Won’t be retro...

Tombie · 15th April 2018, 08:51 PM

Originally Posted by Grumbles

Ford did the same thing with the Fairlane. Up until the last of the NL series Fairlane it always had its own unique and stand out body styling. At a glance people could tell that it was an upmarket limo with an appropriate - read high - limo purchase price.

Following on from the 'N' series Falcons and Fairlanes came the AU Fairlane and Falcon. The AU Fairlane was designed and manufactured so that it looked just like any other AU Falcon. Sales fell in a hole forcing Ford to cancel Fairlane manufacturing for ever.

The reason for the big drop in sales was that owners wanted to stand out from the common garden variety of car ownership and that at a glance Fairlane possession proclaimed to all and sundry that the owner had 'made it' in society, had a substantial disposable income and therefore could afford the upmarket Fairlanes asking price. This goal was not achieved when the AU Fairlane looked substantially like its common garden variety brother - the AU Falcon

It seems that Landrover may be going to emulate the same policy that Ford instigated when it designed the AU Fairlane to look like the AU Falcon so that universal parts and cheaper manufacturing costs were achieved albeit at the unplanned cost of losing sight of what the Fairlane meant to prospective purchasers.

Yes the ever un-aerodynamic early Fairlane... a big car for a big ego that couldn’t afford a BMW or Mercedes.

Horrible things, with all the styling of 1975...

Designed for the Sales Manager, whilst the salesmen ran around in GL falcons..

Hopefully LR is going Brand Recognition ala BMW and not Fords business model gone wrong.

**blackrangie** · 16th April 2018, 07:46 AM

Originally Posted by Tombie

Yes the ever un-aerodynamic early Fairlane... a big car for a big ego that couldn’t afford a BMW or Mercedes.

Horrible things, with all the styling of 1975...

Designed for the Sales Manager, whilst the salesmen ran around in GL falcons..

Hopefully LR is going Brand Recognition ala BMW and not Fords business model gone wrong.

Agree you can 100% see they are putting massive efforts into BR

**Grumbles** · 16th April 2018, 09:35 AM

Originally Posted by Tombie

Yes the ever un-aerodynamic early Fairlane... a big car for a big ego that couldn’t afford a BMW or Mercedes.

Horrible things, with all the styling of 1975...

Designed for the Sales Manager, whilst the salesmen ran around in GL falcons..

I had an NL Fairlane. It was a fantastic car to own, great all round vision, able to see all four corners of the car, terrific fuel economy, a comfortable ride and economical to maintain at the Ford dealership.......and I wasn't even a sales manager or had an inadequate bank account.

**Zeros** · 19th April 2018, 06:48 AM

Originally Posted by blackrangie

Just remember they are on record saying, the new Defender will "Put the G Class into the shade"

Who said this? I’ve never read it..

**rick130** · 19th April 2018, 06:55 AM

Originally Posted by Zeros

Who said this? I’ve never read it..

One of the engineers/product development blokes (not McGovern) after the new G Class launch (in the US I think it was)

Only because apparently every panel is new on the G but you can't tell, it looks like the old one, or at least that's my take when I read the comment

**Zeros** · 19th April 2018, 06:58 AM

Originally Posted by rick130

One of the engineers/product development blokes (not McGovern) after the new G Class launch (in the US I think it was)

Only because apparently every panel is new on the G but you can't tell, it looks like the old one, or at least that's my take when I read the comment

Do you have a link?

**rick130** · 19th April 2018, 07:25 AM

Naa, it was a couple of weeks back, might've even been a link on this thread?

**SBD4** · 19th April 2018, 09:24 AM

Originally Posted by Zeros

Do you have a link?

Here's one of the articles with the quote:
Land Rover Designer Wishes the New Defender Was Here Already, Too

**Zeros** · 19th April 2018, 05:13 PM

Originally Posted by SBD4

Here's one of the articles with the quote:
Land Rover Designer Wishes the New Defender Was Here Already, Too

Thanks Sean, they are fighting words indeed. Encouraging to hear. Let’s hope so.

👍

**dfendr** · 26th April 2018, 09:40 PM

Plan to bring back Defender gets Benz backing - motoring.com.au

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