Summary of the day -
8am we had a speech from Ford Australia President Marin Burela, Who is a very passionate about the blue oval and said to me "Yes we will win Bathurst this year" which was good to hear.
9am We had a walk through of the Ford design studio where they have on display but covered up the clay models for the next 4 years.
One stat that came up was Australia is one of 4 Country's in the world that can design cars from a sketch.
Then it was onto the Assembly line at Broady, 280 odd people work there + about the same amount of robots, The cars come down the line in sequence eg Sedan-Sedan-Sedan-Wagon-Territory-FPV, And the power-train is ready to go as of the sequence.
I asked a question if the FPR cars are still walked down the line, they are put down the line as FPV specials and things are left off them.
The numbers for FPV were around single figures for the day, But sedan was around 190 odd.
Then we headed to Geelong for lunch with DJ and Moff, There was the typical serious questions for them all but Dick was his self and made jokes about him ans Moff still being alive
The President was sitting in the middle of them both and DJ said "Marin you have a face only a mother could love" [crackup]
While at the Discovery centre I took photos of the "1st" first car to come off the line in 1960 and various others including a FE LTD in showroom condition.
Then we headed to the engine and stamping plants at Geelong, We just got the contract to make rotors for GMH and Toyota. They have over 20 presses that take sheet-metal and stamp them into particular parts eg front LHS guard, The new press for the FG costa a cool 55million to stamp the whole side of the car (Not doors and front guard) as a single piece.
Then onto the proving grounds at You Yangs were we got to have a run in the XR6T and XR8 at 200kmh in the wet, The driver was saying the Dunlops on the XR's are one of the highest grip tyres in the world.
With 3 people in the back seat and myself in the front it handled really well on the 160kmh bends with inch precision from the test drivers.
the new Ranger was out doing durability but has the camo over it, But from the front it looks alot like the BT-50 Mazda.
The Coyote spec FG was there somewhere but we didn't see it, Moffat said at the lunch that he has been testing it and the 335kw Supercharged 5.0L is a "Rocket".
It was a great day but it was disappointing to hear that the "test mules" get crushed after 18 months, Wheels and all.
The highlight would have the be the XR6T and the stopping power without the brembos of the FPVs, And the precession of the ZF 6 speed auto.
Hope you enjoyed the write-up I have prob missed a few things, It was a top day!
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