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Ford Discovery Centre to close its doors

By Paul Maric |
FIND DEALS

Ford’s Geelong-based Ford Discovery Centre is set to close its doors on July 29th, after 13 years of operation.

The Ford museum was opened in April 1999 as part of a joint partnership between Ford Motor Company of Australia and Deakin University.

The two-level museum offers patrons an insight into the design and manufacturing process undertaken to create a modern vehicle, along with active displays of robots and a cross section of Ford models.

Despite the site’s reputation and Ford’s deep-seeded history with Geelong, the Ford Discovery Centre’s recent announcement states ever-changing needs in the museum industry as the reason for its closure.

“For 13 years, the Centre has provided an outstanding education experience to more than 250,000 visitors, the Geelong community and those interested in automotive engineering and manufacturing. However a recent review, combined with ever-changing needs in the museum industry, has shown that the Centre cannot continue to evolve and expand in its current form.”

Ford has made no announcement regarding plans for further exhibitions or showcases of its history once the Centre is closed.

Needless to say, if you have never visited the Ford Discovery Centre, it’s worth crossing off the bucket list before the Centre winds up on July 29th, 2012.


 

  • Sumpguard

    I wonder what other closures Ford Australia may have in coming years?

    • Noel

      A loaded question, I like it lol

    • Hmo

      FPV
      The slow wind down of Ford Australia is leading up to an eventual shut down

  • Mac

    I guess theres not enough visitors for it to be viable……..it just shows the lack of appreciation for anything with heritage by the average australian !!

    • Daniel D

      Mac I suspect it would prove a little too inconvenient to have a center focusing on what you have done as part of your Australian manufacturing, when you are planning to not have any Australian manufacturing in a few short years.

  • BK

    Geelong will become a ghost town as soon as Ford closes up 

    • Igomi Watabi

      Perhaps you should come and visit sometime to realise how ill-informed that comment is.

      • BK

        I live in the place. Go for a walk thru the CBD and see how many businesses are closed up. 

  • F1

    The problem is Fird Australia..

    Ford has many good cars which also happen to do well in other markets such as USA, Canada etc

    For example why don’t they have the Ford Taurus SHO here? That’s a very good car which gives cars with $150,000 price tag a run for their money..

    • Turbodewd

      did you know the Taurus is taller, longer and wider than the Falcon?  And weighs a lot more too….it wont sell here.

      • Mac

        quite true……unless its downsized  to falcon size after 2016 . Falcon needs a closer link with mustang hopefully , then RWD could stay, just add extra doors for falcon. .

  • Bigbird

    It won’t be long before all Ford OZ will be doing is rebadging imports. As a lover of the Falcon it sadens me to see the abandonment of the car. This isn’t aimed at the consumer but, at the company itself. Ford US didn’t show enough support and Ford OZ didn’t have enough fight. I’m not saying the sales trend would be any different for large cars but, it could have been given a better shot. Just let the Falcon live out its days without the bad press.

  • Turbodewd

    I visited the Discovery Center about a year ago, pretty cool.

    • Noddy

      Yeah same here, very friendly staff as well. I went in on the train and went past the Broadmeadows factory, and saw the new Explorer and Taurus sitting in the yards!

    • Don Quay

      I visited it in April, when I was down that way. It was OK, but it seems that there wasn’t a lot of current models. No series two Falcon or new Territory. It did focus on the local manufacturing history, which I suppose was the main point, but they missed the opportunity to promote the rest of the current range and the engineering and design work they do now. Lack of space is probably the reason, but they could probably move on the Anglias and Prefects to make some space. One each of them is surely enough!

      • Don Quay

        Forgot to mention, if you are ever in Stuttgart, go to the Mercedes and Porsche museums. Now, they are really cool. Worth the visit.

  • MisterZed

    Ergh, the exterior of the building looks like it hasn’t changed since it opened in 1999.  So tacky and dated.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Karl-Sass/100000921334936 Karl Sass

      THAT’S what you get out of this story??

  • Mac

    anything to have a dig at them mate !!!…….is this just what you want ??……my place looks similar since 1999 , except for the garden , how about yours ???

    • MisterZed

      Seriously how expensive is it to update a few signs to 21st century standards…

  • MM

    Ford we give you more.

  • Mr Frobisher

    The golden age of Ford in Australia is over.  We won’t see another Falcon or Territory after the current models… how symbolic this closure is!   What a shame, as these are great cars that simply the car buying public don’t want.  A Focus & Mondeo sized car is now becoming the mainstream for Australia… not to dissimilar to early Fords and Holdens in terms of package size and engine capacity.

    • Turbodewd

      Mr Frob,

      the territory is a big seller.  It just faces a lot of competition and heaps of choice. The Falcon still outsells the Liberty, Maxima, Aurion and Mazda 6.  If the AUD wasnt so high then it would sell more.

      • Phil

        Falcoone sales are the result of hefty discounts, open the weekend papers and you’ll find it awash with Ford dealers advertising Falcoones with $10K-$15K discounts. Not to mention that most Falcoones are sold to fleets anyway of whom get even larger discounts. The Territory can also be already found with moderate discounts depite it being a newly released model.
        All those other cars you mentioned are sold worldwide with significantly greater production numbers and with minimal discounting.
        It’s funny you mention the Ewwrion because last month they sold 995 against Falcoones 1008 and given that the Ewwrion is a V6 Crapry which sold another 1850, Ewwrion/Crapry is outselling Falcoone by 3 to 1.

        • Bigbird

          I love how you rename the cars you hate. Falcoon, Ewwrion, Crapry. What are you 12? Did your mum help you write the rest? Grow up. Whatever argument you’re trying to prove, it just makes you look like an idiot. Seriously.

          • Igomi Watabi

            spot on, Bigbird. I cringed reading this. And does Phil realise the racist derivation of his ‘insult’ to the Falcon?

          • Igomi Watabi

            Also, he couildn’t think of a ‘clever’ name for the Territory? Disappointing.

    • BK

      thats the problem nobody wants to buy aussie made. 

  • Mac

    When aussies in non vehicle related industries are also now losing their jobs , i now have not a speck of sympathy for  them . They reap what they sow !!…….because the very same employees who pretend so much to care about buying australian made will in the next moment look for the cheap chinese item . Caring about Australian jobs is very different from just caring for their own Australian job .!!

    • Igomi Watabi

      So, everyone with a job should drive a Falcon?

      • Turbodewd

        I happily do.  Go the XR6 Turbo!  Oodles of effortless power, super smooth 6spd auto and respectable 10.7L/100km (my current reading).

    • Phil

      The last few times I went past the Ford factorys, I was midly amused to see that the staff carpark was dominated with small/medium mostly Asian cars. At a rough estimate, Falcoones/Territorys were running at about %5 [with a almost equal number of Bommodores in there!].

  • mick

    i dont think the FG will be the last!!  wether it will be australian designed anymore is the question..