If the 1990s were a roller coaster of a decade for the Ford Falcon, the new millenium had even more highs and lows.
A total revamp, a renewed focus on performance sedans and the arrival of the Ford Territory almost saved the Aussie icon, but local buying tastes were changing rapidly and the Falcon will disappear from showrooms after 56 years.
In our final instalment of re-tracing the history of the Ford Falcon, we look at the rise and fall of the big Aussie sedan.
Falcon BA
Years of production: 2002 to 2005
Number produced: 281,197
Biggest achievement: Wiped the slate clean.
The BA needed to look different to the AU and it did. But, cleverly, it retained the AU's roof and doors with big changes to the front and rear fascias to pull off the transformation. The AU's optional independent rear end was dumbed down a bit for the BA with a cheaper, simpler arrangement that became standard on all sedans. The front end was also dulled down to match. Under the bonnet, the six-cylinder engine became a twin-cam unit while a new 5.4-litre V8 with DOHC was also installed in the XR8 and a less-powerful version as an option on other models. The BA's big achievement, however, was the XR6 Turbo which ushered in the best locally designed and built engine this country has ever produced. And it sold like crazy. Ford also finally got serious about taking on cross-town performance rival, HSV, when it re-branded its Tickford division to Ford Performance Vehicles and revived the iconic GT Falcon as a full-time model.
Falcon BF
Years of production: 2004 to 2006
Number produced: 136,473
Biggest achievement: Spot the difference.
Essentially a facelift of the BA, but you'd need keen eyes to pick the differences. Stability control was becoming a big selling point, so Ford worked with Bosch to make it a reality on the Falcon line-up, although it was restricted to the upmarket and performance models. The BF also introduced the six-speed automatic to the Falcon range, improving acceleration, driveability and fuel economy in one move. The BF Series 2 was all about niche models with several limited-edition models from FPV including the latter-day Cobra sedan and ute. This was the last model to include a Falcon station wagon which, in Series III form continued to sell even after the BF had been replaced by the FG.
Falcon FG
Years of production: 2008 to 2014
Number produced: 191,314
Biggest achievement: V8 science 101.
Although it looked fresh, the FG actually retained a lot of BF engineering but combined it with some worthwhile refinement improvements. The basic line-up continued but there was also the arrival of a fuel-conscious Ecoboost model with a four-cylinder turbo motor for the first time. It was a bold move to arrest perception that the Falcon was an out-of-date gas guzzler, but buyers didn't take to it as well as Ford hoped. At the other end of the scale, the FPV performance models also got a new engine. While the old 5.4-litre V8 had come to the end of its development tether, FPV's partner company, Prodrive, locally developed a supercharged version of Ford's new global five-litre V8. In the FPV cars, it offered huge performance. With the end in sight, FPV took the opportunity to tweak the V8 a little more and come up with the GT-F (F for Final) with 351kW, giving it license to revive the famous 351 badge.
Falcon FG-X
Years of production: 2014 to 2016
Number produced: 11,570
Biggest achievement: Saving the best till last
The smell of death was upon the Falcon by now, but that didn't stop Ford pressing ahead with new technology like a carbon-fibre air intake system and SYNC 2 that could automatically contact the emergency services after any crash big enough to trigger the car's air bags. Nor did it prevent a nip and tuck with a bold new front fascia giving an aggressive, sporty look. Even so, sales were tanking big time. The FG-Xs we'll remember best were the XR8 Sprint and XR6 Sprint; the latter getting a tuned-up version of the turbocharged six-cylinder engine and the former the supercharged V8. Both are great cars and destined to become collectible. But they also underline what we were losing as Ford transitioned from a manufacturer to an importer.
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