Ford birthday specials

It has released prices for a select number of 50th anniversary Falcons.  The company is building 4000 XR sedans and utes and 750 luxury G-Series anniversary sedans, with between $9500 and $12,000 extra value.  The bargain-buy birthday Falcons have dealers scrambling for more cars.

Ford Australia vice president marketing, sales and service, Beth Donovan, says the response to the anniversary program has been strong.
"We are already looking at building additional vehicles to ensure we can satisfy demand," she says.

Each 50th-anniversary model gets special exterior design touches, exclusive interior finishes and more standard equipment.  The G6E, G6E Turbo, XR6 sedan, XR6 Turbo sedan, XR6 ute and XR6 Turbo ute all benefit from the upgrades.

The Falcon XR 50th-anniversary sedans will get "dark stealth" colour accents on the grille, foglight bezels and rear bumper insert, and "medium stealth" accents on the alloys, along with high series side mirrors with integrated indicators and G6-style tail lights.

Other anniversary features include XR50 graphics, stripes and special badging.  Inside there is an embroidered XR50 logo on the seats, carpet mats and door scuff plates and 50th-anniversary instrument graphics.

Other highlights include special interior trim on the centre console, dashboard and front doors, along with standard dual-zone climate control, premium audio system and high series sports leather steering wheel.

Features specific to the XR6s include new partial leather seat trim and special 18-inch XR alloy wheels.  The XR6 Turbo receives new leather-detailed seat trim, reverse sensors and 19-inch XR alloys.

Donovan says 50 years of continuity in any industry is remarkable, "but it's especially rare in a dynamic field like the car industry".  The Falcon's heritage is unmatched by any other car in the history of Australian motoring.  It turned 50 on June 28.

Driveaway birthday cars

XR6 six-speed manual $36,950
XR6 Turbo six-speed manual $45,950
G6E six-speed auto $47,950
G6E Turbo six-speed auto $54,950
XR6 Ute six-speed manual $32,950
XR6 Turbo Ute six-speed manual $38,950