Closure of Ford Manufacturing

Tomorrow, Friday 7 Oct 2016, spells the end of Ford car manufacturing in Australia. There have been several news print items with Nick Toscano’s Age Businessday (1 Oct) cover story linked here.

Two books have been released on the subject, both adding to the back story and consequences of closing Australia’s Auto manufacturing industry down.

Ian Porter, What happened to the car industry, Scribe, released in May 2016 takes a global view and Royce Kurmelovs, The Death of Holden, Hachette, released August 2016 investigates Holden’s Elizabeth Plant and the impact on workers as well as Ford in Geelong and Broadmeadows. Both books add to the understanding of the decisions leading to the closures and provide an insight, based on past manufacturing closures, as what to expect the impact on the community will be.

A postcript: Wheels mag. Nov issue carries a comprehensive look at Ford models in Australia 1960-2016 but perhapes more importantly for Automotive historians alerts to the removal of the Ford Archive to Ford US Archive. This has been know for some time however now there is agitation by some high-profile Ford past and present employees to stop the shipment, due to go at the end of the year. Peter Robinson, former Wheels editor, suggests concerned historians and others write to the Minister, Mitch Fifield at minister@communications.gov.ay to voice concern that our automotive heritage is being shipped offshore.