| [ Total Views: 3399 | Total Replies: 62 | Thread Id: 102132 ] |
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 bugmaniaar
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| posted on May 23rd, 2013 at 09:02 AM |
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Ford Closing Aus Manufacturing
Just seen on the news Ford is Closing its Australian Manufacturing??
WTF...
Where is this going to end??
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AA003
A.k.a.: Phill
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| posted on May 23rd, 2013 at 10:01 AM |
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Does anyone really care?
I was more upset in '68.
I read it on samba, so it must be correct.
Sometimes Volkswagen dealers sell spare parts. Amazing isn't it!
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donn
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| posted on May 23rd, 2013 at 10:07 AM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by AA003
Does anyone really care?
I was more upset in '68.
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I assume that was said with tongue planted firmly in your cheek.
We should all care, jobs off shore means a weaker economy, that impacts on us all.
I dream of a day when a chicken can cross a road without being asked for it's motive!
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Ian Bugden
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| posted on May 23rd, 2013 at 10:53 AM |
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It is a shame about the Australian car industry. The govt worked hard in the 50's and 60's to build the industry by offering huge incentives for
local made cars and taxed the buggery out of imported cars. Now it is a level playing field and we cannot compete when our labour rates are 3 times
what they are through Asia. Ford has been on the chopping block for some time now so it is not a shock. Holden may only have about 5 years left
before they are in the same boat. The unfortuinate thing with Holden is they make large cars (the Commadore) and also the Cruize. The demand for
large cars has shifted and now people are buying suv's and smaller cars. This does not bode well for holden. They will have to look at more than
just the Cruize to save them.
Also....
The Govt is pushing the line that Australia is doing really well. That is complete BULLSH!T, how can this country be doing well when large companies
are pulling out of Australia, Ford being the most recent? Large companies are going bankrupt and are calling in administrators, Good examples here
are a nationwide trucking company, WOW home entertainment and the list goes on. Add to this established companies are downsizing, In Canberra, Harvey
Norman closed it longest running shop here, Myer is pulling back on expansion plans. Dick smith is closing shops. In a southside shopping centre
there are more and more vacant shops. Look at the amount of offshoring that is taking place, this is because companies are trying to reduce costs to
stay afloat.
You look at all of this and tell me we are in a good position.
I work in a bank,. and a good indicator of how the bank feels things will be in the future is to look at fixed home loan rates. Now if the 3 year
fixed rate is 4.95% then that show the bank believes interest rate will not go much higher than that over the course of the next 3 years. So all
thoses people chasing the best rate hoping it will go up are not going to do well in the near future. The bank is not going to lend people money for
a period and then have a higherr rate in their savings accounts.
A good friend will come and bail you out of jail.....
But a true friend will be sitting next to you saying "Damm that was fun!!!"
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hrastovica
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| posted on May 23rd, 2013 at 11:48 AM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by Ian Bugden
It is a shame about the Australian car industry. The govt worked hard in the 50's and 60's to build the industry by offering huge incentives for
local made cars and taxed the buggery out of imported cars. Now it is a level playing field and we cannot compete when our labour rates are 3 times
what they are through Asia. Ford has been on the chopping block for some time now so it is not a shock. Holden may only have about 5 years left
before they are in the same boat. The unfortuinate thing with Holden is they make large cars (the Commadore) and also the Cruize. The demand for
large cars has shifted and now people are buying suv's and smaller cars. This does not bode well for holden. They will have to look at more than
just the Cruize to save them.
Also....
The Govt is pushing the line that Australia is doing really well. That is complete BULLSH!T, how can this country be doing well when large companies
are pulling out of Australia, Ford being the most recent? Large companies are going bankrupt and are calling in administrators, Good examples here
are a nationwide trucking company, WOW home entertainment and the list goes on. Add to this established companies are downsizing, In Canberra, Harvey
Norman closed it longest running shop here, Myer is pulling back on expansion plans. Dick smith is closing shops. In a southside shopping centre
there are more and more vacant shops. Look at the amount of offshoring that is taking place, this is because companies are trying to reduce costs to
stay afloat.
You look at all of this and tell me we are in a good position.
I work in a bank,. and a good indicator of how the bank feels things will be in the future is to look at fixed home loan rates. Now if the 3 year
fixed rate is 4.95% then that show the bank believes interest rate will not go much higher than that over the course of the next 3 years. So all
thoses people chasing the best rate hoping it will go up are not going to do well in the near future. The bank is not going to lend people money for
a period and then have a higherr rate in their savings accounts.
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Perfectly said. Unfortunately I think we may be at the end of a golden era in this country.
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HappyDaze
A.k.a.: Greg Mackie
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| posted on May 23rd, 2013 at 12:12 PM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by hrastovica
Perfectly said. Unfortunately I think we may be at the end of a golden era in this country.
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And if enough people start thinking that way, we sure will be!
I'd rather wear a Beetle out by racing it than by polishing it!
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bajachris88
A.k.a.: Chris Leete
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| posted on May 23rd, 2013 at 01:21 PM |
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Ok, so who wants to join together and start a new aust small car company? we'll approach the govt for insentives or part ownership. I'm keen  
Oh! and it has to have a separate floor pan from the body, so we can make modern day buggies.
(ô_!_/ô) (ô_!_/ô)
69' baja: kombi box, thing spindles, irs, disc front, type 3 rear drums, 2 inch lift kit, 31x10 rears.
New engine in process: 94mm p&bs, 74mm C/w chomol Crank, 35.5x39 SP heads, turbo. Wierd combo, hopeful torque monsta! |
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AA003
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| posted on May 23rd, 2013 at 01:27 PM |
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If enough people get togther we could call it the "people's car".
As buggys aren't real cars, we could make them in Clayton!
I read it on samba, so it must be correct.
Sometimes Volkswagen dealers sell spare parts. Amazing isn't it!
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AA003
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| posted on May 23rd, 2013 at 01:30 PM |
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A lot of Australian companies go broke because of bad management.
Dick Smith, Harvey Norman etc. They'll be the next.
I read it on samba, so it must be correct.
Sometimes Volkswagen dealers sell spare parts. Amazing isn't it!
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Craig Torrens
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| posted on May 23rd, 2013 at 02:12 PM |
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Maybe if the Australian car manufacturer built an innovative product that people wanted then there wouldn't be a problem. Holden will be next.
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Isola
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| posted on May 23rd, 2013 at 03:26 PM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by Craig Torrens
Maybe if the Australian car manufacturer built an innovative product that people wanted then there wouldn't be a problem. Holden will be next.
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This.
Holden are really counting on the VF to save them. They've called it a "make or break" car. Yet have once again not introduced a diesel option even
though they have a perfectly good diesel engine in the Colorado. They know the Cruze is a lost cause as a saviour, and are too scared to promote the
hell out of the Malibu in case it outsells the Commonwhore. Who cares if it outsells your own product? Wouldn't you rather the HOLDEN Malibu outsell
the Commodore than the TOYOTA Corolla?
Just my 2c...
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AA003
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| posted on May 23rd, 2013 at 03:36 PM |
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What about the Adventra and the Monaro?
Both could have sold well, but the bean counters stopped them.
Just face it. Holden cannot build a 4 cylinder car. They have all been disasters. That's where they keep losing millions.
I know that I may be a bit cynical but couldn't these shut down threats be just a ploy to get a few mill from our tax dollars?
I read it on samba, so it must be correct.
Sometimes Volkswagen dealers sell spare parts. Amazing isn't it!
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Isola
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| posted on May 23rd, 2013 at 05:04 PM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by AA003
What about the Adventra and the Monaro?
Both could have sold well, but the bean counters stopped them.
Just face it. Holden cannot build a 4 cylinder car. They have all been disasters. That's where they keep losing millions.
I know that I may be a bit cynical but couldn't these shut down threats be just a ploy to get a few mill from our tax dollars?
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The Adventra definitely had potential, but not marketed well and had to go up against more established all wheel drive cars like audi and subaru...
and inside they were just an ugly VZ commodore. Two bad decisions that led to it's death. The Monaro? Please... you mean the commodore coupe. What an
utter bucket of sh**. Not only were they ugly as sin, they were also a hideous VZ onthe inside. They were also terribly overpriced. If you just wanted
to do straight line skids, or race from red light to red light to show the P platers in their Lancers what a "real man" could do (translation:
unless you were a bogan with a heavy need to compensate for lack of brains, teeth and penis length) then they were a stupid car. Holden keep trying to
make cars to take on heavy hitters or try andslide their way into the high end market. The problems have always been the disgustingly designed cheap
interiors, and the ever constant need to steal design elements from other companies and not even try and hide it.
The problem with their 4 cylinder cars is that they can't help but touch the engines. They buy a perfectly good car from Vauxall/Opel/Chevy/Daewoo...
and then "tweak" it. Then we get a car that was brilliant overseas and sold like wildfire, that suddenly comes back on a tow truck every week. The
Zafira is a perfect example of that. Thereare some personal import Vauxall Zafiras getting around that have never had dramas, but the Holden ones with
the "retuned" ecus are the ones suffering from timing chain dramas. Don't even get me started on the Jackaroo diesel engines that they butchered...
The cruze has had more recalls/reworks than any other car I've ever seen in my entire life because they had to change the engine and not just use the
1.6L Barina engine. Speaking of Barinas... the TK Barina could have been Holdens golden horse if they had have charged a realistic price for it.
Instead it sold in dismal numbers even though it is the most reliable "Holden" vehicle in the last 20 years.
Sorry... getting very sidetracked from Ford now. I'll let this get back on topic.
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VolksVair
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| posted on May 23rd, 2013 at 05:41 PM |
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Shell Oil Refinery down here in Geelong is on the market, Ford is going off shore, I think Alcoa might shift out of Geelong too, all our prime
meat & fish go offshore and we get flooded with disgusting substandard imported meat and fish being palmed off to us as Australian goods!!!! One
example, our prime Australian Gummy shark (flake) is sent over seas and in return we get this shit called "Bassa" (freshwater catfish from
taiwan) and passed off as Australian flake in most fish shops. Aussies that dont know any better are paying the full price for a piece of
Australian Gummy Shark that really is just shit bassa that only costs the fish shop owner a couple bucks a kilo
Adventure Before Dimentia
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 helbus
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| posted on May 23rd, 2013 at 06:00 PM |
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Holden is exporting cars, and that is their only saving grace. The Australian government will prop them up a bit more as they are an exporter also.
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waveman1500
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| posted on May 23rd, 2013 at 06:22 PM |
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The writing was already on the wall for Ford years ago. They don't export anything! The reason Toyota is going well is because they export more
Camrys than they sell locally. Toyota and Holden both build LHD versions of their cars for export, but Ford decided that they couldn't justify the
expense of converting the Falcon to LHD. There are no suitable RHD export markets for large cars other than New Zealand.
The problem is the fickle nature of the consumer and Australia's huge variety of choice in new cars. Australia has more car brands available than the
USA, and they have 300 million people to our 20 million. 10 years ago the large local cars were doing well, and then for some reason Australian
consumers abandoned the segment almost completely and went over to SUVs. Look up the stats if you like, but in about the last 15 years, the large car
market segment has dropped from about 25% of new cars down to 4%, whilst SUVs have shot up by roughly the same amount. Small cars have nothing to do
with it, because their sales have stayed more or less steady.
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nedsta
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| posted on May 23rd, 2013 at 06:44 PM |
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Very sad for all the people losing there jobs....
 ....THE BOG BUG LIVES..... |
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bus914
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| posted on May 23rd, 2013 at 08:32 PM |
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I think its time for government owned car manufacturing. Sounds like the tax payer was taking all the business risk at Ford anyway. Maybe shipbuilding
next. We have the resources.
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h
A.k.a.: Towely BuMpEr KING! ILLegal ALIEN on a roadtrip
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| posted on May 23rd, 2013 at 09:56 PM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by bus914
I think its time for government owned car manufacturing. Sounds like the tax payer was taking all the business risk at Ford anyway. Maybe shipbuilding
next. We have the resources.
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a government in business, so..
a loaf of bread will be cheaper than a bag of flour if that's the case
= epic fail 
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vlad01
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| posted on May 23rd, 2013 at 10:00 PM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by hrastovica
| Quote: | Originally
posted by Ian Bugden
It is a shame about the Australian car industry. The govt worked hard in the 50's and 60's to build the industry by offering huge incentives for
local made cars and taxed the buggery out of imported cars. Now it is a level playing field and we cannot compete when our labour rates are 3 times
what they are through Asia. Ford has been on the chopping block for some time now so it is not a shock. Holden may only have about 5 years left
before they are in the same boat. The unfortuinate thing with Holden is they make large cars (the Commadore) and also the Cruize. The demand for
large cars has shifted and now people are buying suv's and smaller cars. This does not bode well for holden. They will have to look at more than
just the Cruize to save them.
Also....
The Govt is pushing the line that Australia is doing really well. That is complete BULLSH!T, how can this country be doing well when large companies
are pulling out of Australia, Ford being the most recent? Large companies are going bankrupt and are calling in administrators, Good examples here
are a nationwide trucking company, WOW home entertainment and the list goes on. Add to this established companies are downsizing, In Canberra, Harvey
Norman closed it longest running shop here, Myer is pulling back on expansion plans. Dick smith is closing shops. In a southside shopping centre
there are more and more vacant shops. Look at the amount of offshoring that is taking place, this is because companies are trying to reduce costs to
stay afloat.
You look at all of this and tell me we are in a good position.
I work in a bank,. and a good indicator of how the bank feels things will be in the future is to look at fixed home loan rates. Now if the 3 year
fixed rate is 4.95% then that show the bank believes interest rate will not go much higher than that over the course of the next 3 years. So all
thoses people chasing the best rate hoping it will go up are not going to do well in the near future. The bank is not going to lend people money for
a period and then have a higherr rate in their savings accounts.
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Perfectly said. Unfortunately I think we may be at the end of a golden era in this country.
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I agree, actually I think it ended long time ago.
71 notchback,
Past owner of, 70 NB, 73 SB and 72 FB TLE |
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vlad01
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| posted on May 23rd, 2013 at 10:09 PM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by waveman1500
The writing was already on the wall for Ford years ago. They don't export anything! The reason Toyota is going well is because they export more
Camrys than they sell locally. Toyota and Holden both build LHD versions of their cars for export, but Ford decided that they couldn't justify the
expense of converting the Falcon to LHD. There are no suitable RHD export markets for large cars other than New Zealand.
The problem is the fickle nature of the consumer and Australia's huge variety of choice in new cars. Australia has more car brands available than the
USA, and they have 300 million people to our 20 million. 10 years ago the large local cars were doing well, and then for some reason Australian
consumers abandoned the segment almost completely and went over to SUVs. Look up the stats if you like, but in about the last 15 years, the large car
market segment has dropped from about 25% of new cars down to 4%, whilst SUVs have shot up by roughly the same amount. Small cars have nothing to do
with it, because their sales have stayed more or less steady.
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why have people gone for SUVs? I just can't see the logic other than feeding ones own ego.
I hear the excuse "I need bigger car for the kids"
wtf? when my brothers, sisters and I were kids I remember our cortina with 5 people was massive inside, fact is kids are tiny, they don't need much
space.
just makes me angry.
71 notchback,
Past owner of, 70 NB, 73 SB and 72 FB TLE |
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AA003
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| posted on May 24th, 2013 at 06:06 AM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by vlad01why have people gone for SUVs?
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Have you driven a Ford lately?
I read it on samba, so it must be correct.
Sometimes Volkswagen dealers sell spare parts. Amazing isn't it!
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65standard
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| posted on May 24th, 2013 at 06:45 AM |
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Unfortunately, the government hasn't supported any industry in this country for a long time, whether it be clothing and textiles, food, car, farming,
etc.
The government, especially this outgoing one, has taxed the hell out of local industry, strangled them with the carbon tax we weren't going to have,
but allows imports in from countries that have tariffs on imported goods into their country.
People will say that wages are too high when compared with other countries. That may be so on the face of it, but so is the cost of living here.
Increases in Medicare Levy, high health insurance costs, high general insurance costs, GST, high income tax, Carbon Tax, Payroll Tax on employers,
high utilities costs and worst of all, high social security payments and overseas aid. No wonder we have the deficit we have for the population we
have.
Unfortunately, for any country, take away manufacture and production, you have no economy. We can't survive just as consumers, and the government
will have to start printing money to pay the social security and loan interest bill.
Also, people want waaaaay too much for so little. This is the greed creeping into everyone.
[size=4]If it ain't broke, fix it till it is![/size]
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65standard
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| posted on May 24th, 2013 at 06:47 AM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by Craig Torrens
Maybe if the Australian car manufacturer built an innovative product that people wanted then there wouldn't be a problem. Holden will be next.
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Holden is next. Commodore will stop production around 2015.
[size=4]If it ain't broke, fix it till it is![/size]
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65standard
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| posted on May 24th, 2013 at 06:49 AM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by AA003
A lot of Australian companies go broke because of bad management.
Dick Smith, Harvey Norman etc. They'll be the next.
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Add to that, Australian government. Clean up Australia Day on 14 September can't come quick enough.
[size=4]If it ain't broke, fix it till it is![/size]
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SuperOwen
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| posted on May 24th, 2013 at 07:37 AM |
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The reason these companies leave is simply costs. Our high standards of living make it uneconomical for them to operate. I know that's the simplified
version, but that's really the crux of it.
Everyone complains about taxes but then expects the government to prop up failing industries and subsidise power, provide health care etc etc etc. You
can't have it both ways.
Damn Keynesians lol
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HappyDaze
A.k.a.: Greg Mackie
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| posted on May 24th, 2013 at 08:03 AM |
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OK, I've got the answer.
No need to work your arse off!
Say whatever you like! [Lies OK].
Get paid well....even if you stuff up! [and even when you retire].
WE"LL ALL BECOME POITICIANS. 
I'd rather wear a Beetle out by racing it than by polishing it!
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Phil74Camper
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| posted on May 24th, 2013 at 08:22 AM |
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With the tax concessions and impport duties of the past, many foreign makers set up loacl factories in Australia. GMH, Ford, Chrysler, BMC
(Austin/Morris), Renault, AMI-Toyota, Volkswagen. They have all lost money and almost all are gone. Sydney used to have car factories at Pagewood
(GMH) and Homebush (Ford).
Volkswagen invested over $50 million in Australian production from 1955 up to 1966 (about $585 million today), budgeting to make 50,000 vehicles a
year with 95% local content. They never made more than 35,000 a year and by 1967 were down to 15,000. With such a small turnover they could not afford
the annual improvements of the Wolfsburg parent (which made 800,000 a year). Crippling losses led to closure of Australian manufacture in 1968 and
bankruptcy for Volkswagen Australasia. The factory survived as an assembler of German CKD kits only, but was sold to Nissan in 1976. Nissan in turn
lost over a billion dollars trying to make cars in Australia by the time they sold the former VW plant in 1992.
Volkswagen never received a cent in government assistance when their factory closed - in fact the government cut their import quota to less than
10,000 cars a year when they reverted to a full importer. Ford has collected 1.1 billion dollars over the last 20 years, while the government plans to
spend another $5.4 billion (from where?) up to 2020.
http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/ca...
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pod
A.k.a.: paul mrvw061
Compulsive Aussie Vee Dubber
i`ve got to finish this thing one day
Posts: 4980
Threads: 145
Registered: December 28th, 2003
Member Is Offline
Location: campbelltown,nsw
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Yellow
Mood: could be better
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| posted on May 24th, 2013 at 09:23 AM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by helbus The Australian government will prop them up a bit more as they are an exporter also.
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Gee I thought they were an importer,not much exporting being done 
Bring on cleanup Austarlia day 
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68AutoBug
A.k.a.: Lee Noonan
Aircooled Master
Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138% - YIKES --
Posts: 11654
Threads: 449
Registered: August 31st, 2002
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Location: SCONE in UPPER HUNTER VALLEY NSW
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Yellow
Mood: Really Mentally Ill - all of the time -
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| posted on May 24th, 2013 at 09:24 AM |
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Hi Vlad
Fact is, You cannot put 3 car seats in the beack of most cars and SUVs..
They are just too wide.. so a 7 seater is needed for many families.. with 3 small kids [up to 7 years old depending on size of child] [or longer]
The smaller SUVs [many now with 2 wheel drive] like the Mitsubishi outlander, Rav 4, KIA Sportage HYundai X35 CAPTIVA etc are now cheaper than aFalcon or Commodore and You sit up high, good vision and look great too [IMHO]
something different..
Fellow from FORD said cost of making a car in Asia is 4 times cheaper than they can make them in Australia..
CARBON tax of $27 a tonne compared to $4 in Europe...
naturally is NOT going to help anyone in Australia..
[if there are any left that is...]
That also means the FORD Territory won't be made here either..
FORD lost sales for years by NOT having a diesel territory...
LEE
| Quote: | Originally
posted by vlad01
| Quote: | Originally
posted by waveman1500
The writing was already on the wall for Ford years ago. They don't export anything! The reason Toyota is going well is because they export more
Camrys than they sell locally. Toyota and Holden both build LHD versions of their cars for export, but Ford decided that they couldn't justify the
expense of converting the Falcon to LHD. There are no suitable RHD export markets for large cars other than New Zealand.
The problem is the fickle nature of the consumer and Australia's huge variety of choice in new cars. Australia has more car brands available than the
USA, and they have 300 million people to our 20 million. 10 years ago the large local cars were doing well, and then for some reason Australian
consumers abandoned the segment almost completely and went over to SUVs. Look up the stats if you like, but in about the last 15 years, the large car
market segment has dropped from about 25% of new cars down to 4%, whilst SUVs have shot up by roughly the same amount. Small cars have nothing to do
with it, because their sales have stayed more or less steady.
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why have people gone for SUVs? I just can't see the logic other than feeding ones own ego.
I hear the excuse "I need bigger car for the kids"
wtf? when my brothers, sisters and I were kids I remember our cortina with 5 people was massive inside, fact is kids are tiny, they don't need much
space.
just makes me angry.
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- [size=4]Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY--- [/size]
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