1998-06, the (last) golden era for Australian Manufacturing

[Nikked]

Was having a quite think to myself about this, this specific era was a definite highpoint in the automotive industry of Australia, and given the situation now, leaves you cold...what went wrong?


Holden

In the Holden camp, the VT was setting sales records, and the with that, Holden could do no wrong. Of course, the story of the VT starts way back in 1994, with Holden working on slicing and dicing the Omega platform to our tastes. But, it wasn't just for us...USA had a interests in the LHD commodore for export, resulting in the XP2000 Buick concept.



USA lost interest however, but the VT still managed to find exports in the middle east and Asia...with the side effect of Chevrolet badge's appearing on home grown commodores.

So, when 2000 rolled over, Holden were the media darlings. The '98 Monaro concept had stolen the media, with front page's dedicated to the story. Can you remember anything else from 1998 Sydney Motor show? Holden were the official supplier to the Olympics, with the commodore front and centred in the torch relays.



One low in this era, was the end of the Holden V8, ending years of motorsport history. However, the US-sourced GEN3 allowed HSV to access the latest developments from Chevrolet...with the first major scene stealer being the VT2 GTS 300.

Holden we making headlines again, with this car being hyped as the fastest, most powerful Australian sedan since the Phase 3 HO, and in doing so sparked the need for driver training to handle such a thing...



It wasn't all about brute force, hot on the heals of Monaro concept, Melbourne International Motor Show in May 2000 saw Holden show-off the Holden ECOmmodore...Hybrid powered, developed in Joint with CSIRO. It featured in the relay...furthering Holden's media darlings status...


To further prove the flexibility of the VT platform, Holden developed a crewcab version of the utility, and "Crosstrac" AWD system...combining both to create the Cross 8 AWD crewcab...




Exports to America finally came, with the Monaro finding place in the line up as the reborn Pontiac GTO...that came off a bit "soft", resulting in facelift that gave the Monaro true muscle credentials. The Monaro (or HSV Coupe, specifically...) also found some success in Europe, as the Vauxhall VXR (and VXR8).



Holden's show cars were in haywire mode...the Sandman returned, coupe's and utes lost roofs...and of course, Effigy.



All this set the stage for Holden's grandest development, the "Billion Dollar Baby" VE Commodore...with the promise more more exports, great sales and a bright future...




Ford

Ford welcomed in the new Millennium with not so much of a bang has Holden did, but nether less, it was no whimper...big things happened in the ford camp.

Against the safely (nee, bland ) styled VT, the AU falcon shocked audiences. The public reception was lukewarm, with the radical, modern design challenging minds. A product of "New Edge" design, the AU featured ridged angles where there weren't elliptic curves, with the design offering a "smaller" presence to hide the actual size, and appeal to women more then ever. Underneath, the Falcon finally received IRS on higher models. While this period may been seen as a lull for some people, other's see it as Ford being fresh. Behind the scenes, the AU kept the falcon alive, after the Taurus imports tested customers, and Mazda based products still threatened to replace it.



To take on HSV, Ford Tickford Experience was established, offering a 3-tier Falcon/Fairmont/Fairlane based line up, accompanied by the Cougar and the first mustang imports in just under 40 years. The aim was for "exclusivity", "refined" and "European", a dealer network was established, with the products only available through them. As a consequence, FTE owners really were exclusive, with sales slow and failing to capture the audience. The suave low-key looks lacked the impact of HSV products, with Aussies preferring the boisterous, brash style. HSV also had the numbers game with the engine, the Windsor in its highest of spec maxed out at 220kw, matched by entry level SS commodore, HSV stormed home with 250kw's in its base product. On track success was lacking to, even the inclusion of Lowndes failing to make genuine inroads in a lop-sided V8SC championship.

But, it was not all over, Tickford built a GT without the GT badge, the stomping T3 TE and TS series, the faithful Windsor being worked into a brutish weapon with a home grown stroker kit, and the wildest Tickford body since the EL GT...also hinting at the future FPV products a year later.




Ford didn't leave Holden to have the show scene to them selves, with the ute starring as the Venom concept, with its loud side exsiting exhausts. The ute also found fame with Australia's ute aficionado Allan Nixon joining Ford in making a Mongrel out of the humble AU, embracing the B'n'S scene with the eye searing yellow ute bedazzled with chrome bars and circus lights.



The ute even gained attention from one of the highest regarded Hot-Rodders, with a local wheel import business sending a development mule XR8 over to hotrod paradise for a quick make over...




Sony found the AU's XR8 a suitable platform for its wild audio showcars, the wild styling matched the X-Plod line of equipment quite nicely, and to cars were built. The second of which had a impressive Herrod built 5.7L Windsor based engine, complete with a attention grabbing V8SC style ramtube throttle arrangement.



It wasn't just all fun and games for Ford though, with 2 concepts helping define the biggest project undertaken by Ford since the EA...


The R5 concept was the first to appear, with Ford being really sneeky and giving us a glimpse of the yet to come BA falcon, the RTV and the beginnings of the Territory. The crewcab body with suicide door remained pure show car however...



The R7 that followed, came with a basically production ready body, with some showy touches to the front and rear. The big brass in America had already greenlighted the Territory production, and the R7 teased the waiting audience.



After the AU, the BA saw the falcon tone down the edge styling, aiming for a publicly pleasing, blandish make over. The "grandpa's axe" I6 got a 21st century update, gaining a cam and sprouting a turbo charged performance model that opened up a new chapter in Fords performance history.



The Territory gave Australia a home grown SUV, right during the soccer mum boom. Loosely based on around the EA169 platform underpinning the BA, the Territory looked and felt like a proper product that could be taken world wide. It helped boost local output and appeared to be a long term savour should the falcon fall out of favour...

The Territory wasn't the only high-riding falcon either, the RTV ute offering off-road friendly ride height to makeup on sales lost to the Hilux breed of ute.



You can't talk about the period with out mentioning those letters...with Prodrive taking over Tickford and giving the local performance arm a big boost energy, FPV recreated the GT, for the first time since the XB becoming a regular production model. With a DOHC V8 and 290kw's, the GT gave Ford a product that could fight against the HSV's range...




Well, there you have it...a little walkthrough what I think is a golden era in the Australian automotive industry...I may have missed a few things, so feel free to discuss.

Hope you enjoyed!

[Giant Cranium]

Good read. Finally some positive around here

[GASWAGON]

Great info thanks for that!

Good to see Ford reclaimed some of their heritage....eventually!

[LTDmonger]

I agree how you state the BA as 'toning down the edge styling,aiming for a publicly pleasing,blandish makeover'.
I thought I was in the minority for thinking this.
One reason the VT sold truckloads I assume.
'Bashing' the AU has no merits....it sold extremely well,you couldn't mistake the LWB versions for the cheaper SWB's,there was visual styling differences between the models and they were extremely reliable and robust.
People also forget that the all new VT was on sale almost a full year before the AU,Ford being stuck with the ancient EA based EL.

[Nikked]

Yes! I failed to mention the NU LWB offerings, the LTD is a grand looking car, easly mistaken for a Lincoln.

The fact that the VT was for sale earlier is often left out, ( I guess im no better lol) and Ford had some great offers on the EL at the time, and the AU followed with a cheap 29,999 sticker price for a base Forte'.

Correct me if im wrong, but the AU ute was a sales success, with more annual sales then the previous XG-XH models.

[chopstar87]

Also the arrival of the hsv smashing... 270kw F6 TYPHOON... a modern ford australia hero car.

[fgpsi]

That concept Holden VT Commodore Coupe was a sexy looking car.

Who remembers the arrow AU Coupe ?

[smciner1]

A great read and some interesting points.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by fgpsi

That concept Holden VT Commodore Coupe was a sexy looking car.

Who remembers the arrow AU Coupe ?

image

[NX74205]

Originally Posted by Nikked

After the AU, the BA saw the falcon tone down the edge styling, aiming for a publicly pleasing, blandish make over.

Sorry, but I can't agree that the BA was bland. I would call it elegant. It had more traditional good looks, smoothed out wheel arches. For me, while I struggled to like the AU, BA was love at first sight, particularly that modern interior that, in my opinion, still holds its own today (at least the high end models with the larger screen, analogue clock and dual zone climate control). It was ergonomically superb and aesthetically a masterpiece, and a quantum leap ahead of anything else at that price range at the time.

Originally Posted by LTDmonger

I agree how you state the BA as 'toning down the edge styling,aiming for a publicly pleasing,blandish makeover'.
I thought I was in the minority for thinking this.

It was toned down, that's for sure. But bland it ain't.

Originally Posted by LTDmonger

'Bashing' the AU has no merits....it sold extremely well,you couldn't mistake the LWB versions for the cheaper SWB's,there was visual styling differences between the models and they were extremely reliable and robust.

I don't think disliking its looks constitutes "bashing". It is intrinsically a good car. I still struggle to like the AU Series I Forte and Futura, but the Series II and Series III were very good cars. I drove a couple of AUIII Fortes - one rental, and the other belonged to a friend of mine. They were truly superb cars, and by far the best Falcons of the time. But the BA was better still.

I agree, however, that the AU LWB cars looked brilliant.

Originally Posted by LTDmonger

Ford being stuck with the ancient EA based EL.

Had I been buying a new car in 1998, I would have bought an EL. Not a VT, because that's not a Ford. Not an AU either, because I didn't like the way it looked.

EL might have been based on the EA, but I don't think its fair to describe it as "ancient" - certainly not at the time. EL was significantly ahead of the EA in every aspect. It was, in my view, a better car the VR and VS Commodores at the time.

Originally Posted by Nikked

Yes! I failed to mention the NU LWB offerings, the LTD is a grand looking car, easly mistaken for a Lincoln.

Absolutely.

[LeadFoot81]

AU 1,2,3 vs VT-VX. My favourite Falcon v Commodore battle!