Final Australian Fords snare $353K

Going, going and … and sold for $353,000! Ford has auctioned its final four registerable Falcons and a Territory as part of its final curtain call to Australian manufacturing.

While the last-ever models to roll off the Broadmeadows production line lack a compliance plate and will retained by Ford Australia as part of its heritage collection, the final registerable XR6 Turbo ute, Territory Titanium, XR6 Sprint and XR6 were – in that order – auctioned off at an event held at Avalon airport on Saturday.

Ford Australia president and CEO Graeme Wickman attended the event, which doubled as a Ford Fan Day at the airport south of Melbourne, with each Falcon and Territory up for auction scoring a signed certificate of authenticity and unique final build plaque.

The hammer was first raised in the air for a grey XR6 Turbo ute, a Barra 4.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder manual example that retails at $39,810 plus on-road costs. Bidding started at $55,000 but quickly ascended to a final $81,500 for the 3300km-old example, the only vehicle of the day to have been registered by Ford Australia.

Clearly buyers felt less attached to Australia’s only locally built SUV, with a flagship silver coloured Territory Titanium TDCi netting $68,500 – a relatively small $11,500 increase on its recommended retail price.

By contrast it didn’t take long for the final Falcon XR6 Sprint, a winter white example with build number 500 of 500, to sprint towards doubling that SUV’s final sticker. It quickly headed towards six-figures before more than doubling its $54,990 retail price, netting $122,000 from John Bradbury of the Sunbury Ford dealership, who also purchased the ute.

It was a performance then mirrored by its more prosaic sibling and the private buyer’s favourite Falcon, a dark blue naturally aspirated XR6 sedan that was the actual last model to roll off the production line on the day of Broadmeadows’ closure. The $38,290 recommended retail price likewise more than doubled to $81,000 all told. It was purchased by Mark Jeffs of Boronia, Victoria, who also snared the Tezza.

Ford Australia raised a combined for $353,000 donated to a duo of foundations.

A cheque for $231,000 will fund a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM) schools program for Northern Bay College in Geelong and Hume Central Secondary College in Broadmeadows, with Ford Australia engineers mentoring kids completing in global STEAM robotics competitions.

The remaining funds from the Falcon XR6 Sprint sale, meanwhile, goes to Geelong charity Give Where You Live.