The Year Of The Six Cylinder Car

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 34, 10 February 1987, Page 3 (Supplement)

The Year Of The Six Cylinder Car

MOTORISTS have ensured 1986 will be remembered as the year they returned to spacious six cylinder cars, according to Ford New Zealand's director of saies and marketing, Mr Reyn Penny. While new car saies had been running at a lower level than in 1985, motorists had, by October, bought more six cylinder cars than they had in the whole of the previous year. This enthusiasm for spacious larger-engined cars meant one in every ten new cars now has a six cylinder engine compared to one in every twenty only two years ago. Six cylinder car saies in the ten months ended October 31 had totalled 6,867 compared to 6,820 in the whole of 1985. The key ingredients in the increasing popularity of six cylinder cars, like the Ford Falcon and Ford Fairmont, had been petrol price reductions, saies tax adjustments and the impact of the rapidly rising yen on the price of smaller Japanese cars. Motorists had been very quick to grasp larger car attributes of space and comfort, value for money and equipment. "The success of the Ford Falcon GL has clearly demonstrated this. We introduced the car to local assembly early in the year and the demand for the car has been extremely strong ever since." In a review of the year's industry, Mr Penny said 1986 had been an extremely challenging one for motor vehicle assemblers. Currency fluctuations had contributed to substantial price increases, the levelling off of economic activity had seen a fall-off in new car saies, industrial difficulties had interrupted production schedules and tax changes had dramatically altered consumer buying patterns. "Each of these factors has had a significant impact in the marketplace," Mr Penny said. "It is a tribute to the

resilience of motor assemblers and their dealers that they have been able to manage their businesses through so many difficulties, though this has not been easy." Though industrial difficulties had seriously affected production schedules, particularly at the company's Manukau City plant where Ford Laser and Ford Falcon cars are assembled, Ford New Zealand had maintained a five percent market share lead over its competitors in the passenger car market. This market leadership, which had often seen all four models - Laser, Telstar, Sierra and Falcon - among the top ten sellers, meant the company would sell more than 3,400 cars more than the second and third placed Toyota and Todd Motors during 1986. During the year, which represented Ford New Zealand's fiftieth anniversary, the company introduced the Ford Falcon GL to local assembly, launched the Ford Laser GL Wagon, streamlined the Ford Sierra model range and assembled a new fuel-injected Ford Telstar 2.0i sedan specially to commemorate the golden anniversary. The Ford Telstar 2.0i had an excellent motorsport

debut when it won the twolitre class in the grand-finale of the Benson and Hedges series at Pukekohe while Ford Laser TX3i had won the fiercely-contested 1 600cc class for the three-round series. Mr Penny said Ford New Zealand's share of the light commercial vehicle market had, with the new Ford Courier utility as well as the Ford Econovan and Ford Falcon utility, increased to its highest level for more than four years, while the company had also achieved its second highest share of the heavy truck market in four years. During the year, the company introduced a new range of Ford N-series mid-range trucks and a new 3.5 litre three tonne Ford Trader. In early 1986, Ford New Zealand announced a major modernisation programme involving the closure in 1988 of its Lower Hutt assembly plant and expansion of its newer Manukau City plant. This $45 million programme represents one of the largest investments ever made in the New Zealand motor industry. Later, Ford New Zealand announced a co-operative assembly arrangement with Mazda New Zealand, where

the assembly of all vehicles for the two companies would be undertaken at Manukau City and Sylvia Park. This programme calls for a further investment of $20 million and will provide the vehicle volumes necessary to allow the introduction of a number of technological advances to the assembly industry giving the two companies a significant quality edge over their competition. In October, Ford New Zealand's export-oriented alloy wheel plant procuded its one millionth wheel. This was commemorated by the company by a $10,000 contribution to tjie Manukau Technical Institute for student scholarships and equipment purchases. Mr Penny said the economic outlook for 1987 meant it was extremely unlikely there would be a significant improvement in new car saies before the latter months of the year. Pricing pressures, both overseas and locally generated, were expected to continue as was the trend toward six cylinder cars like the Ford Falcon. "Ford New Zealand is determined to do better in 1987 and further extend our market leadership. We know we have the vehicles, marketing ability and dealer organisation to do it," Mr Penny said. "It won't be an easy year for anyone in the motor industry, but we are committed to a further enhancement of the Ford presence."