In Ford Australia’s long history, there are many prototypes and unexplored body styles which never saw the light of day. For the FG series, Ford decided to extend the life of the BF wagon to 2010, but did not renew the body style for the eighth generation, citing the Territory crossover’s sales success.
At an FPV & XR Owners Club of Victoria event earlier this year, former Falcon designer Steve Park showcased several lost variants and explorations including two possible FG wagon studies, a LWB Fairlane/LTD as well as coupes and convertibles inspired by the classic 1970s hardtop.
Starting with the two wagon studies, it appears Ford was going to follow the same formula Holden used for the VE, by sharing the sedan’s wheelbase for a more European style wagon.
One proposal shows an upward kink towards the end of the glasshouse, with a sloping rear and bespoke taillights, somewhat resembling a Golf 7 wagon’s rear end. We created some AI-generated images to provide a clearer look – these are entirely based on the official CAD drawings.
The other is reminiscent of the VE glasshouse, with the rear window tapering neatly into the light cluster. This would’ve been a departure from the long wheelbase, leaf-sprung wagons of yore, which had a large usable area (‘black box’ in designer speak) as its modus operandi.
The real eye-opener here is the Fairlane/LTD, which, had it reached production, wouldn’t have shared much, if anything with the Falcon sedan. A different take on Ford’s Kinetic design theme is evident, with more defined wheel arch flares, six window design and a very Chrysler 300C-esque taillight setup. There are hints of the USDM Taurus in the headlamps.
While other pictures were shown at the event, they have not been shown as of today, but this is a very lucky find indeed for any Ford Australia or Falcon fan.
