Visitor's Cars - Dave's AU Forte Wagon!

When I first heard about Dave's Forte wagon, I must admit to being more than a little interested. Not only did this wagon have an extremely interesting history, but it actually managed to look good as well. Now everybody knows how good a XR looks - but when you spy a Forte that looks as good as this one does - you just have to stop and stare. And that's exactly the reaction that Dave's Forte has been able to draw. "Not long after I bought it I had it parked on the main street of Lorne with a black AU 'S' ute behind it. The combination just stopped people in their tracks - I was amazed to see how many people's attention was grabbed by the combination of great looking vehicle's presented before them. Nobody expected two Falcons to look so good."

Dave quickly got rid of the standard hub caps and 15" steelies, replacing them with wheels and tyres from a XR6. There's no doubting the effect those 16" wheels on the overall look of this surprising vehicle. What I wasn't prepared for was the effect they had on the handling department. Having a AU Futura Wagon myself (identical suspension to the Forte), I was fully aware of the Falcon's handling limits. So you can imagine my surprise when Dave's wagon began to show handling characteristics normally reserved for much sportier vehicles with no appreciable ride deterioration! So guess what's going onto the Futura this Christmas?

But it is this car's history that makes it so much more than just a Forte with great looking wheels. Built in July 1998, this is one of those special few pre-production AU's that can lay claim to having escaped the crusher. Produced as part of the final "Verification Prototype" build, it was used as an evaluation vehicle until it was sold in April 1999 with 25,000kms in a sale only open to Ford employees and their families. Even the sale documents confirm it's status - having been previously owned by Ford Motor Company (most Ford exec lease vehicles are listed as being owned by Ford Credit). As such the vehicle contains some interesting features - like a Futura hood liner including map reading lights front and rear - which perhaps reflects on a late decision by Ford to delete them from the standard Forte parts list. David's Forte also came fitted with the optional cruise control - definitely a big plus! The VP level grey (yellowed) door seals had already been swapped for the final build black ones.

Dave also reports seeing a manual wagon in the sale at Broadmeadows - not normally available as an option on the Wagon (does anybody know what happened to it?). Dave related one interesting encounter of the Holden kind "I pulled up in the left lane at the lights next to some young blokes in a Holden Statesman one day, only to realise that my lane ended not far after the lights. Of course I did what any good Ford fan would do - and gave it to it as the lights turned green. The poor Statesy didn't stand a chance. But what really amused me was the look these guys gave my car when they caught up at the next set of lights - as they searched desperately for the V8 badges on the front guards." Just goes to show - you should never underestimate a humble Forte!