Ford Australia confirms more than 1200 jobs to stay at its top secret test track after factories close

FORD Australia is to keep 1200 design and engineering jobs, with the hope of 1500 in time, when its factories shut next year. Here’s why.

BEHIND the mountain ranges near Geelong in Victoria is a top secret facility with a network of roads and hidden trails that have been off the radar for 50 years.

But it’s not a military facility, the home to UFOs or anything from The X Files.

The classified area with its own no-fly zone is Ford Australia’s proving ground, where cars of the future are durability tested years before arriving in showrooms.

Every Ford Falcon except the first one was developed at the site, which was established after the first sedans in the early 1960s — based on an American design but built locally — crumbled in harsh Australian conditions.

The test track has roads that replicate the worst conditions in outback Australia, as well as Melbourne tram lines, European cobble stones and a water crossing to simulate a flooded road.

Ford will continue to employ more than 1200 designers and engineers in Australia after its factories close in October — but they will be developing cars for China rather than homegrown vehicles.

The announcement comes as the Ford facility celebrates its 50th anniversary today.

Ford says it hopes to increase the engineering workforce from 1200 to 1500 as demand for new cars in the world’s biggest automotive market ramps up in the coming years.

It currently employs about 800 factory workers on the Broadmeadows and Geelong production lines.

Trevor Worthington, who was formerly responsible for developing the latest Falcon sedans and the new Territory SUV, is now the head of Ford’s Asia-Pacific engineering operations.

When asked if he was proud of the skills Australian designers and engineers can continue to contribute to Ford cars sold overseas, he told News Corp Australia in April: “Of course we’re proud, we’re proud of all the things we do.”

He was attending the unveiling of the new Ford Taurus at the Shanghai motor show.

The vehicle will be built and sold in China but it was designed and developed from the ground up in Australia.

When asked if the new Ford sedan, which adopts the US name of Taurus, was the “spiritual successor” to the Falcon, Mr Worthington said: “We’ve designed it absolutely specifically for China. The important thing is, this is exactly the product that Chinese customers want.”

As is the case with all car companies, Ford would not disclose which future models it is working on next inside its top secret facility — the cars are at least three years away from showrooms — but Mr Worthington did confirm Australia will continue to play a key role in Ford’s global future.

“We’re working on multiple programs and we never talk about what we’re working on because that gives away our global portfolio to rivals,” said Mr Worthington.

“(But) we are fully using all of our facilities (in Australia). It’s good for us and it’s good for Ford globally.”

Why the Chinese Ford Falcon won’t come to Australia

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