The last Australian-developed six-cylinder Ford Falcon rolled off an assembly line on Friday, marking completion of Ford’s 91-year history of car-making in a country that at the same time fell out of love with huge cars and production.
End of operations – to be mirrored by General Motors Holden and Toyota Australia next year – corresponds with a move by the renowned automobile company to close in Japan and Indonesia, where it sees no sensible “path to profitability”.
The approaching death of car production in Australia has sparked heated dispute over the future of the economy and the function of government in propping up ailing sectors, after the governing center-right coalition cut aids to the sector.
Dave Smith, national automobile division secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union, said the Ford employees handled themselves with spectacular dignity on their last day.
“It’s a shame for Australia because I believe we lose so much when we no longer have vehicle production. However, you understand, that becomes part of history now,” Smith informed journalists at the Ford factory in the Melbourne suburb of Broadmeadows.
About 600 Ford employees are losing their jobs on Friday, all in the state of Victoria, where Ford’s Australian operations are headquartered. Independently, 160 Ford production employees are being redeployed to create and engineering roles with the business.
Ford Australia chief executive Graeme Whickman stated while it was a tough day, it was an honor to see the last Falcon XR6 produced. He said the last manufactured vehicles would be placed on show rather than offered privately.
