Car, tractors, big rigs and SUVs from the 1980s Ford lineup are showcased in this classic Australian commercial.
This week’s Throwback Thursday video comes to us from the AustralianFordAds YouTube channel and it features – you guessed it – a classic Ford commercial from the Australian market. This commercial is unlike American marketing campaigns, even in the 1980s, looking at the company portfolio including commercial vehicles and tractors.
Full-Company Commercial
In the US market, most automobile commercials focus on a specific vehicle or type of vehicles, so Ford ads will showcase the F-150, the F-Series lineup, the Mustang or a variety of the small cars. Rarely do we see both cars and trucks advertised in the same commercial and we never see commercial vehicles or farm machinery included in new vehicle marketing.
That is what makes this Australian commercial from the 1980s so unusual, as it includes the full range of Ford offerings in that market – from cars and trucks to big rigs and farm tractors. Also, in addition to showcasing the newest vehicles from the 1980s, this commercial shows off some of the older Aussie Fords that made the brand so popular Down Under.
Ford of Australia in the 1980s
We don’t know the exact year of this commercial, but the details say that it is from the 1980s and the newest vehicles in the spot appear to be from the mid-to-late 80s. Multiple generations of the powerful Falcon are shown in various states, including on the race track, where they dominated motorsports for years. We also see the then-new Meteor, the TX5 and a handful of other cars that weren’t offered in the United States with a soft musical backdrop.
In addition to the Ford big rig and the TW30 tractor, the most familiar vehicles for Americans are the full-sized Bronco and the compact Courier pickup.
Even in the 1980s, Ford commercials in the United States would have focuses on one or two vehicles, but in the Australian market, the Motor Company grouped all consumer and commercial products together – using the popular of key vehicles to bring attention to others.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
