Lately it seems that so many Aussie icons are closing their doors and going bankrupt.  It's no secret that Ford and Holden are both finding it very difficult in the market place with so many imports readily available.
 
It has been proven time and time again that we like large 6 cylinder rear wheel drive vehicles as a family car.  Manufacturers such as Mitsubishi (with the 380) and Toyota (with the Avalon) have tried their crack at the market with large front wheel drive cars with little success, in fact very unsuccessfully.
 
Both Ford and Holden are guilty of investing money in Crappy imports from overseas which have hurt them badly.  The Ford Territory is a classic example of how Aussie's love Australian enginuity, and it was a huge success.  Why?  Because it was back to basics, and based on a vehicle that has been tried and proven, the good old fashioned Aussie way.  It outsold its American brother the Explorer by heap, and was a much better vehicle.  We have proved in the past that we make some of the best cars in the world right here. 
 
What are we doing wrong now?
 
The Korean market however is booming, and to be perfectly honest are standing the test of time.  Everyone bagged the Hyundia and Kia branded vehicles when they first landed, but they're still there and going stronger than ever.
 
It lead me to a bit of thinking. 
 
Somewhere along the line Ford and Holden have lost the plot. 
 
Everything in even the basic vehicles now is over complicated with some highly technical electronic "module" or "controller" right down to even the most basic items.  Things like climate control, accelerator control and interior lamp operation have all become, for want of better wording, a headf#@k.  Basic operations that have worked simply and faultlessly for 100 years are replaced by items that are not only complicated, but also expensive, unreliable and a head ache if something goes wrong.
 
Suspension systems are now overcomplicated, have substancially more wearing components and are really of no benefit to "average Joe) over much simpler systems.  They don't work any better and add unwanted weight and stress to the vehicle.  The unwanted weight also stresses the brake system, and we're seeing more pad and rotor wear now than we ever have.  When you look at how much a standard Commodore or Falcon weighs now it's scary.
 
The only real area I can see the technology getting better and moving forward is in Engine, transmission and Engine management  and safety areas.  Where the technology is providing a service in returning good fuel economy, drivability and most importantly safety.
 
There is a need for Ford and Holden to do a basic car.  One that still has all the engine, transmission and safety features, but hasn't got all the crap to go with it.  Basic cable controls and switches, no overcomplicated electronics and features.  Simple suspension systems.  The Koreans and others have been doing it for years with huge success, so why can't we?  Surely it would bring the price down.  I can't imagine that an accerator cable costs more to manufacture than all the electronic components involved in making it electronic?  Same goes with the rest of the systems with these types of units.
 
There is also a need for a common drive line, like the success story with the Territory.  By all means import things like the Transit Van, but as a rolling shell.  Fit it out with our driveline over here instead of the nightmares we get off shore.  Find some Diesel Technology and make it common to the larger vehicle as well.
 
By all means keep importing brilliant vehicles like the Focus/fiesta range, but I certainly don't want to be seeing any more Taurus, Cougar, Probe, Explorer type vehicles.
 
End Rant!
 
Woz
 
 

car companies build what people buy. End of story. Once upon a time an Aussie prided him or herself on having a falcon or kingswood in the driveway ( a time when the term jap crap and riceburner were prevalent). Now all people care about is getting "a deal". Reality is, only a handfull of car buyers in this country want a big rear wheel drive car. Look at the current falcon, its dirt cheap and has every aspect ( except its hefty weight ) covered, even getting pretty good economy these days BUT, people are still buying honda euro's, and hyundai i30's and toyota corolla's by the ship full. Every time I go to a V8 supercar race most of the supporters in their HRT/FPV gear jump into their toyota camrys and drive home. Not to mention that petrol is now  getting a little too close to the $2 a litre mark. How many people do you reckon would buy a car without all the niceties ( air, cruise, extensive noise/vibration insulation ). Certainly not enough to cover production costs let alone make a profit. Our best bet is for ford Oz and the US  to build and share the generic platforms which we stick our interior and sheetmetal onto ie. new mustang/falcon. Of course the soaring dollar only makes imported cars all the cheaper , just ask anyone who's bought a flatscreen tv lately .....the same thing goes  for cars

I agree with shep. Average joe doesn't really give a sh.. if the car has a throttle cable or whether suspension is complex or not, average joe wants a good deal. I have always hated Korean cars based on experience mainly ( many years of eperience on all makes and models )but looks also, but these Korean cars have got much better lately both mechanically and in the looks department(personally still not a fan) So for as long as an average joe can get a cheap,fuel efficient car with a long warranty period these cars will continue to increase in popularity. It's this situation that forces our local companies to import cheaper crap to try and compete and continue sales.

Unfortunately with advancements in driveline control, safety features and emissions wouldn't be possible without all the on board electronics, although I agree some things should have been kept simpler mechanical devices, in reality it is just as cheap for manufacturers to electronically control just about everything.

I think we are probably very lucky with the fact that we can still buy a decent rwd sedan that comes in many different flavours from both Ford and Holden camps.

RS 2000

I agree with shep. Average joe doesn't really give a sh.. if the car has a throttle cable or whether suspension is complex or not, average joe wants a good deal. I have always hated Korean cars based on experience mainly ( many years of eperience on all makes and models )but looks also, but these Korean cars have got much better lately both mechanically and in the looks department(personally still not a fan) So for as long as an average joe can get a cheap,fuel efficient car with a long warranty period these cars will continue to increase in popularity. It's this situation that forces our local companies to import cheaper crap to try and compete and continue sales.

Unfortunately with advancements in driveline control, safety features and emissions wouldn't be possible without all the on board electronics, although I agree some things should have been kept simpler mechanical devices, in reality it is just as cheap for manufacturers to electronically control just about everything.

I think we are probably very lucky with the fact that we can still buy a decent rwd sedan that comes in many different flavours from both Ford and Holden camps.

 
That is exactly my point.  Average Joe doesn't give a s@#t about the throttle or anything else, as long as it works, so why spend a fortune and make it electronic?  Just use a cable and be done with it.  Same with heater controls etc, why do you need a computer and god know how many motors and electronics to move a flap?  Why does the interior light (amongst other simple things) need to be controlled by a module as well as a switch?  Why do the seats need to be electronic and have motors to adjust them?.  Same with suspension, average Joe wouldn't know the difference between IRS and a standard live axle, so why not delete all the arms, bushes, complicated arrangements and crap and use a simpler set up?
 
All this stuff costs extra money.  Why not make one with the same features, but without all the crap to control it.  Imagine if your average Falcon or Commodore was $5000+ cheaper, that may change your way of thinking, and may change the ball game as far as sales are concerned as well. 
 
Woz

The problem with leaving all the wizz bang technology out of cars to make them cheaper is that it will actually make them more expensive...contrary to what we are told...it is far cheaper to produce fly by wire/abs/vdc/srs etc than anyone will ever know, and given the fact that most onboard systems these days are dependant on each other none of them can be discarded without the other, Once you have a car with no safety features the average joe who isnt intereseted in spec will listen to the media bag it out then wont buy it.

The main issue with manufacturing in Oz is labour cost/operating expenses compared to our asian neighbours. Secondary to that, Australian and American cars for that matter are just no where near the build, material and longevity quality of the Japanese and more recently the Koreans. Funny as it may be...our local Commodores all run Daewoo wiring harnesses and Clusters from what the Holden boys tell me...even the SS/HSV flagships!! 
 
From my own experience, the issues with quality are more evident at 200000+kms...put a 300000km Falcon or Commodore beside a 300000km old Subaru. The Falcon and Commodore are wrecking yard material, The Subaru still drives like a new car...that is the issue with Aussie cars.
 
 

As Phil pointed out the labour content is a MAJOR contributor.
For example our clients can purchace 2 locomotives from China for the price they pay for one of ours and a big factor is labour content. It's not all that straight forward but thats a HUGE carrot to the customer bean counters and a BIG gamble if you want to rely on the unknown product. It's early days yet but if the new Chinese product can out perform our locally built (albeit American hardware) then we're also screwed! But that's what it's come too and if the Aus market is going to compete it needs to be smarter as it's impossible now days to demand a premium $$ for a locally better built product because frankly they're not!
For example - we looked at the Territotry but back then the TX RWD was only available with the older 5spd tranny and it was far inferior to the 6spd box available in the XR6 turbo etc. This is one of the reasons (apart fro incl accessories and build quality) that we chose the Toyota Kluger. For all my reluctance to buy a Toyota I must say it has exceeded all my expectations. Now all the big Fords including the base XT Falcon has the 6spd box!
Which brings me onto my next discussion - fuel. I have recieved a company car recently which is the base Flacon XT EcoLPi (dedicated LPG). I must admit I was a little sceptical at first but after driving it for 1000+kms I must say it's a good thing - comfortable and plenty of poke! It's actually claimed to have more power and torque than the petrol version also. Based on the current consumption (14L/100km) it's only approximately 25% cheaper to fill (than it's Petrol equivalent) which is a little below what Ford claims but it's still not in the same ball park as a Toyota Prius - but a Prius (or Corrolla for that matter) would not adequately pull our caravan! I'm yet to see the consumption towing the van but as fuel $$ is not a consideration I just hope I can limp it to the next bowser! It's all what suits your purpose as the running and depriciation costs are more of a consideration than loyalty these days!
And on technology - irrespective of it's costs or advantages it's all a marketing spin. Everyone wants to get as much for the hard earned $$ so the more technology is crammed in the better percieved value for money irrespective of reliability. Hell, ABS was once introduced as a key advancement and now everything has it! And in all honesty I consider the current motor vehicle to be exceptional value for money considering the advancements in technology and safety. For example the current WRX is a similar price to the original one sold back in 1995!
I recon this thread would be up there as the highest character to post ratio ever!!!

It basically comes down to a joint responsibility between us(society) and our government. We want maximum income and minimum spend...what more can be said:)
 
On the WRX...the base model is still the same price as the MY94 model that came out in late 1993!! $39995!! Nearly 20 years at the same price...although the Aussie $$ has contributed to making that possible:)

yeah, the asian countries turn up to work in thongs, and work for $20 a day, no sick pay, no cigarette breaks, no compo. You get injured at work and someone else will jump in your spot for a chance at $20 a day. Bit hard to compete with that minimalistic lifestyle.
 I remember when hyundai had their big push on excels all those years ago. People got sucked into the hype not because it was a good car but because the appeal of owning a brand new car for $14000 ( in some cases less) was waaaaay too much to resist. I remember laughing at everyone who bought one but all these years later evryone who owned them drove them into the ground without any fuss , they didnt cost a cent to run and were backed by a 5 year/100000km warranty. Now our Aussie cars are always behind the times when it comes to innovations, we are playing catchup to the asian stuff with every new model and those mazda ( the original "jap crap" cars)and  "crappy hyundais" are regurlarly winning car of the year awards...........still love V8 falcons though!!!!

I currently own a AU2 Falcon which I've done 26,000km with and frankly, its going to be the first and last Aussie built car I will own. It's just has some problem every so often, parts of the body falling off and both of the remote lockers working when they want to being the most recent. But saying that it has been mechanically reliable for the most part. I've spent decent amounts of time driving Euro and Jap cars and never had things like that happen.

I have only ever had good experiences with Ford Falcons and my wifes focus. My last falcon a 2004 BA Falcon XT had an appetite for headlamp globes, but other than that never skipped a beat, everything worked even after 120,000kms and my heavy right foot. My 2008 FG XR6 Turbo has had the left hand indicator lens replaced twice and all six ignition coils replaced, other than that she has been a gem even at 87,000kms. My wifes ford focus had done 90,000kms and it never had an issue until someone ran into the back of it at 70km/h in a ford escape. my wife got whiplash and my son who was a baby in the back at the time didn't even get a scratch. On the other hand my wifes new car a 2008 Subaru Forester XT has crapped a gearbox and anti roll bar linkages. 
On another rant, all I can say is if you want an A to B car, then your Japanese / Asian car makers make wonderful boring as, beige cars. I would rather have my balls clamped in a vice than drive them, but I think that I am of one of the few people left that enjoy a spirited drive in a car that handles and accelerates faster than an iceberg, without spending retarded amounts of money to do so. Toyota, mazda, kia, hyundi, daewoo, mitsubishi (except the Evo's) and even Subaru (sorry Phil, maybe the BRZ when it is released) don't have anything in there ranges to get excited about. Whereas I can buy a Ford Falcon XR6 turbo with 270kw and rear drive for under $45k that will do 0-100 in 5.1 sec or an Fpv GS315 for under $60k with a 5 litre supercharged V8 that will do 0-100 in 4.9 sec. All that in a car that your wife could comfortably drive and will seat 5 adults in comfort. For you to get that sort of performance and size you would have to buy a BMW or Merc for 3 times as much money, albeit with a lot more refinement, but you would hope so for three times the cost. I wish that more Australians would appreciate the bargains they have offered to them from Ford and Holden in this country and realize that once they are gone, no one will fill there shoes.