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Ford’s RWD Programs Are Dead – Falcon Stranded?

While most of us enjoy being right, we would be more than happy for our recent ‘crystal balling’ of our local Falcon’s fate to be well wide of the mark. Unfortunately, news just out of Detroit has added further fuel to this particular fire. It effectivel


While most of us enjoy being right, we would be more than happy for our recent 'crystal balling' of our local Falcon's fate to be well wide of the mark. Unfortunately, news just out of Detroit has added further fuel to this particular fire. It effectively sees our local Falcon stranded at the wrong end of the world, with a platform that seems to be out of favour, and possibly not figuring in Ford's 'fuel efficient' future plans.

Ford's design chief, J Mays, fanned the flames in Detroit, when he noted that Ford has all but axed its rear-wheel drive programs.

May spoke to Automotive News regarding plans for a RWD sedan:

"We've got other priorities. We're going down a path right now that is all about fuel efficiency."

Originally, Ford Australia was to develop a new RWD platform that would be shared with the US market (securing the future of the locally designed and built Falcon) but rising fuel prices and falling car sales have put an end to that plan. A new sedan based on that RWD platform was expected in 2013, but the shift in consumer trends has forced Ford's hand on the issue.

There has been no official word from Ford Australia on the fate of the local Falcon, and we don't expect that there will be for some time. However, it seems to us that arguably the best car ever made in this country (we think it is the best) has just been orphaned.

There is an all-new and rather flash large car in the Ford stable that is getting all the attention - the 2010 Taurus.

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