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It’s not usually an auto model marks 100 years of operations, not to mention one in Australia, so to assist commemorate the milestone Australia Publish has launched the limited-edition Ford Australia Centenary Stamp Assortment.
Ford Australia kicked off its 2025 centenary celebrations with an enormous birthday bash in April, and now followers of the Blue Oval can get in on the motion for the princely sum of simply $1.70 – the face worth of all 4 special-edition postage stamps now obtainable.
The quartet of limited-edition stamps immortalises 4 of probably the most iconic Ford fashions produced in Australia over the past century since 1925, together with the Mannequin T, the XP Falcon, the XA Falcon GT, and the FG X Falcon XR8.
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The Mannequin T was the primary Ford produced on the Blue Oval’s then-new Australian manufacturing facility in Geelong, Victoria, in 1925. Because it had been within the US and a number of other different nations for 17 years previous to that, the Mannequin T is extensively credited with bringing inexpensive motoring to the lots.
Nonetheless, it was the Falcon for which Ford Australia was finest recognized, and three of probably the most well-known examples are the pioneering XP, the homegrown XA and the swansong FG X.
The primary Falcon made and offered in Australia was the XK collection, which was launched in September 1960 in an try to problem the dominance of cheaper homegrown Holdens beginning with the 48-215 ‘FX’ of 1948.
Previous to the Falcon, Ford Australia had assembled the British Zephyr and its Consul and Zodiac derivatives, which have been dearer than the equal Holden as a consequence of import tariffs on elements, whereas the Canadian-sourced Ford V8 fashions of the time have been even pricier.
However the American-designed XK Falcon was shortly struck down by reliability points in Australia’s harsher highway situations, so a collection of upgrades have been shortly developed and applied, and after the mildly improved XL and XM fashions the top end result was the XP Falcon of 1965.
The XP grew to become an Aussie icon of the late Nineteen Sixties after making headlines by finishing a gruelling 112,000km (70,000-mile), nine-day sturdiness take a look at at Ford Australia’s freshly-minted You Yangs proving floor close to Geelong, which continues to steer the worldwide improvement of the Ranger ute and Everest SUV.
It was the primary Australian automobile to win the Wheels Automotive of the 12 months award and a complete of 70,998 XP Falcons rolled off Ford manufacturing traces in Melbourne and Brisbane over 1965-1966.
The XA Falcon then grew to become the primary totally Australian-designed and constructed Falcon in 1972, following the US-based first- and second-generation fashions, and the XA Falcon GT went on to turn out to be a cornerstone within the Falcon’s 56-year legacy.
The Falcon GT lodged back-to-back Bathurst 1000 wins in 1973 and 1974 in 351 cubic-inch Cleveland V8-powered two-door ‘hardtop’ kind, the ‘coke-bottle’ design of which grew to become a poster little one of Australian muscle automobile tradition within the Seventies and led to the long-lasting XB and XC fashions.
And whereas the FG X Falcon XR8 was the ultimate and best V8-powered Falcon to roll off the Broadmeadows meeting line, borrowing closely from the discontinued FG FPV GT, an FG X Falcon XR6 sedan and Territory SUV have been truly the final two Ford autos produced in Australia.
That occurred on October 7, 2016 at Ford’s Broadmeadows meeting plant in Melbourne, the place a complete of 4,356,628 autos have been manufactured over greater than 91 years since August 20, 1959.
In all, Ford produced 3,578,689 Falcon sedans, wagons, utes and panel vans over greater than 56 years of manufacturing between June 1960 and October 2016, making Falcon the longest-running automotive nameplate in Australia – and certainly one of world’s most enduring mannequin names.
The Falcon was Australia’s top-selling car in its heyday, with 89,679 examples of the EF and EL Falcon sedan, ute and van offered in 1995 – its finest yr.
All 4 of the stamps have been designed by Sharon Rodziewicz on the Australia Publish Design Studio and rendered by Peter Hughes – who sarcastically headed up Common Motors’ Australian design studio for greater than 20 years – of Hughes Motorsport Artwork.
“As we rejoice Ford Australia’s Centenary, we’re excited to collaborate with Australia Publish to commemorate 4 notable fashions from the previous 100 years,” mentioned Ford Australia and New Zealand president and CEO, Andrew Birkic.
“We’re honoured that Ford has discovered a spot within the lives of so many Australians by the many years, and this new collectable stamp vary is a souvenir for all followers that bleed blue.
“As we glance to the following 100 years, these 4 fashions are a reminder of our roots, and the way Australian motoring continues to evolve.”
The limited-edition centenary stamp assortment can be found at Australia Publish shops and on-line from at this time (September 2), simply in time for Father’s Day.
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