Mature Market Vehicle Production : Australia

A fair dinkum ute, for anyone who hasn't seen one

Figures vary with sources so what is exact data is unknown. However, what I have is close and gives an accurate picture. It shows how the industry has gone down. The volumes were good by 1960 standards but didn't kick on. It was based around large cars which were suited to a big country. Some factors then went against it.

First, exports were a challenge because big cars were not popular in many countries and North America already had its big car industry sorted.

Secondly the big car has been losing customers to the SUV category and there was little response to that. Ford came out with the Territory SUV but even that was given little export push.

Third tariffs that protected inefficiencies within the industry were taken away over time. Then it had to propped up with government subsidies to survive.

So of the car makers left in the 21st century, Ford did nothing about exports except to New Zealand. GM Holden added North America to Ford's effort with Pontiac but that brand ended and so did the exports. Toyota did best with sales to the Middle East. When Ford said it was over, GM soon followed and Toyota had no choice but to join them. (There are some large trucks assembled too, which I know little of).

The Ford Territory didn't travel very far

Below are the production numbers as best as they can be known. CVs have played a small part of the industry, mainly utes (cars turned into pick-ups), the sole SUV and some big trucks.

	Year	Vehicle	Car	CV	% CV
	1960	285,000	230,000	55,000	19.3%
	1965	397,000	324,000	73,000	18.4%
	1970	472,000	392,000	80,000	16.9%
	1975	435,000	351,000	84,000	19.3%
	1980	364,000	318,000	46,000	12.6%
	1985	411,000	384,000	27,000	6.6%
	1990	382,000	361,000	21,000	5.5%
	1995	319,000	294,000	25,000	7.8%
	2000	356,000	330,000	26,000	7.3%
	2005	395,000	316,000	79,000	20.0%
	2010	249,500	207,000	42,500	17.0%
	2014	180,000	146,000	34,000	18.9%

Summary: Many in Australia are upset that the car industry is to close by 2017. The fact remains that it needed to make vehicles that were relevant to the 21st century and to export them. Neither happened sufficiently. The car industry was uncompetitive so it needed to go. Not wishing to sound callous, it probably should have gone sooner.