79-673: The Ford Falcon Cobra , released by Ford Australia in 1978, was a limited edition version of the Ford Falcon XC Hardtop . In 1978, Ford Australia unveiled plans for an all-new Falcon, dubbed the XD, that would be released in 1979. Unlike the current XC, the new model would be offered only as a four-door sedan or station wagon , meaning the two-door XC Hardtops of 1978 would be the last of that design. In December 1977 Ford built 13 special order XC Falcon GS Hardtops with VINs beginning JG65TE. These cars were specially modified in
158-572: A foreign exchange reserve . Section 51(xii) of the Constitution of Australia gives the Commonwealth (federal) Parliament the power to legislate with respect to "currency, coinage, and legal tender". The states are not allowed to coin money, in accordance with section 115 which provides that "[a] State shall not coin money, nor make anything but gold and silver coin a legal tender in payment of debts". Australian coins are now produced at
237-441: A Decimal Currency Board would be established to oversee the transition process. A public consultation process was held in which over 1,000 names were suggested for the new currency. This was reduced to a shortlist of seven names: austral, crown, dollar, pound, regal, tasman and royal. In June 1963, Holt announced that the new currency would be called the "royal". This met with widespread public disapproval, and three months later it
316-617: A daily driver. In 1985 the car was disassembled for restoration following a traffic accident. The car remained that way, in boxes in Damien's garage, until February 2017 when he took it to Astill Design to be restored. Damien worked closely with Howard Astill for almost two years to restore the car to its original condition. In January 2019, Falcon Cobra 400 won the “Top Authentic” class in the Elite Division at Summernats in Canberra, and
395-405: A front air dam. The 13 cars were available in standard body and interior colours and retained the side trim strips, dummy rear brake scoops and unpainted chrome bumpers of the standard GS hardtops. The race cars did complete the 1977 Endurance Series in their new specification and then participated in the 1978 ATCC season . The modifications that featured in these 13 GS Hardtops formed the basis of
474-411: A name decal at the rear. Unusually, the bodyshells were painted blue first, the intended area of blue stripes and sills then masked and the white coat painted over the top. Each of the cars was given its own individual serial number and fitted with a sequentially numbered plaque (from 001 to 400) on the dash. The first 200 Cobras produced were given the 5.8L 351 Cleveland V8 , while the other 200 received
553-618: A new model – the LTD – joined the second generation of Fairlanes the LTD. It was in effect a Fairlane with more features such as retractable headlights, a vinyl roof and an even longer wheelbase. From the third generation of Fairlane onwards, the LTD shared the same wheelbase and body as the Fairlane, being marketed as a more luxurious version of the Fairlane rather than being a completely different car. The Fairlane topped Australian luxury car sales for two decades before its gradual downfall started in
632-462: A new small car to its Falcon production line. On 23 May 2013, Ford Australia announced that it would leave the Australian market after 88 years due to uncompetitive manufacturing costs and lacklustre sales. The carmaker's annual financial report, for the previous year, showed a loss of A$ 141 million (£90m/US$ 136m) after tax for the 2012 financial year. This followed a loss of A$ 290m in 2011 and
711-538: A rate of A$ 1 = 8s sterling (or £1 stg = A$ 2.50, and in turn £1 stg = US$ 2.80). In 1967, Australia effectively left the sterling area when the pound sterling was devalued against the US dollar from US$ 2.80 to US$ 2.40, but the Australian dollar chose to retain its peg to the US dollar at A$ 1 = US$ 1.12 (hence appreciating in value versus sterling). The Australian dollar is legal tender in its external territories: Christmas Island , Cocos (Keeling) Islands , and Norfolk Island ; and
790-400: A reverse bonnet scoop to allow the race car engines to draw cool air from the base of the windscreen, twin electric fans that were switchable from the dash (replacing the single engine-driven fan), a front shocker tower brace ("K brace") that stiffened the front end, an idler arm brace, and an aero package including a rear "blade" spoiler (similar to that used on the 2-door Holden Torana A9X) and
869-400: A street-legal version of Moffat's race car. The first prototype Falcon Cobra was built in late April 1978 and production began that same July. The cars were painted Bold Blue with an overlay of Sno White, with Olympic Blue accent stripes separating the two colours ... "Cobra" emblem decals, a throwback to Carroll Shelby 's Mustangs of the 1960s, were affixed to the front fenders, along with
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#1732790277430948-481: A strong interest in the new technology. On 27 September 2012, the Reserve Bank of Australia stated that it had ordered work on a project to upgrade the current banknotes. The upgraded banknotes would incorporate a number of new future proof security features and include tactile features like Braille dots for ease of use of the visually impaired. All persons featured on the first polymer series were retained on
1027-870: A total loss of A$ 600m over the preceding five years. As a result, 1200 staff would lose their jobs. Ford had two main factories, both in Victoria : located in the Geelong suburb of Norlane and the northern Melbourne suburb of Campbellfield. The Ford Discovery Centre , a museum of the history of the Ford Motor Company in Australia that was also located in Geelong, closed; the site was then occupied by Deakin University . From 1972 to 2016, Ford Falcons were fully Australian designed. The company produced
1106-524: A view about the stability in value of the British pound. From 1946 to 1971, Australia maintained a peg under the Bretton Woods system , a fixed exchange rate system that pegged the U.S. dollar to gold, but the Australian dollar was effectively pegged to sterling until 1967 at £1 sterling = A£1 5s = A$ 2.50 = US$ 2.80. In 1967 Australia did not follow the pound sterling devaluation and remained fixed to
1185-478: A wholly owned subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of Australia. Note Printing Australia prints polymer notes or simply supplies the polymer substrate for a growing number of other countries including Bangladesh , Brunei , Chile , Kuwait , Malaysia , Mexico , Nepal , New Zealand , Papua New Guinea , Romania , Samoa , Singapore , Solomon Islands , Sri Lanka and Vietnam . Many other countries are showing
1264-697: Is a reserve currency and one of the most traded currencies in the world. Other factors in its popularity include a relative lack of central bank intervention, and general stability of the Australian economy and government. In January 2011 at the World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland , Alexey Ulyukaev announced that the Central Bank of Russia would begin keeping Australian dollar reserves. Australian notes are legal tender throughout Australia by virtue of section 36(1) of
1343-635: Is a major sponsor of the Geelong Football Club . The sponsorship agreement was first signed in 1925, making it one of the longest sporting sponsorships in the world. In August 2023, Ford Australia announced a major partnership with Basketball Australia . As part of the multi-year deal, the Ford logo will feature on the jerseys of the Australia men's national basketball team and the Australia women's national basketball team . Ford Australia
1422-708: Is a partner of Deakin University , funding the Ford Australia Women in STEAM Scholarship. Australian dollar The Australian dollar ( sign : $ ; code : AUD ; also abbreviated A$ or sometimes AU$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies ; and also referred to as the dollar or Aussie dollar ) is the official currency and legal tender of Australia , including all of its external territories , and three independent sovereign Pacific Island states : Kiribati , Nauru , and Tuvalu . In April 2022 , it
1501-696: Is also official currency in Kiribati , Nauru , and Tuvalu . It was legal tender in Papua New Guinea until 31 December 1975 when it was replaced by the kina , and in Solomon Islands until 1977 when it was replaced by the Solomon Islands dollar . In 1966, coins were introduced in denominations of 1 and 2 cents (bronze); 5, 10, and 20 cents ( cupronickel ; 75% copper, 25% nickel); and 50 cents (silver, then cupronickel). The 50-cent coins in 80% silver were no longer minted after March 1968 due to
1580-467: The Australian Labor government led by Prime Minister Bob Hawke and Treasurer Paul Keating floated the dollar, with the exchange rate reflecting the balance of payments as well as supply and demand on international money markets. The decision was made on 8 December 1983 and announced on 9 December 1983. In the two decades that followed, its highest value relative to the US dollar
1659-607: The Fairlane and the LTD. The first Fairlane, released in 1959, was an Australian-assembled version of the US Fairlane . Assembly of US cars continued until 1967, when Ford Australia designed its own luxury car, the ZA Fairlane. Heavily based on the existing XR Falcon, it had an extended wheelbase, longer boot and modest styling changes. Ford Fairlanes were often preferred vehicles among politicians and businessmen. In 1972
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#17327902774301738-533: The Reserve Bank Act 1959 without an amount limit. Section 16 of the Currency Act 1965 similarly provides that Australian coins intended for general circulation are also legal tender, but only for the following amounts: However, being legal tender does not necessarily oblige businesses to accept cash. The Reserve Bank states that businesses can set commercial terms for a transaction that requires
1817-600: The Royal Australian Mint in Canberra . Before Federation in 1901, the six colonies that comprised Australia had separate currencies, all of which closely replicated the British currency system , and were usually exchangeable with each other on a one-to-one basis. Hence Federation was not seen as urgently requiring a single, unified currency. For another 10 years, colonial banknotes and coins continued to be
1896-585: The South African pound with the rand (worth 10 shillings or 1 ⁄ 2 pound). The Menzies government announced its support for decimalisation in July 1961, but delayed the process in order to give further consideration to the implementation process. In April 1963, Holt announced that a decimal currency was scheduled to be introduced in February 1966, with a base unit equal to 10 shillings, and that
1975-584: The Territory SUV , which also ended production in 2016. Production of the Falcon ended with the closure of the Broadmeadows (Campbellfield) and Geelong engine and panel stamping plants. The Geelong factory produced its last Australian-made straight-six and V8 engines on 26 September 2016. Assembly at Broadmeadows concluded on 7 October 2016, ending Ford's 88-year history in Australia. Ford Australia
2054-466: The U.S. dollar at A$ 1 = US$ 1.12. With the breakdown of the Bretton Woods system in 1971, Australia converted the traditional peg to a fluctuating rate against the US dollar. In September 1974, Australia valued the dollar against a basket of currencies called the trade weighted index (TWI) in an effort to reduce the fluctuations associated with its tie to the US dollar. The daily TWI valuation
2133-647: The 4.9L 302 Cleveland ... the only exceptions to this being build number 351 is a 351ci (5.8 litre) V8. (For many years it was believed #001 was built as a 302, however research has proven to show it was in fact a 351, opt 96 spec with full options, inc power windows, air con and power steering) Cobras were available with either automatic or manual transmission. Standard equipment included four-wheel disc brakes, limited slip differential, 15-inch Bathurst Globe wheels, front & rear spoilers and dual exhaust. The interiors were uniformly black, with Cobra specific cloth seat inserts in black with blue stripes that match those on
2212-886: The Asia Pacific and African regions. Products launched so far include the Ford Ikon and Fiesta in India and the Ford Bantam ute and Ikon (a sedan version of the Fiesta) in South Africa, and has also developed the new Ranger. On 24 January 2019, engineers and designers were among more than 100 workers to lose their jobs at Ford in Victoria. About 40 salaried workers, 75 hourly workers and 90 contractors across Ford bases in Broadmeadows, Lara and Geelong would be affected,
2291-577: The Australian Touring Car Championship and at the annual Bathurst 1000 touring car race, where the Falcon's reputation for engineering excellence was cemented by the early 1970s through the Falcon GT and GTHO "muscle car" variants. Ford manufactured more than four million units between 1960 and 2016, and topped sales charts on many occasions. By 2016 the Falcon line-up was offered only in sedan and utility body styles; in
2370-451: The Australian dollar varies significantly during the business cycle, rallying during global booms as Australia exports raw materials, and falling during recessions as mineral prices slump or when domestic spending overshadows the export earnings outlook. This movement is in the opposite direction to other reserve currencies, which tend to be stronger during market slumps as traders move value from falling stocks into cash. The Australian dollar
2449-449: The Australian dollar were issued in 1966. The $ 1, $ 2, $ 10 and $ 20 notes had exact equivalents in the former pound notes. The $ 5 note was issued in 1967, the $ 50 was issued in 1973 and the $ 100 was issued in 1984. The $ 1 banknote was replaced by a $ 1 coin in 1984, while the $ 2 banknote was replaced by a smaller $ 2 coin in 1988. Although no longer printed, all previous notes of the Australian dollar remain legal tender. Shortly after
Ford Falcon Cobra - Misplaced Pages Continue
2528-478: The Australian pound into 1000 parts ". This recommendation was not accepted either. In February 1959, treasurer Harold Holt appointed a Decimal Currency Committee, chaired by Walter D. Scott , to examine the merits of decimalisation. The committee reported in August 1960 in favour of decimalisation and proposed that a new currency be introduced (from February 1963), to be modelled on South Africa's replacement of
2607-715: The Cortina was available with the option of either a 3.3-litre or 4.1-litre six-cylinder engine, and the Escort could be offered across the range with the Cortina's 2.0-litre motor. In 1977, lack of capacity required the Cortina wagon to be assembled in Renault 's (now long since closed) Australian factory in Heidelberg, Victoria . The Cortina's replacement, the Mazda 626 -based Telstar , was initially assembled in Australia. In 1989
2686-544: The Deputy Managing Director of Ford Motor Company who was also M.D. of Ford Australia at that time (from 1978 to 1980). He and a local design team elected to capitalise on Allan Moffat and Colin Bond 's crushing 1-2 finish at the 1977 Bathurst 1000 by creating a road car with a "Shelby Mustang" look that could be homologated for racing, while at the same time offering enthusiasts the opportunity to own
2765-569: The Falcon soon proved unable to cope on harsh Australian roads, sparking a major effort to introduce improvements to its reliability. By the mid-1960s, the car was substantially different from its North American cousin and was offered in sedan, wagon, coupé, utility and panel van styles. Production of the North American Falcon, on which the Falcon was by then loosely based, ended in 1970, obliging Ford Australia to pursue its design independently. The first true all-Australian Ford Falcon
2844-604: The P&;A (Parts and Accessories) workshop at Ford's Campbellfield factory. All vehicles were modified to accord with 'evolution' upgrades that had been approved by CAMS for homologation to Australian Group C touring car racing Falcons ... the changes were mostly designed to enhance race durability; these vehicles, often referred to as "Pre-Cobras", were intended to be raced by teams at Bathurst in 1977. The homologation modifications included rear wheel wells that were deepened inboard by 1 inch to accommodate larger racing wheels and tyres,
2923-588: The Telstar sedan was replaced by the locally assembled Ford Corsair which was essentially a rebadged Nissan Pintara . When Nissan shut down its Australian manufacturing operations in 1992 the Telstar nameplate was reintroduced, and as before it was a rebadged and respecced Mazda 626. In 1995 the Telstar was dropped in favour of the Mondeo , imported from Belgium . Ford Australia dropped the Mondeo in 2001, arguing at
3002-504: The UK pound, it was divided into 240 pence, or 20 shillings (each comprising 12 pence). In December 1931, the Australian currency was devalued by 25%, so that one pound five shillings Australian was equivalent to one pound sterling. In 1937, a banking royal commission , appointed by the Lyons government , recommended that Australia adopt "a system of decimal coinage ... based upon the division of
3081-614: The XC Hardtop at the Broadmeadows Assembly Plant was ending in March 1978, more than 400 body shells were left unsold and Ford Australia faced a dilemma of how to shift them, rather than scrap them. When an original proposal to turn these cars into black and gold Playboy -themed cars (complete with "bunny" decals) was rejected as sending the wrong image for a family car company, Ford turned to Edsel Ford II , then
3160-448: The amount. On the introduction of the currency, the $ symbol was intended to have two strokes, but the version with one stroke has also always been acceptable. In 2023 , there were A$ 4.4 billion in coins and A$ 101.3 billion in notes of Australian currency in circulation , or around A$ 6,700 per person in Australia, which includes cash reserves held by the banking system and cash in circulation in other countries or held as
3239-529: The backing of large-volume exports to overseas markets, the Holden Statesman and Caprice then became the sole full-size extended wheelbase luxury models until their demise in 2017. Between 2004 and 2016, the Ford Territory had been built on the same production line as the Falcon. The Territory (technically a crossover ) had regularly been the most popular SUV in Australia. Ford Australia
Ford Falcon Cobra - Misplaced Pages Continue
3318-691: The changeover, substantial counterfeiting of $ 10 notes was detected. This provided an impetus for the Reserve Bank of Australia to develop new note technologies jointly with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation , culminating in the introduction of the first polymer banknote in 1988. Australia was the first country to produce polymer banknotes , more specifically made of polypropylene polymer, which were produced by Note Printing Australia . These revolutionary polymer notes are cleaner than paper notes, are more durable and easily recyclable. The first polymer banknote
3397-465: The circulating two dollar, one dollar, and 20 cent coins. In commemoration of the 40th anniversary of decimal currency , the 2006 mint proof and uncirculated sets included one- and two-cent coins. In early 2013, Australia's first triangular coin was introduced to mark the 25th anniversary of the opening of Parliament House. The silver $ 5 coin is 99.9% silver, and depicts Parliament House as viewed from one of its courtyards. The first paper issues of
3476-705: The company confirmed, as the automaker further consolidated its operations. Ford's engineering work on its Ranger ute and other models "will be led out of the United States", the company said in a statement. Remaining Australian-based engineers would have a "strategic role" in developing a new medium-sized pick-up truck for Ford and the German brand, the automaker said. Ford Australia started by assembling Model Ts. As Ford introduced new models, they were assembled in Australia. During World War II, Ford Australia ceased producing cars to commence military production to support
3555-583: The east coast of the Australian continent, followed in 1977 by a coin for Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee , the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, the Brisbane Commonwealth Games in 1982, and the Australian Bicentenary in 1988. Issues expanded into greater numbers in the 1990s and the 21st century, responding to collector demand. Commemorative designs have also been featured on
3634-400: The end of China's large-scale purchases of Australian commodities in 2013, however, the Australian dollar's value versus the US dollar has since plunged to $ 0.88 as of end-2013, and to as low as $ 0.57 in March 2020. As of 2024, it has traded at a range of $ 0.63 to $ 0.68. In 2016, the Australian dollar was the fifth most traded currency in world foreign exchange markets , accounting for 6.9% of
3713-636: The first time since becoming a freely traded currency, trading above US$ 1 for a few seconds. The currency then traded above parity for a sustained period of several days in November, and fluctuated around that mark into 2011. On 27 July 2011, the dollar hit a record high since floating, at $ 1.1080 against the US dollar. Some commentators speculated that its high value that year was related to Europe's sovereign debt crisis , and Australia's strong ties with material importers in Asia and in particular China . Since
3792-483: The former Australian, New Zealand, and British sixpence, shilling, and two shilling (florin) coins. Pre-decimal Australian coins remain legal tender for 10 cents per shilling. Before 2006 the old New Zealand 5, 10 and 20 cent coins were often mistaken for Australian coins of the same value, and vice versa, and therefore circulated in both countries. The UK replaced these coins with smaller versions from 1990 to 1993, as did New Zealand in 2006. Still, some confusion occurs with
3871-505: The intrinsic value of the silver content rising to exceed the face value of the coins. Aluminium bronze (92% copper, 6% aluminium, 2% nickel) 1 dollar coins were introduced in 1984, followed by aluminium bronze 2 dollar coins in 1988, to replace the banknotes of that value. In everyday Australian parlance, these coins collectively are referred to as "gold coins". 1 and 2 cent coins were discontinued in 1991 and withdrawn from circulation in 1992; since then cash transactions have been rounded to
3950-654: The larger-denomination coins in the two countries; Australia's $ 1 coin is similar in size to New Zealand's $ 2 coin, and the New Zealand $ 1 coin is similar in size to Australia's $ 2 coin. With a mass of 15.55 grams (0.549 oz) and a diameter of 31.51 millimetres ( 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 in), the Australian 50-cent coin is one of the largest coins used in the world today. The Royal Australian Mint also has an international reputation for producing quality numismatic coins. It has first issued commemorative 50-cent coins in 1970, commemorating James Cook 's exploration along
4029-467: The late 1980s with the rising importation of European models such as BMW and Mercedes Benz. By the turn of the millennium, the Fairlane had been overtaken by the Holden Statesman in sales. In 2007, Ford Australia announced it would be cancelling further production of the Fairlane and LTD beyond the 2007 model year, citing falling sales and an uncertain future in the full-size luxury market. With
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#17327902774304108-484: The main circulating currencies. In 1902, a select committee of the House of Representatives , chaired by George Edwards , had recommended that Australia adopt a single, national decimal currency, with a pound divided into ten florins and each florin comprising 100 cents. However, the recommendation was not acted upon. The Australian pound (A£) was introduced in 1910, at par with the pound sterling (A£1 = UK£1). Like
4187-527: The many models that followed, the best known was the Falcon produced from 1972 to 2016, originally a US model introduced in Australia in 1960 and eventually adapted to Australian requirements and road conditions. On 31 March 1925, Ford announced that its Australian headquarters were to be at Geelong , Victoria . The first Australian-built Ford was a Model T launched in June 1925. The improvised production line
4266-456: The nearest 5 cents . Australia's coins are produced by the Royal Australian Mint , which is located in the nation's capital, Canberra . Since opening in 1965, the Mint has produced more than 14 billion circulating coins, and has the capacity to produce more than two million coins per day, or more than 600 million coins per year. Current Australian 5, 10 and 20 cent coins are identical in size to
4345-475: The original, the new FPV GT Cobra sedan has a certified build of just 400 units. In addition, a Cobra Ute was created, of which just 100 were built. Both cars are powered by the 5.4-litre Boss 302 engine; the name is derived from the 302 kW (405 hp ) power output. Ford Australia Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited (known by its trading name Ford Australia ) is the Australian subsidiary of United States–based automaker Ford Motor Company . It
4424-509: The outside body. Cars numbered from 002 to 0031 were known as Option 97 specification, the so-called "Bathurst Cobras", fitted with parts to allow homologation for racing, including twin radiator fans switchable from the dash, a gearbox oil cooler, suspension bracing and reworked rear wheel body housings. They were most easily identified from the other 370 Option 96 Cobras via their large (and functional) rear-opening bonnet bulge. Allan Moffat's "Moffat Ford Dealers" race cars of late 1978 shared
4503-468: The past, panel vans, station wagons and hardtops had been offered. Falcons had been prominent as taxis in Australia and New Zealand, along with sister car, the Ford Fairlane. Performance variants of the Falcon were used extensively for pursuit work for many years. Ford Australia produced a range of full-size luxury cars alongside the Falcon for most of its production history. These models were named
4582-587: The pigs to the market on Monday". In 1956, the company bought a large tract of land in the northern Melbourne suburb of Campbellfield to build the Broadmeadows Assembly Plant , and in July 1961 announced that the new Melbourne factory would become the company headquarters. In 2009, the parent Ford company, seeking to avoid the Chapter 11 bankruptcy that had already befallen General Motors and Chrysler, began abandoning overseas projects. By about July 2009, Ford Australia had received permission from Detroit to add
4661-572: The prevailing view that the Australian dollar offers diversification benefits in a portfolio containing the major world currencies, especially because of its greater exposure to Asian economies and the commodities cycle. Economists posit that commodity prices are the dominant driver of the Australian dollar, and this means changes in exchange rates of the Australian dollar occur in ways opposite to many other currencies. For decades, Australia's balance of trade has depended primarily upon commodity exports such as minerals and agricultural products. This means
4740-400: The same body paint decoration as the road cars. Falcon Cobras have become increasingly revered by collectors across Australia and a mint example might be worth upwards of $ 100,000 ... with Option 97 cars (rarely offered up for sale) likely to fetch a further premium. Cobra 400, the last numbered Falcon Cobra off the production line, was bought in 1985 by Damien Lowry for $ 10,990 and used as
4819-447: The second polymer series. However, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the government has announced that the $ 5 note will be replaced with a design reflecting Indigenous history and culture. Prior to 1983, Australia maintained a fixed exchange rate . The Australian pound was initially at par from 1910 with the British pound or A£1 = UK£1; from 1931 it was devalued to A£1 = 16s sterling. This reflected its historical ties as well as
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#17327902774304898-464: The specification for the 30 specific Option 97 Cobra Hardtops built in 1978, although there were minor differences as the Option 97 cars also incorporated further evolution parts such as reinforced fan brackets and a deeper front spoiler. In addition the Option 97 cars received a black corduroy seat material and Scheel front seats to differentiate them from the Option 96 Cobras. When final production of
4977-487: The time that the segment of the market in which it competed was in decline, but in 2007, it announced that it would introduce the new Mk IV model in Australia. The Ford Falcon was manufactured in Australia to a North American design, with the first model rolling off the production line at Ford's Broadmeadows plant on 28 June 1960. It differed little from the American design apart from conversion to right hand drive , and
5056-440: The use of a non-cash payment. However, a business may technically be required to accept cash if they are taken to court, but this is usually not a viable option for consumers. Australian notes and coins are also legal tender in the independent sovereign states of Kiribati , Nauru , and Tuvalu . Nauru never had its own currency. Tuvalu and Kiribati additionally had their respective Tuvaluan and Kiribati dollars at par with
5135-640: The war effort. After World War II, Ford recommenced assembly of imported Ford models. Initially, they assembled the UK sourced Pilot , then a range of British cars, including the Prefect , Anglia , Consul , Zephyr and Zodiac . Ford also assembled the Canadian Ford V8. The Ford Laser was produced in Ford's plant at Flemington in Sydney, from 1981 until September 1994 when the plant closed, after which they were fully imported from Japan. The Laser
5214-534: The world's daily share (down from 8.6% in 2013) behind the United States dollar , the euro , the Japanese yen and the pound sterling . The Australian dollar is popular with currency traders, because of the comparatively high interest rates in Australia, the relative freedom of the foreign exchange market from government intervention, the general stability of Australia's economy and political system, and
5293-521: Was $ 0.881 in December 1988. The lowest ever value of the dollar after it was floated was 47.75 US cents in April 2001. It returned to above 96 US cents in June 2008, and reached 98.49 later that year. Although the value of the dollar fell significantly from this high towards the end of 2008, it gradually recovered in 2009 to 94 US cents. On 15 October 2010, the dollar reached parity with the US dollar for
5372-421: Was Ford engineer Louis (Lewis) Bandt . During the Great Depression , banks would not extend credit to farmers to purchase passenger cars, contending they were unnecessary luxuries. However, they would lend money for the purchase of "working" vehicles. The coupé utility fulfilled the need of farmers to have a workhorse which could also be used, as a well-known saying went: "to take the wife to church on Sunday and
5451-421: Was announced that it would instead be named the "dollar". The pound was replaced by the dollar on 14 February 1966 with the conversion rate of A$ 2 = A£1. For example, a pre-decimal amount of nine pounds, sixteen shillings and sixpence (£9 16s 6d) became $ 19.65 in terms of dollars and cents. Since Australia was still part of the fixed-exchange sterling area , the exchange rate was fixed to the pound sterling at
5530-532: Was changed in November 1976 to a periodically adjusted valuation. The highest valuation of the Australian dollar relative to the U.S. dollar was during the period of the peg to the U.S. dollar. On 9 September 1973, the peg was adjusted to US$ 1.4875, the fluctuation limits being changed to US$ 1.485–US$ 1.490; on both 7 December 1973 and 10 December 1973, the noon buying rate in New York City for cable transfers payable in foreign currencies reached its highest point of 1.4885 U.S. dollars to one dollar. In December 1983,
5609-411: Was featured in the April 2, 2020 edition of Unique Cars magazine. The car was subsequently sold for an undisclosed sum. It can be distinguished by the incorrect sill stripe, which follows the sloping body crease instead of being parallel to the ground. At the 2007 Bathurst 1000, Ford Performance Vehicles unveiled a new limited edition Cobra, celebrating 30 years since Moffat and Bond's 1-2 finish. Like
5688-491: Was founded in 1925 as an Australian outpost of Ford Motor Company of Canada . At that time, Ford Canada was a separate company from Ford in the US. Henry Ford had granted the manufacturing rights of Ford motor vehicles in the British Empire (later the Commonwealth ) to Canadian investors. Ford Australia's first products were Model T cars assembled from complete knock-down (CKD) kits provided by Ford of Canada. Of
5767-570: Was in a disused Geelong wool storage warehouse while work was under way on a factory several miles away, in an area later renamed Norlane . In 1928, the factory switched to the Model A , which was followed in 1932 by the Ford V8 . In 1934, the company released a coupé utility based on the US Model A Ford "Closed Cab Pickup Truck" that had been produced for six years from 1928. The local designer
5846-520: Was issued in 1988 as a $ 10 note commemorating the bicentenary of European settlement in Australia. The note depicted on one side a young male Aboriginal person in body paint, with other elements of Aboriginal culture. On the reverse side was the ship Supply from the First Fleet, with a background of Sydney Cove, as well as a group of people to illustrate the diverse backgrounds from which Australia has evolved over 200 years. The first polymer series
5925-695: Was launched as the XA model in June 1972. The XD and XE generation Falcons (1979-1984) followed the styling trends of Ford Europe 's Granada II model, but were still purely an Australian design from an engineering standpoint and had virtually no parts commonality with the European product. The Falcon had been an Australian "automotive icon" for most of its 56 years in production, playing a prominent part in Australian popular culture and motor racing. Falcons have served as taxis, police cars, family runabouts, and transport for tradespeople. They have been winners many times in
6004-468: Was one of Ford's five product development centres globally. Since the end of factory operations in 2016, it fully imports cars and trucks for the Asia/Pacific region after the closure of its Australian operations. It was expected to retain about 1300 workers in Australia. Ford Australia was also designated as one of five (worldwide) full-service Regional Product Development Centres, specifically for
6083-545: Was replaced by the Ford Focus in 2002. It is currently offered in sedan and hatchback variants with a 2.0L engine, which is one of the market leaders in sales. The Fiesta , a global Ford product, has also been offered between 2004 and 2022. Mid-size cars formerly assembled in Australia included the Ford Cortina , Capri and Escort , from the UK. These were adapted for the Australian market: for example, from 1972,
6162-451: Was rolled out starting 1992 and featured the following persons: A special centenary issue of the $ 5 note in 2001 featured Sir Henry Parkes and Catherine Helen Spence . In 2015–2016 there were petitions to feature Fred Hollows on the upgraded $ 5 note, but failed to push through when the new note was introduced on 1 September 2016. Australia also prints polymer banknotes for a number of other countries through Note Printing Australia ,
6241-411: Was the sixth most-traded currency in the foreign exchange market and as of Q4 2023 the seventh most-held reserve currency in global reserves . The Australian dollar was introduced as a decimal currency on 14 February 1966 to replace the non-decimal Australian pound , with the conversion rate of two dollars to the pound (A£1 = A$ 2). It is subdivided into 100 cents . The $ symbol precedes
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