From Ford Model T to Tech Hub: A Century of Aussie Innovation

Ford vehicles have been driving Australian roads since the company was just a year old, with early Ford vehicles having been imported by agents and distributors via Ford of Canada. But with the wild success of the Model T came a wave of global expansion for Ford, and by March 31, 1925, it was time for the country to have its own operations.

Ford’s foray Down Under marked the first significant investment from an overseas vehicle manufacturer in the country. Ford Motor Company of Australia Pty Ltd was established as a subsidiary of Ford of Canada after Ford executives scouted the country for a location for the company’s operations. The city of Geelong was selected because of multiple factors, including having a deep seaport, access to nearby railways, and a strong labor force. The company’s first Australian assembly plant was established in a building originally used as a flour mill and wool store – helping earn the Model T its local nickname, “Dalgety,” a reference to the store’s namesake. 

Local demand for the universal car was high – Australians were early and abundant adopters of the automobile due to the great distances traveled between farms – and a temporary makeshift assembly line was hastened. More than 500 Model T cars and Model TT trucks were produced in the first month, though they came with locally produced bodies, which were longer than the Tin Lizzies produced elsewhere in the world. More than 100 Fordson tractors were also assembled that month. 

Inspiration for a Ford icon

Ford of Australia engineers and designers struck pay dirt in 1934 with the introduction of the industry’s first coupe utility, including Lewis Bandt, who is regarded as the father of the vehicle. The car’s style, which was quickly adopted by other automotive manufacturers throughout the world, was created after a farmer wrote to the company requesting a vehicle that was as fit for hauling pigs as it was for hauling his family. The coupe utility’s significance to Ford was commemorated with a 60th anniversary Falcon Longreach ute in 1994.

Like its American counterpart, Ford of Australia shifted gears to military production in 1939, making jeeps, heavy-duty trucks and tractors, utility vehicles, trailers, ships, and machine tools, among other wartime necessities. They even produced hundreds of special cargo lighters, a boat used to transport goods from a larger ship to a nearby port, for the U.S. Army. Also, due to the severe oil shortage during the war, Ford of Australia collaborated with academic and corporate partners to create a wood-, coal-, and briquette-burning device capable of powering vehicles, which allowed civilians to continue driving during the conflict. 

Years later, the XK Falcon, introduced in 1960, was an all-Australian production. The new six-cylinder car consisted of more than 90% locally made content, including the engine. The car went on to establish a legacy similar to that of Mustang in America, becoming the most popular vehicle in Australia. It was even used in the “Mad Max” films. 

Australia's next chapter

Although manufacturing operations in Australia ceased in 2016 with the production of the final Falcon, Ford of Australia continues to serve as a design and engineering hub for the company today. It is home to a Research and Development Center and proving grounds, as well as the Product Development Center for Ford’s International Markets Group. A special “History in the Making” event was held recently to honor the centenary. 

While it’s been nearly a decade since the last locally made Ford left an assembly line there, the design and engineering expertise of the Ford of Australia team continues to play a big part in the future of Ford Motor Company.   

Employees can learn more about Ford of Australia through its product history available at FordHeritageVault.com. The site now includes more than 2,300 brochures and images of Australian Ford models from the past century, including the aforementioned 1934 Coupe Utility and 1960 XK Falcon.