I have to admit the recent announcement that Ford Australia is closing down local production made me remember back to the late '80's when Holden was tipped to can the V8 in its line-up and the following opposition to this voiced quite clearly through the media (Wheels etc - the mainstream media couldn't give a rats). The more I thought about it, I now realise that while they kept and refined the Holden V8 for a while longer than planned we lost a gen-you-ine home grown V8 product in the '90's following a good 10 years after the demise of the Holden six at the end of VK, so we should be grateful for some small mercies. We did however end up with a very capable replacement series of GM bent eights in their place.
I wish I could be as optomistic about loosing the last bastion of the Australian in-line six. The current generation of Ford sixes (especially the XR6 turbo) is about as good as any produced anywhere in the world and I feel that what is coming to our shores might not live up to its predecessors abilities and refinement.
Ah buggerrit I know I live in the past sometimes..... I found this vid trawling around for something else and, if anything, at least points the way forward at Holden that there is at least someone still home and listening.... I love the "vanilla" comment when viewed in context of the possible imminent demise of the rear drive platform though.....
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