Ford F-150 coming to Australia

March 31, 2022

It’s official: Ford F-150 coming to Ford Australia showrooms next year.

The Ford F Series pick-up will return to Ford Australia showrooms mid-2023 – after a 16-year absence – following the announcement today of a factory-backed local remanufacturing operation.

Ford Australia has confirmed the Ford F-150 will be coming to Australia next year, and sold via its national showroom network with a five year/unlimited kilometre warranty alongside the rest of its model range.

Before the Ford F-250 and Ford F-350 pick-ups were sold in Australia from 2001 to 2008, the Ford F-150 (and its predecessor the Ford F-100) were sold on-and-off in Australia across several generations from the 1970s to the 1990s.

The 2023 Ford F-150 due in Australia next year is the 14th generation of one of the world’s biggest-selling vehicles; more than 40 million have been sold globally since 1948.

As Drive reported exclusively last year, Ford Australia has appointed Thailand-based engineering firm RMA to remanufacture the Ford F-150 from left-hand-drive to right-hand-drive in a new facility not far from the former Falcon assembly line in Broadmeadows.

Although RMA has never previously conducted a remanufacturing program of this scale – it so far has specialised in up-fitting Ford Ranger utes for police, military and mining use in South East Asia – the local F-150 program will be closely supervised by a team of Ford engineers in Australia and Detroit.

In a presentation to media the boss of Ford Australia, Andrew Birkic, said: “This will be the only Ford program of its type globally. This is a significant team effort and we bring (the F-150 to Australia) with the backing of Ford, the engineering smarts of our local product development team, manufacturing know-how of RMA automotive.”

The Ford Australia boss said the Ford F-150 was the jewel in Ford’s crown and so all care will be taken to ensure vehicles completed locally will meet Ford global standards.

“It’s a much loved and desired icon and we are super proud to bring it back,” said Mr Birkic. “We know it’s got much more than credential. It has road presence, the name, and quite frankly, an aura.”

“Working in conjunction with our US counterparts, Ford Australia’s product development engineers will collaborate with RMA Automotive to ensure a seamless … conversion.

“There is genuine Ford US and Australian DNA all over this truck. We are even employing our own special vehicle (operations) team. An Australian group of engineers who have the experience to work on projects just like this, in conjunction with … RMA Automotive.”

This article originally featured on drive.com.au and can be viewed here.

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