oz is not interested in going - or not allowed to go - international is due to the common branding and the control of Head Office in the US.

Yet Mazda from Japan are allowed to make what they want and sell into the US - even in Australia - and so are Volvo from Europe, all potentially up against vehicles already produced/sold by Ford US (and even Ford Oz).

Would it be a wise move to rebrand Ford Australia to something else, so that customers in other countries might percieve it as a 'Ford Owned Brand' like those other Marques, but allow them to identify with a uniquely Australia product, and thus allow them to sell up against known brands?

It comes as a bit of a shock to see that Mazda have developed a car much like the Territory and are allowed to sell it into the US up against the Ford equivalent SUV, but the Territory is not welcome.

And for Ford to be selling the crazily outdated Crown Victoria instead of the Fairlane into the Middle East smacks of US-centric decision making and not making best use of international resources......which would help save what I see as an inevitable death of the Fairlane and LTD (Unless Ford Oz pull a Lincoln-Navigator style Territory LTD out of their collective butts).

Lukeyson

Steffo · 13-04-2006, 05:53 PM

No. Rebranding Ford Australia now, after 81 years of running with that nameplate, and 46 years of building 'Ford Falcons,' would not be the wisest idea.

However I'm all for the Ford Falcon becoming a global export, however the design etc should stay Australian. Anyone else making it would ruin the car. Especially if the Yanks got their hands on it and made it an FWD 2500kg 5.5 metre long land yacht, with worse cornering characteristics then the titanic, and steering so light a newborn could do a full lock turn with one index finger... as is typical with every other sedan they make.

Poetic Justice · 13-04-2006, 06:04 PM

I agree with the global export thing, even especially for the Territory.

Renaming? Silly idea IMHO.

strife · 13-04-2006, 06:13 PM

the investment in creating a worldwide brand is huge, why would they not leverage the Ford brand

Outbackjack · 13-04-2006, 06:20 PM

I often wonder why XR8's and 6t's are not exported the the US. I work with heaps of americans. One of the first things that they do when they get here is avail themselves with one of our home grown muscle cars. They absolutely love them. The car park is full of them. Oh, and one or two holdums as well.

Iphido · 13-04-2006, 06:23 PM

Ford OZ is a intergral part of FOMOCO. Unlike holden which GM has prepared for a varity of reasons to be a bit more seperate, they did things like drop GM from GM Holden (so it was just Holden Co), they gave them export markets, They allowed them to buy Daewoo etc. Given GM money stance, it could happen, Holden could go it alone with some heavy backers (Government, Maqbank, heavy duty investors). They would still work with GM and share technologies, but it could break it alone. I think it was close to happening in Hambergers days, Holden was getting pretty dam independant. With Daewoo they have there own small cars, the Commodore and the fairly unique statesman. They have markets in Brazil, Thailand, UAE, US, Asia, EU, SA etc all ready established. They could setup dealer networks pretty much overnight if required. Holden also has greater capacity at the moment, enough it would be profitable. Sharing production between OZ and Korea of models would give it the kind of capacity greater than Porsche and approaching Hyundia/Subaru current capacity. (I have to check these figures).

Unfortunately for Ford OZ not so simple. It could in theory be spun off, but actual brands like Lincon, Jaguar, Mercury, Aston, Volvo, etc would go first.

However theres nothing stopping Ford OZ acting like holden does now. Exporting cars to UAE, to EU, and selling them under the existing Ford name. It already does it with NZ and South Africa.

Ford OZ doesn't have the capacity either. Barely enough to meet Australias need. This could be improved however. Ford is deemphasising low profit fleet sales and targeting higher profit private sales. It has the territory. GP wasn't a idiot, he made some very clever and gutzy moves to secure Ford Australias future.

Personally I think its only a matter of time before the LWB Falcon is made in american and gets imported back here. Crown Vic dies off soon. With US volume it could have unique metal work (front, back, larger rear doors etc).

outback_ute · 14-04-2006, 04:57 PM

Don't forget the current models were never conceived with LHD production as a possibility, and would need a lot of $$$ to be able to do so. Hopefully this will change with the next model and we will have exports.

TZENU · 14-04-2006, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iphido

Personally I think its only a matter of time before the LWB Falcon is made in american and gets imported back here. Crown Vic dies off soon. With US volume it could have unique metal work (front, back, larger rear doors etc).

You hit the nail on the head....
Also, just like all major Australian Corporations Ford OZ is eventually going to have no other choice but to globalise their operations. Look at Bluescope Steel for example.

Bossxr8 · 15-04-2006, 02:41 PM

The problem is capacity. We do not have enough production capacity to build huge export numbers. We were flat out just trying to keep up with BA numbers during its peak. Seeking smaller markets like South Africa seems to be the only solution as the numbers aren't too big. Increasing capacity would require huge amounts of investment, and Ford US don't want to know about money for future investment as they are trying to save themselves. It would also require investment to make it LHD. Ford US are very selfish and don't want we Australians to take numbers from them. If they could remove their heads from their butts they would probably sell the Fairlane/LTD in the Middle East instead of the geriatric Grand Marquis/Lincoln Town Car that have a chassis going on 35 years old.

mustang · 15-04-2006, 02:43 PM

Noooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

snortingboost · 17-04-2006, 09:11 AM

In the US if you don't have euro then you're nothing. Domestic isn't selling in the US anymore and so the name would have to change. Maybe they could call it a widebody focus! LOL.

chevypower · 17-04-2006, 09:45 AM

Falcon replacing the Lincoln Town Car??? What?? The Falcon is a taxi pack family car, the Lincoln is a prestige car - the only resemblance is they are both large RWD sedans, but very different.
I think the Town Car body on a Jaguar platform with an aluminium 5.4 V8 and 6 speed auto could work well though
Crown Vic could be replaced by the Fairlane G8 - the cops might like it

ltd · 17-04-2006, 10:32 AM

Agree Chevypower, the lincoln is a top of the line prestige car that our humble fairlanes and LTD's would hope to compete with, the Falcon has less appointments than the crown victoria, but would compete for sales in that area.

As for the territory, sadly ford US already has the Freestyle. I saw one recently when over there and thought it might have been a rebranded territory but on closer inspection it wasn't.
http://www.fordvehicles.com/cars/freestyle/?section=CAR

XplosiveR6 · 17-04-2006, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iphido

Ford OZ is a intergral part of FOMOCO. Unlike holden which GM has prepared for a varity of reasons to be a bit more seperate, they did things like drop GM from GM Holden (so it was just Holden Co), they gave them export markets, They allowed them to buy Daewoo etc. Given GM money stance, it could happen, Holden could go it alone with some heavy backers (Government, Maqbank, heavy duty investors). They would still work with GM and share technologies, but it could break it alone. I think it was close to happening in Hambergers days, Holden was getting pretty dam independant. With Daewoo they have there own small cars, the Commodore and the fairly unique statesman. They have markets in Brazil, Thailand, UAE, US, Asia, EU, SA etc all ready established. They could setup dealer networks pretty much overnight if required. Holden also has greater capacity at the moment, enough it would be profitable. Sharing production between OZ and Korea of models would give it the kind of capacity greater than Porsche and approaching Hyundia/Subaru current capacity. (I have to check these figures).

there is so many things wrong with that statement, first of all holden DO NOT own daewoo, GM does, secondly holden could certainly not make it on their own. where would they get there engines from? where would they get the bodys from? the V8 is a chev part, the V6 is a global GM part, the commodore body is a Opel part and the gearbox, the suspension are all imported parts. how is holden inderpendant again?

RPO83 · 19-04-2006, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iphido

Ford OZ is a intergral part of FOMOCO. Unlike holden which GM has prepared for a varity of reasons to be a bit more seperate, they did things like drop GM from GM Holden (so it was just Holden Co), they gave them export markets, They allowed them to buy Daewoo etc. Given GM money stance, it could happen, Holden could go it alone with some heavy backers (Government, Maqbank, heavy duty investors). They would still work with GM and share technologies, but it could break it alone. I think it was close to happening in Hambergers days, Holden was getting pretty dam independant. With Daewoo they have there own small cars, the Commodore and the fairly unique statesman. have unique metal work (front, back, larger rear doors etc).

Bloody hell! Go do some research please. Hannenberger was planning to make Holden go it alone? Evidence? If anything Hannenberger pushed Holden closer into GM's framework and not away from it.

Ford Australia is far more detached from its parent company than Holden has been since the early 70's. Local content margins of each locally manufactured product is another indication that your comments are way off.

Back to the topic, Ford makes a killing out of the old panther platform so its not good business sense for Ford to allow FoA to export the Fairlane.

outback_ute · 20-04-2006, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RPO83

Back to the topic, Ford makes a killing out of the old panther platform so its not good business sense for Ford to allow FoA to export the Fairlane.

I suppose the design costs were repaid decades ago lol

LeMans · 20-04-2006, 01:21 AM

Although its a valid question, the answer would lie in extensive market research and in the subsequent forcasts, and not in whether someone may think that its a good idea. Of coarse there is a middle ground though in rebranding only for those markets where it would be beneficial. Honda did it with the Acura brand in the US.