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INDEX:
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(Back to the AU Falcon Home Page.)
A complete guide to what was new for the AU series 1 Falcon:
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INDEX:
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An Introduction:
However, the public did not share this sentiment with the AU's controversial shape and sales floundered. - Which is a real pity, since the AU was not only the best engineered and highest quality Falcon to date, but also addressed many of the previous model's minor hiccups along the way. Unfortunately amongst some of the general public, the Falcon's relative lack of popularity quickly translated into a opinion that the AU was in some way flawed - a belief that could not have been further from the truth. |
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From the very first production AU produced in August 1998 right until the last, the AU never
sank below the VT Commodore in quality or "Things Gone Wrong" per thousand units - a serious
task when you consider the VT was released a full 12 months ahead of the Falcon and hence had
a lot longer to work out the bugs of the initial build. Indeed, Ford had learnt it's
lesson from the EA - with the first three months production receiving a 100% check on many
items until each process was thoroughly proven out. The Falcon was ahead of the Commodore
in almost every way except one - sales and general public acceptance. Don't believe me?
Then read on...
So I leave you with this, the most comprehensive review to date of what's what in the AU Falcon,
how it compared to the VT Commodore and what it would mean to you - the driver.
Models:
Most EL models were continued into the AU with the addition of the T-series (TE50 and TS50)
replacing the GT combined with the XR6 VCT as new variants giving more life to the model. For the first
time since XF (1994 - 1998) the Ute also shared the same front body components as the sedan
giving Ford almost instant results in the commercial sector as well as with XR6 & XR8 arriving
mid way through 99. In an effort to shed the GLi's fleet based heritage, Ford renamed it
the 'Forte' for AU in a move that was largely undone by the car's new looks.
The tray (or 'One-Tonner' as most people know it) was also introduced for the first
time to the Falcon line-up with the utility version carrying a F100 style separate rear cargo
box. Like the EL, a 'Classic' value pack was introduced as a sales starter
but came with it's own identity rather than just being a few extras added to that EL GLi or
Futura - a separate model in it's own right. The Falcon 'S' was
re-introduced mid-model giving an attractive face to the commonly
maligned Forte while providing a more affordable entry level sports model.
See our Specs Pages for more information
on each model listed here.
Paint:
A new more environmentally friendly paint shop was opened in May 1998 for the last few
months of EL, leading into the AU with all the benefits of water born paint technology vs.
the old solvent based system. An added bonus was the noticeably increased paint quality -
no less than you'd expect for a hefty $80 million investment!
Pricing:
One of the biggest mistakes Ford made when introducing the AU Falcon was to cut the price considerably
while including A/C and the automatic gearbox for free. Rather than make people flock
to the new car as Ford had expected, it drove them away as the Ford became the budget priced
option rather than the car you really wanted to have. With the new car price coming
down so did that of second hand Falcons - meaning that the only people the lower sticker
price benefited was those buying a Falcon for the first time with the crucial change over
cost remaining the same or even increasing with the rapid depreciation of the old model.
This is a mistake Ford could have well done without - as they were having a hard enough
time as it was selling on the new shape alone - and one that it would take them years to
shake off again, even long after raising the price back up to Commodore standards.
Awards:
Despite the less than enthusiastic reception to the AU Falcon's styling, the awards started
rolling in almost immediately beginning with the 1998 RACV Best Buy Awards where the Forte
beat the Executive to take the best large car honours, the Fairmont Ghia came home trumps in
the Prestige category with the LPG Falcon (dual fuel - SFLPG had not been released yet)
winning in the Fleet category. Taken from "Ford News" Nov/Dec 1998 RACV Best Buys
Chief Judge, Ernest Litera said the AU Falcon reflects the huge investment Ford has made in
the vehicle. "The AU Falcon looks and feels smaller than the models that came before
it. It is quieter and smoother to ride in, it's controls are lighter and more
accurate, revised suspension delivers a refined manner with forgiving handling, and Ford
has an aggressive approach to cutting costs of ownership, operating and repairs."
Each vehicle was scored on pricing and equipment, retained value, safety, security,
repairs, insurance, warranty and fuel consumption along with design, function, build quality,
on-road performance and industry reputation. The Royal Automobile Association of South
Australia obviously agreed too, awarding the AU 'Best Family Car of the Year' in the $25,000
to $40,000 category. That the Australian Design Mark would come was without question -
with the AU Falcon presenting the highest local content of any car built in Australia.
When the NRMA assessed the new AU Falcon Forte in 1998, they quickly named it the cheapest car to
run compared to it's nearest competitor - by up to $10 a week - quite a sum when you add it up over
a year. The NRMA awards were judged on typical expenses including registration and
insurance, fuel consumption, tyres and service repairs, depreciation and interest costs.
(Back to the AU Falcon Home Page.)
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AU
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Info By Doug Bevan, site by Anthony
Robinson.
Copyright © 2000 by Doug & Any . All rights reserved.
Revised: 19 Nov 2002
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