It would be interesting to see that graph in the original link placed against the number of imports (especially Subaru AWDs) and The Ford Territory, which used the Falcon platform on which to build. As someone mentioned, SUV's are the new "four wheel drive" of the school mum set. They buy them for all sorts of reasons such as ANCAP rating, they can seat a soccer team and are supposedly safe. I haven't driven many of them in the last few years apart from a couple of Subarus and a Mitsubishi ASX thingo... If I can be brutally honest - of the ones I have either hired or driven around because a family member owns them - they are deadset attrocious to see out of (massive thick pillars and blind spots etc), couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding and have that god awful single speed gearbox rubbish, fall apart, lurch around like Peter Garret on crack and if they aint leaning - they aint handling... In short, they feel atrocious and dangerous to drive for the most part.

If you plot those sales against the graph I would bet penny to a pound that the Territory was the demise of the falcon (it was actually introduced as a Falcon wagon replacement but I feel it has eaten into the sedan sales as well), and the number of imports of all types would be up due in no small part to the access to massive cheap(er than they used to be now as there is much competition) car carriers eminating from Europe and Asia heading our way.

What can be done? Not much. Australian based vehicle manufacturers are just as much a victim of the "global economy" that governments champion and the Australian market will only hold so many of all units sold per annum....

My wife owned a Mitsubishi 380 which we bought new in 2006. Brilliant, well built, quiet and well thought out car with a reasonable bit of go/stop and handle in it with fuel economy that would drop into the high 7's/low 8's Lt per 100km when on a good freeway. Not perfect for boat towing (FWD - seriously need RWD or AWD for some slippery ramps) but enough power to tow a decent sized fibreglass boat that I own for the most part. I just wish it was either AWD and had around another 40-50KW and I would have traded my own daily driver for one. Ralliart were going to do something before the market slid away to the SUVs and Mitsu pulled the 380. I also had the opportunity to also drive Falcons and Commodores around the time that we owned the Mitsu and I'll be honest the closer one to it was the Falcon. The VE Commodore sedan still had (what felt like) the same chaff cutting harsh sounding V6 that came out in the VNs I used to work on when they were new....

The only way to save the Falcon or the Commodore (in their rear wheek drive forms) is protection of the market through higher import taxes, which of course will never happen as our weak willed spineless pollies wouldn't dare stand-up to the American government bailed out GM or Ford, nor to any other government really.

End of rant...