Ford F-150 right-hand-drive for Australia: ‘Nothing to see here,’ says local boss
Ford Australia remains tight-lipped about top secret plans to bring the iconic F-150 to local showrooms, however Drive understands the program is well progressed.
Less than a month after Drive revealed Ford Australia is exploring the possibility of a local, factory-backed, right-hand-drive conversion program for the F-150 – and a photograph of an example air-freighted from the US appeared online – the company is still not giving anything away.
When Drive asked the boss of Ford Australia this week why a new Ford F-150 had been spotted on a pallet in Melbourne airport’s freight terminal – and if this meant the company was exploring the potential of a factory-backed, right-hand-drive program to sell the new F-150 in local showrooms – we were initially greeted with a pause.
“We have nothing to share when it comes to F-Series,” Ford Australia boss Andrew Birkic told Drive, before changing the subject.
While the new Ford F-150 program for Australia is not yet finalised, Drive understands plans to bring the F-Series back to local showrooms – after the model was dropped from the line-up in 2007 – are well progressed.
As reported earlier, Drive understands a number of engineering firms were canvassed by Ford Australia to bid for the contract, including outfits in Australia, Thailand, and the US.
A Thai-based firm with strong links to Ford in the region is understood to have been the winning bidder.
However, if the program goes ahead, Drive understands the engineering and remanufacturing work on the right-hand-drive F-150 will be completed in Melbourne under the supervision of Ford Australia’s engineering team.
MORE: Ford F-150 plans for Australia, everything we know so far
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