Bathurst hero Dick Johnson 'not shocked' by end

FORD racing legend Dick Johnson is saddened by the auto giant's decision to close its Australian plants.

FORD racing legend Dick Johnson is saddened by the auto giant's decision to close its Australian plants and leave the nation without the car he drove to win his Bathurst titles and championships.

But Johnson, 68, said he was not shocked by Ford's decision to close its factories in 2016 because "you don't have to be Einstein to know that they've been losing, year on year, about $120 million".

He said Ford should retain its following in the V8 Supercars series, even though no Australian-made Falcons will be produced after 2016. "All of the championships I won and all of the Bathursts I won were in a Falcon, so one would have to say that it's really significant from my point of view," Johnson said. "Obviously, the name 'Ford' is not going to go anywhere. It's going to be here for another 100 years, I'd suggest. It's just the fact that there won't be a 'Falcon' attached to it after 2016."

He said imported models could be as popular to racing fans as the Falcon. "Ford people will just go for Ford, whether it be a Falcon or a Fusion or a Mondeo or whatever.

"Physically, a Mondeo is pretty much the same size as a Falcon. It doesn't mean to say you can't put a V8 into it."

Ford Australia boss Bob Graziano said no decisions had been made on the company's motorsport teams or about its premium car brand, Ford Performance Vehicles.