Peter Gallagher

Ford Aus­tralia made just over a quar­ter (60,000) of all the cars made in Aus­tralia last year and less than one-fifth of all the new cars+light trucks reg­is­tered in Aus­tralia in 2009 (a total of 302,400: see the ABS Motor Vehi­cle Cen­sus)

Ford is not going to be a profit cen­ter for its global par­ent any time soon.

‘As soon as choices have to be made, Ford is the next Mit­subishi,’ said John Wormald, prin­ci­pal of inter­na­tional con­sul­tant Autopo­lis, refer­ring to the Japan­ese company’s deci­sion to shut down its Ade­laide fac­tory two years ago.

Mr Wormald, who is in Aus­tralia to advise the Vic­to­rian gov­ern­ment, said the replace­ment for the Fal­con, due in about five years, could be imported cheaply and the car­maker did not need its Mel­bourne plant. ‘Ford isn’t short of assem­bly capac­ity in other places,’ he said. ‘Where’s the plan to inte­grate Aus­tralia?’” Extract from Ford will be next car­maker to quit Aus­tralia | The Australian

Wormald con­firmed what every­one except Kevin Rudd and Kim Carr has under­stood for decades about the Aus­tralian car indus­try. Refer­ring to the mas­sive $6 bil­lion bribes extended by the Rudd gov­ern­ment (includ­ing $13 mil­lion to prop up Ford’s Gee­long fac­tory), he said

“Sub­si­dies were doomed to fail because the indus­try lacked a vision for the future and Ford was most vul­ner­a­ble because it was iso­lated from its parent’s global operations.