On Perth six PR. This is Remember When with Harvey D.
Gan Well.
I imagine many of our listeners have at one time or another owned a Ford car, and no doubt quite a few of you probably still do well. This year marks the one hundredth anniversary of Ford production in Australia, with Henry Ford's famous Model T the first car off the assembly line at the Ford factory in Geelong, Victoria. And it was seventeen years earlier, in nineteen hundred and eight that the first Model T was born, and that
was in America, of course. Now having the studio with me a couple of likely lads that are well known in motoring circles and they've seen the evolution of Ford over the years. Wilf Chambers and John Luca welcome to Remember When, gentlemen. Thank you, Covey, Thanks Ivich. Now first up, folks, I feel obliges to acknowledge that last night a few of us gathered to help Wilf celebrate our birthday milestone of his own. Now we're not going to be so
indelicate as to say what that milestone was. All I will say was just a few years less than the one forward is celebrating.
Are a few?
Yeah, quite a few. Actually, how did you both pull up?
Boys?
You look all right?
Yeah, fantastic.
I didn't have a drink until I get home. That was obviously some form of soft drink in the wine glass atitude which last night.
Actually yeah yeah, definitely definitely one win and the mixture of ace.
Yeah, okay, we'll believe you lots, wouldn't Boys. Forward ended manufacturing in Australia on October the seventh, twenty sixteen, with a Blue XR six. I think it was rolling off the production line that day. Now, clearly continuing to produce cars in Australia was no longer viable. What do you think the reasons behind that were?
It's a traycy, it's actually happened. I think it's the labor costs and around the world totally different in Australia. All the cars are coming these days are imported and is the cost of Labor's probably the key factor. And I think they probably maybe lost support from the government. They used to throw a lot of money at the car industry, so I'm not sure if that's stopped, but definitely the production side of cars from overseas China and Thailand all that it's probably the biggest killer.
Yeah.
Well, I guess that is the simple explanation for US, isn't it. You just can't you can't compete in those markets.
Yeah, I think a sadness is but as people well in Australia, what's happened in Australia and all aspects you know, you go to even just your underwear bonds has not meant in Australia anymore. And the manufacturing, so that's just a simple thing manufacturing has got. But I think the cost of labor and the cost of component around the cost of the labor said of it is we're one of the highest wedges countries in the world.
So I think that's the sad part of it.
There's and I think the government, well I'm not going to say i'm aunt the governments, but i think governments don't realize how lucky we are of the people who are the workers, and they're not respecting the working people.
Yeah, well said wealth, no doubt at all. Well, matach you beck a bit boys, and I've dug add a model T sort of a commercial or a very much mini fature and i'd like you to have listened to it say what you think.
In nineteen oh eight, the popular automobile, the Model T Ford, was launched. Henry Ford, born in eighteen sixty three in Detroit, Michigan, learned engineering through apprenticeship and started making cars in his backyard. In nineteen oh five. He introduced the mass production method, leading to the Model T Forard in nineteen oh eight with a twenty horsepower engine. Mass productions significantly reduced manufacturing time from one car per hour in nineteen oh eight
to one every twenty four seconds by nineteen fourteen. The Model T's price dropped from nine hundred dollars in nineteen oh eight to four hundred dollars in nineteen fourteen. With reduced production costs, workers wages increased to five double the industry out of range, over fifty million Model TEA Forwards were sold, marking the my car are.
Globally interesting to go back in time though, over that little vignette I suppose you would call it. And it was established in March thirty first twenty five in Geelong, and apparently all the heavies from America came over from Ford and decided on Geelong because it just had everything had a port. It had plenty of space and plenty of workers.
Correct, Yes, that's what happened. See the model of Tea in nineteen twenty five has actually seen its way out, so we've probably got the tail end of the Model TSS it finished in nineteen twenty seven. Actual, in fact, they came from Canada. They were right and drive vehicle.
They were brought in a knockdown situation.
And did I say the word hold them, but holding that motorworks or carriage builders were actually the ones that were assembling in the Model T Forwards in Australia before they actually built holding cars in the forties, but they were actually coach builders and they actually assembled the team Model Forwards in Geulyng.
Okay interesting, yeah, And just talking about the cost of the vehicles. From my research, I discovered how much was it about one hundred and eighty five pounds the Model T cost, which in today's money would be about eighteen five hundred dollars. It's not a bad deal.
Before my time, have you that we'll explain pounds. I'm not sure pounds are actually.
Well two dollars to a pound, John, do you know, John Settled?
I know?
Please, Indeed cent some dollars man.
So yeah, well when you think of the value of it, but then then once again it goes back to the costs of it.
What was a man paid.
The men's wages was sort of a penny, a dollar, two dollars something like out there, like Henry Ford was a leader. I'm actually just reading his book at the moment.
What Henry Ford did for the workers, and I think I think has set the benchmark for the working capacity of the world of mass production if you actually what I watched a YouTube video this morning of building the forwards and what he did with his the migrants to commend their country and how good it was his staffed commodation for ed kad the staff and things that out there.
So I think it was I think.
It was a steerword for the future, and I think it's I think somebody it should be complimented. Thanks so much for what he's done for the production of the automobile, which I love the automobiles, and that's what I think is important from there.
Yeah, indeed, all right, boss, We're going to take a break and we'll come back with a bit more about the general evolution of Ford over the years and just a tick. This is remember when with Harvey Degan on Perth six PR. Welcome back and Facts if you've just joined us. We're having a chat about the fact that this year twenty twenty five is the one hundredth anniversary of the first Ford car rolling off the production line. It was a Model T Forward at the Ford plant
in Geelong. And we've got Wilf Chambers and John Luca who know all about Fords any other make of car for that matter, taking us through the years that Ford has been in existence. What was the car? John, you direct this question to you. What was the next vehicle that Ford produced in Australia. What was after the Model T.
Model T Then came the Modelay nineteen twenty eight and again it came from Canada, so they were right down drive vehicles back then again in a knockdown form. The Modelay ran from nineteen twenty eight through to thirty one. Then the B model came out nineteen thirty two. In thirty three, our first ute was developed here in Australia.
They called him trucks. In America we call them utilities.
That was a coop that was the back was cut off and they built a tray at the back of the vehicle and turned him to utilities, which is quite unique to Australia.
Wasn't that as the result of a farmer who went to Ford and didn't you say? I'm paraphrasing this so I can't remember his exact words, but he said something like I need a vehicle to take my family to church on a Sunday and to take my stock to the markets on any other days in the week.
Spot on Harveyes exactly what was said. He needed a vigglar go to church with his wife and family and throw the kids probably in the back, and then we.
Must run the wife in the back.
You don't know, Yeah, what could be made the dogs on the front, so who knows. But then they needed a work vehicle that he could obviously earn some dollars out of as well, And that's how the utility was born here in Australia.
So again, after the Model A and the Youth, what when did the Falcon first make its appearance.
The Falcon was probably in the early sixty so that's when we probably came into production of real Australian cars. I think it was probably the x K Welf. I think it was sixty two, a little bit behind again the other brand holding which had brought the FX holding out in forty eight, so they were sort of caught
a bit hopping there in history. So they were a little bit behind times as that went ahead of times in the early late twenties, but when it came to full production Australia, they were a quarter.
A bit short.
And we can remember, can't we the incredible rivalry but you mentioned Holden of course, the incredible rivalry between Allan Moffatt driving his Ford and Peter Brock driving his hold and particularly Bathist.
Oh yeah, exactly right now, Bathets was sort of and I still went on for a long time. But I think as important as the Moffatt and Brockie were the two steerwinners off that as I can talking to Billy Lee last night about it, who's a mud Holden fun We were just talking rave about it and high Brock he just finished one race, is about the finie. But his car was a legal car, but actually the windscreen is all cracky. Actually went into the pets, cracked the
wind screen. I just knocked the windscret and finished the race. Didn't finish the race completely but without a wind screen. It's just amazing what happens from there. But yeah, Ford, I think when you see the one two Fords, I think it was just well, racing is sort of there's a big part of Australia us from there.
Indeed, I wanted to touch on a very very important event in Perth that I'm lucky enough to have been invited to play a very small role, and that is the Buy any All every two years forward open Day at usually Basondeen Oval. Has been elsewhere, but Basandeen or Steel Blue Oval seems to be its permanent home. Now when's the next one?
The next one's on the fifth October this year at Steel Blue Oval, Bason again where we put on the all four day run by the Mustangitus Club of West Australia and the gd Folk Club of West Australia. All funds that are raised through that event we then donate the charity and with help from yourself too on the day you do support us Harvey, which you would much appreciate.
We don't actually give cash out for that event. The charities that we give them money to we actually buy goods or services or product and we just sort of seek the charities that we find a bit harder than the ones that get a lot of us, the three governments and other supports.
So that's what we do.
Yeah, And there are always different charities ANTHI will favorite year and they're always very very grateful for the efforts that you make.
Yeah.
Once again, we were chatting with Greg Hill now who were the co chairman's for about fifteen twenty years, and we were just discussed last night of all the different charities, Noah's, our Camp, Quality, Manor Ink and Guide Dogs for Black Guide Dog Blame Guide Dogs. And I think when you see the results from that there and you know what it goes to. And as John says, the product you supply, you supply, you don't supply the cash at all.
You supply on my product.
Like I remember Manorinc I Sae just having this beautiful big van because there's like eight thousand kids we learned or once as a learning curve of us as well, we learned about the eight thousand kids go to school
every day without breakfast. And we bought this fan through Macanonie Forward equipped it out from and Manorink had just taken breakfast and kids at school, so I think when you look at that there, it's a good feeling for it, and it's a great feeling of achievement and it helps you sort of progress and what Chardi work you want to do.
Yeah, and unless you go to Steel Blue Oval, I don't think you can fully appreciate the fact that there are so many avenges and classic forwards still in existence. They're still being driven. I can't I should know. But are there any Model Teas amongst them?
We have probably Molitar for a while, but there's been Model Te's Model like cars turn up and through their clubs. So there's two big groups in Model A Club and a Mutal Tea Club. I'm not sure who's coming this year. The entries are starting to open up right now. If you go to the all four day dot org Ace e Ben, you can register your vehicle to come in there. We drew put about four and fifture to five cars on.
Yeah, it's a.
Good event and I think it's important to it's sort of the cross section like I as an individual, Okay, I'm probably a known as a patrol head as well, and people say why forward, Well, I've just got to establish something. The first card I did sort of at a faster speed than the sort of the speed and it was actually a Ford Casseer back in nineteen sixty three which I didn't have my license, but just I've
always driven forwards as well. But I think the important factor is that the cross section of a manufacturer and a manufacturer may have left the country, but a manufacturer still a very big manufacturer in Australia, and I think that's what's important, and to sort of that.
Ford have stayed Ford the world has stayed.
With Australia and back to Australia where Holden hasn't and they've changed it completely. So I think with Ford, with the presentation of all the different models they've got and the Mustang naturally of course, and things that get there, which I think is so important and on the day like we get as I said, we've been doing it for nearly twenty years and it's just a great achievement and the enthusiasm, like you still get the amount of
people where Bolden had a show. I'm not knocking holding, please don't get me wrong, but they had only probably about two hundred and fifty cars at maximum. So when you get out on a day, so car showers are a big thing in life now as people are just a classy cars and different things from there, so it's important that way.
Well, I mean all vehicle brands have have got their ups and they're down their positives and their negatives. I think it's interesting to note though that Ford Cars won Wheels Car of the Year seven times since the award was established in nineteen sixty three. Amazing. It's not bad as with the Ford Everest being the most recent. That's I was having a chat to Lauris from Macdernie Ford and he had one of those on show well nearly two years a year and a half ago now and it's very impressive.
Yeah, the Ford Ranger and the Everest and the Musti's been a big plus for the Ford Motor Company in Australia. I think it's probably been their survival car or cars, so they've done very well. And macan Ani Ford's are if I mentioned that they're a great support of our organization, been there through the All four day as club and actually I looked up today that's Dennis beck and established in nineteen seventy five, so it's actually their fifty three
year as well. Yeah, so yeah, so I privately owned. I are it's still the only privately owned Ford Motor Company dealership in Perth.
So the cars, this is a naive question. I know it is, but there may be other people who are as uninformed as I am on this. The cars that bear the Ford badge, Now where are they assembled?
Well, the Everest in the range, as far as I know, they're all built in Thailand, and the Mustang still built in America.
So I got a question for you, Harvill, what's this? So what was your first car? My first car was a green Morris Minor. Oh fantastic, Yeah, good built classic?
Has had it to spread screen or full screen?
What the wind screen? I think it had a full screen?
Yeah, okay, it was after an eighteen fifty five and I.
Didn't go very fast and I wanted it to. So what's the future there do you think for Ford?
I think, once again it goes back to the manufacturing side. I think they're the parent company worse in America and things that I think is still very loyal to the product, and I think a product is such an important thing. And I think the stability of what they're producing on the vehicle, Like once again, you look at the you Mustang when it was out twenty sixteen, but even they were the current shit the leadership was two thousand and seven,
two thousand and five. I think, I think when the stability, if that is so important, and I think that to me as an individual, I think it's just great to see that that a manufacturer is still producing cars, like we're not going to get into electric cars today. But all I'm saying is, I think is are you're not a fan of electric cars completely? Well? Actually I think
I don't want to see it. And here but in channel seven I think you've got I think I prove them know on electric cars of the connection of the batteries and the failures of the fires, and I think that's the biggest thing from there.
But no, I'm not a fan.
If if miss Uber come to me to pick him up on the Tesla, I would not get into it, Sorry, but I would'tet do you feel that you is passionate about that?
John?
Probably on the fence of myself. I've driven electric car it must have been they do go quite well, but I am a petrol head, So like Wolf, I do on the get to.
The bows and filling it up and going. Well, I wonder if you're.
Driving around in the country and you suddenly haven't got any battery power left. You can't exactly take a can down to the local service station and fill up with electricity, can you?
No?
Exactly right, So Australia a vast wide state that we and we do a lot of traveling and get away. The EV's probably aren't quite there as yet. I know they've taken off in Europe. In Europe you travel short distances and most people work within the city. So I think we're probably a little bit ahead of a soul here in Australia for evs. They are out there, but you probably won't see me one for a while.
Well, I'll just sort of opinion is we won't be sitting here in twenty five years time, however, having a discussion we were discussing and turning combustions of Henry Ford. I'm not knocking any electric carriers are going to get there, but we won't be having that discussion. Electric cars, electric carris I believer, come and go. Nate the Belt the first electric car in eighteen forty five with Jill batteries and it lasted two and a half years.
Now you've just given us a clue here. So in twenty five years time, Welf, I'll book you in for another interview. Great your centenary anyway, that's right.
Then, Harvey mob an electric wheel chair.
You'll probably forget to plug that in as well. Boys. One quick reminder again for people to put in their diary all four day at Steel Blue Oval.
So it's October fifth, twenty twenty five, is still Blue Oval. Entrances are online out to book your cars in and for the gates of open nine point thirty on the day for entrance comes through the public coming user cars.
Will Chambers, John Luca, thank you for your time on remember when it's been an absolute hurt and all the best. Thank you so much for having best wishes to you too,