title: MacBook

text: The MacBook is a brand of Mac notebook computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc. that use Apple's macOS operating system since 2006. It replaced the PowerBook and iBook brands during the Mac transition to Intel processors, announced in 2005. The current lineup consists of the MacBook Air (2008–present) and the MacBook Pro (2006–present). Two different lines simply named "MacBook" existed from 2006 to 2012 and 2015 to 2019.


title: MacBook

text: The MacBook family was initially housed in designs similar to the iBook and PowerBook lines which preceded them, now making use of a unibody aluminum construction first introduced with the MacBook Air. This new construction also has a black plastic keyboard that was first used on the MacBook Air, which itself was inspired by the sunken keyboard of the original polycarbonate MacBooks. The now standardized keyboard brings congruity to the MacBook line, with black keys on a metallic aluminum body.


title: MacBook

text: The lids of the MacBook family are held closed by a magnet with no mechanical latch, a design element first introduced with the polycarbonate MacBook. The Memory, drives, and batteries were accessible in the old MacBook lineup, though the newest compact lineup solders or glues all such components in place. All of the current MacBooks feature backlit keyboards.


title: MacBook

text: The MacBook was discontinued from February 2012 until March 2015, when a new model featuring an ultraportable design and an all-metal enclosure was introduced. It was again discontinued in July 2019 following a price reduction of the 3rd generation MacBook Air and discontinuation of the 2nd generation model.


title: MacBook

text: The MacBook Air is Apple's least expensive notebook computer. While the 1st generation was released as a premium ultraportable positioned above the 2006 - 2012 MacBook, lowered prices on subsequent iterations and the discontinuation of that MacBook has made it serve as the entry-level Mac portable. The 2010 to 2017 base model came with a 13-inch screen and was Apple's thinnest notebook computer until the introduction of the MacBook in March 2015. This MacBook Air model features two USB Type-A 3.0 ports and a Thunderbolt 2 port, as well as an SDXC card slot (only on the 13inch model). This model of MacBook Air did not have a Retina Display. A MacBook Air model with an 11-inch screen was available from October 2010 to October 2016. In 2017, the MacBook Air received a small refresh, with the processor speed increased to 1.8 GHz.


title: MacBook

text: On October 30, 2018, the MacBook Air underwent a major design change, dropping the USB Type-A ports, MagSafe, and the SD card slot in favor of two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports and a headphone jack. It was updated with a Retina display and Intel Y-series Amber Lake i5 CPUs, as well as a Force Touch trackpad, a third-generation butterfly mechanism keyboard, and the Touch ID sensor found in the fourth-generation MacBook Pro, but without the Touch Bar. The base price was also raised, although the base configuration of the 2017 model was retained until July 9, 2019, when it was discontinued along with the Retina MacBook. The base price of this model was also dropped to $1099 ($999 for students) on the same day.


title: MacBook

text: On November 10, 2020, Apple announced that the MacBook Air would use the new Apple M1 system on a chip. The M1 Air does not have a fan, ensuring silent operation, but limiting the M1 chip speed in sustained operations. Performance was claimed to be higher than most current Intel laptops.


title: MacBook

text: On June 6, 2022, at WWDC 2022, Apple announced a new MacBook Air based on the Apple M2 system on a chip. It incorporates several design elements from the fifth-generation MacBook Pro models, such as a flat, slab-shaped design, full-sized function keys, and a Liquid Retina display with rounded corners and a notch for a 1080p webcam, but retains the previous generation's fanless design. It includes two combination Thunderbolt 3/USB 4 ports and adds MagSafe charging.


title: MacBook

text: The MacBook Pro is Apple's higher-end notebook available in 13-inch, 15-inch, and 16-inch configurations. The current generation 13-inch MacBook Pro was introduced in October 2018. It features a touch-sensitive OLED display strip located in place of the function keys, a Touch ID sensor integrated with the power button, and four USB-C ports that also serve as Thunderbolt 3 ports. The 13-inch model was also available in a less expensive configuration with conventional function keys and only two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports, but since July 2019, the base MacBook Pro model has the Touch Bar as well as quad-core processors, similar to the higher-end models, although it still has only two USB-C / Thunderbolt 3 ports. The May 4, 2020 refresh adopts many of the upgrades seen in the 16" 2019 MacBook Pro, including the scissor mechanism keyboard ("Magic Keyboard") and a physical Escape button.


title: MacBook

text: On November 13, 2019, Apple released the 16-inch MacBook Pro, replacing the 15-inch model of the previous generation, and replacing the butterfly keyboard with a scissor mechanism keyboard (dubbed the Magic Keyboard by Apple), reverting to the old "inverted-T" arrow key layout, replacing the virtual Escape key on the Touch Bar with a physical key, and replacing the AMD Polaris and Vega graphics from the 15-inch model with options from AMD's Navi graphics architecture, as well as reengineering the speakers, microphone array, and the thermal system compared to the 15-inch; the latter had thermal limitations in the 15-inch model due to its design. In addition, the 16-inch is available with up to 64 GB of DDR4 2667 MHz RAM and up to 8 TB of SSD storage. It also has a 100 Wh battery; this is the largest battery that can be easily carried onto a commercial airliner under U.S. Transportation Security Administration rules.


title: MacBook

text: On November 10, 2020, Apple announced a new model of the MacBook Pro incorporating the new Apple M1 system on a chip. It has a fan, allowing sustained operation of the M1 chip at its full performance level, which is claimed to match or exceed that of Intel versions. Unlike Intel Pro models, the M1 version only comes with a 13-inch screen, has only two Thunderbolt ports and has a maximum of 16 GB random access memory (RAM).


title: MacBook

text: On October 18, 2021, Apple announced new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models during an online event. They are based on the M1 Pro and M1 Max, Apple's first professional-focused ARM-based systems on a chip. This release addressed many criticisms of the previous generation by reintroducing hard function keys in place of the Touch Bar, an HDMI 2.0 port, a SDXC reader and MagSafe charging. Other additions include a Liquid Retina XDR display with thinner bezels and an iPhone-like notch, ProMotion supporting 120Hz variable refresh rate, a 1080p webcam, Wi-Fi 6, 3 Thunderbolt 4 ports, a six-speaker sound system supporting Dolby Atmos, and support for a third 6K display on M1 Max models. The 16-inch version is bundled with a 140W GaN power supply that supports USB-C Power Delivery 3.1, though only MagSafe supports full-speed charging as the machine's USB-C ports are limited to 100W.


title: MacBook

text: On June 6, 2022, Apple announced an updated 13-inch MacBook Pro based on the Apple M2 system on a chip. It is housed in the same chassis as the previous M1 MacBook Pro.


title: MacBook

text: The original MacBook was discontinued on July 20, 2011, for consumer purchase and in February 2012 for institutions, being superseded by the 2nd generation MacBook Air, as the 11-inch model introduced in 2010 had the same starting price of the MacBook. The sales of the Mac computers amounted to 18.21 million units in Apple’s 2018 fiscal year.


title: MacBook

text: The Retina MacBook was a line of Mac portable computers introduced in March 2015. It was discontinued on July 9, 2019, as it had been superseded by the 13-inch Retina MacBook Air, which had a lower base price, additional USB-C / Thunderbolt 3 ports, and better performance.


title: MacBook

text: All Intel-based MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models were discontinued in November 2020 and October 2021 respectively, and replaced by Apple silicon models.


title: Route of administration

text: A route of administration in pharmacology and toxicology is the way by which a drug, fluid, poison, or other substance is taken into the body.


title: Route of administration

text: Routes of administration are generally classified by the location at which the substance is applied. Common examples include oral and intravenous administration. Routes can also be classified based on where the target of action is. Action may be topical (local), enteral (system-wide effect, but delivered through the gastrointestinal tract), or parenteral (systemic action, but delivered by routes other than the GI tract). Route of administration and dosage form are aspects of drug delivery.


title: Route of administration

text: The route or course the active substance takes from application location to the location where it has its target effect is usually rather a matter of pharmacokinetics (concerning the processes of uptake, distribution, and elimination of drugs). Exceptions include the transdermal or transmucosal routes, which are still commonly referred to as "routes of administration".


title: Route of administration

text: The location of the target effect of active substances are usually rather a matter of pharmacodynamics (concerning e.g. the physiological effects of drugs). An exception is topical administration, which generally means that both the application location and the effect thereof is local.


title: Route of administration

text: Topical administration is sometimes defined as both a local application location and local pharmacodynamic effect, and sometimes merely as a local application location regardless of location of the effects.


title: Route of administration

text: through the gastrointestinal tract is sometimes termed "enteral or enteric administration" (literally meaning 'through the intestines'). "Enteral/enteric administration" usually includes "oral" (through the mouth) and "rectal" (into the rectum) administration, in the sense that these are taken up by the intestines. However, uptake of drugs administered orally may also occur already in the stomach, and as such "gastrointestinal" (along the gastrointestinal tract) may be a more fitting term for this route of administration. Furthermore, some application locations often classified as "enteral", such as sublingual (under the tongue) and sublabial or buccal (between the cheek and gums/gingiva), are taken up in the proximal part of the gastrointestinal tract without reaching the intestines. Strictly enteral administration (directly into the intestines) can be used for systemic administration, as well as local (sometimes termed topical), such as in a contrast enema, whereby contrast media are infused into the intestines for imaging. However, for the purposes of classification based on location of effects, the term enteral is reserved for substances with systemic effects.


title: Route of administration

text: Many drugs as tablets, capsules, or drops are taken orally. Administration methods directly into the stomach include those by gastric feeding tube or gastrostomy. Substances may also be placed into the small intestines, as with a duodenal feeding tube and enteral nutrition. Enteric coated tablets are designed to dissolve in the intestine, not the stomach, because the drug present in the tablet causes irritation in the stomach.


title: Route of administration

text: The rectal route is an effective route of administration for many medications, especially those used at the end of life. The walls of the rectum absorb many medications quickly and effectively. Medications delivered to the distal one-third of the rectum at least partially avoid the "first pass effect" through the liver, which allows for greater bio-availability of many medications than that of the oral route. Rectal mucosa is highly vascularized tissue that allows for rapid and effective absorption of medications. A suppository is a solid dosage form that fits for rectal administration. In hospice care, a specialized rectal catheter, designed to provide comfortable and discreet administration of ongoing medications provides a practical way to deliver and retain liquid formulations in the distal rectum, giving health practitioners a way to leverage the established benefits of rectal administration. The Murphy drip is an example of rectal infusion.


title: Route of administration

text: Parenteral administration can be performed by injection, that is, using a needle (usually a hypodermic needle) and a syringe, or by the insertion of an indwelling catheter.


title: Route of administration

text: The definition of the topical route of administration sometimes states that both the application location and the pharmacodynamic effect thereof is local.


title: Route of administration

text: In other cases, "topical" is defined as applied to a localized area of the body or to the surface of a body part regardless of the location of the effect. By this definition, topical administration also includes transdermal application, where the substance is administered onto the skin but is absorbed into the body to attain systemic distribution.


title: Route of administration

text: If defined strictly as having local effect, the topical route of administration can also include enteral administration of medications that are poorly absorbable by the gastrointestinal tract. One such medication is the antibiotic vancomycin, which cannot be absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and is used orally only as a treatment for "Clostridium difficile" colitis.


title: Route of administration

text: In acute situations, in emergency medicine and intensive care medicine, drugs are most often given intravenously. This is the most reliable route, as in acutely ill patients the absorption of substances from the tissues and from the digestive tract can often be unpredictable due to altered blood flow or bowel motility.


title: Route of administration

text: Enteral routes are generally the most convenient for the patient, as no punctures or sterile procedures are necessary. Enteral medications are therefore often preferred in the treatment of chronic disease. However, some drugs can not be used enterally because their absorption in the digestive tract is low or unpredictable. Transdermal administration is a comfortable alternative; there are, however, only a few drug preparations that are suitable for transdermal administration.


title: Route of administration

text: Identical drugs can produce different results depending on the route of administration. For example, some drugs are not significantly absorbed into the bloodstream from the gastrointestinal tract and their action after enteral administration is therefore different from that after parenteral administration. This can be illustrated by the action of naloxone (Narcan), an antagonist of opiates such as morphine. Naloxone counteracts opiate action in the central nervous system when given intravenously and is therefore used in the treatment of opiate overdose. The same drug, when swallowed, acts exclusively on the bowels; it is here used to treat constipation under opiate pain therapy and does not affect the pain-reducing effect of the opiate.


title: Route of administration

text: The oral route is generally the most convenient and costs the least. However, some drugs can cause gastrointestinal tract irritation. For drugs that come in delayed release or time-release formulations, breaking the tablets or capsules can lead to more rapid delivery of the drug than intended. The oral route is limited to formulations containing small molecules only while biopharmaceuticals (usually proteins) would be digested in the stomach and thereby become ineffective. Biopharmaceuticals have to be given by injection or infusion. However, recent research (2018) found an organic ionic liquid suitable for oral insulin delivery (a biopharmaceutical) into the blood stream.


title: Route of administration

text: The bioavailability of oral administration is affected by the amount of drug that is absorbed across the intestinal epithelium and first-pass metabolism.


title: Route of administration

text: By delivering drugs almost directly to the site of action, the risk of systemic side effects is reduced.


title: Route of administration

text: Skin absorption (dermal absorption), for example, is to directly deliver drug to the skin and, hopefully, to the systemic circulation. However, skin irritation may result, and for some forms such as creams or lotions, the dosage is difficult to control. Upon contact with the skin, the drug penetrates into the dead stratum corneum and can afterwards reach the viable epidermis, the dermis, and the blood vessels.


title: Route of administration

text: Inhaled medications can be absorbed quickly and act both locally and systemically. Proper technique with inhaler devices is necessary to achieve the correct dose. Some medications can have an unpleasant taste or irritate the mouth.


title: Route of administration

text: In general, only 20–50% of the pulmonary-delivered dose rendered in powdery particles will be deposited in the lung upon mouth inhalation. The remainder of 50-70% undeposited aerosolized particles are cleared out of lung as soon as exhalation.


title: Route of administration

text: An inhaled powdery particle that is >8 μm is structurally predisposed to depositing in the central and conducting airways (conducting zone) by inertial impaction.


title: Route of administration

text: An inhaled powdery particle that is between 3 and 8 μm in diameter tend to largely deposit in the transitional zones of the lung by sedimentation.


title: Route of administration

text: An inhaled powdery particle that is <3 μm in diameter is structurally predisposed to depositing primarily in the respiratory regions of the peripheral lung via diffusion.


title: Route of administration

text: Particles that deposit in the upper and central airways are generally absorbed systemically to great extent because they are only partially removed by mucociliary clearance, which results in orally mediated absorption when the transported mucous is swallowed, and first pass metabolism or incomplete absorption through loss at the fecal route can sometimes reduce the bioavailability. This should in no way suggest to clinicians or researchers that inhaled particles are not a greater threat than swallowed particles, it merely signifies that a combination of both methods may occur with some particles, no matter the size of or lipo/hydrophilicity of the different particle surfaces.


title: Route of administration

text: Inhalation by nose of a substance is almost identical to oral inhalation, except that some of the drug is absorbed intranasally instead of in the oral cavity before entering the airways. Both methods can result in varying levels of the substance to be deposited in their respective initial cavities, and the level of mucous in either of these cavities will reflect the amount of substance swallowed. The rate of inhalation will usually determine the amount of the substance which enters the lungs. Faster inhalation results in more rapid absorption because more substance finds the lungs. Substances in a form that resists absorption in the lung will likely resist absorption in the nasal passage, and the oral cavity, and are often even more resistant to absorption after they fail absorption in the former cavities and are swallowed.


title: Route of administration

text: The term parenteral is from para-1 ‘beside’ + Greek enteron ‘intestine’ + -al. This name is due to the fact that it encompasses a route of administration that is not intestinal. However, in common English the term has mostly been used to describe the 4 most well-known routes of injection.


title: Route of administration

text: The term injection encompasses intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), subcutaneous (SC) and intradermal (ID) administration.


title: Route of administration

text: Parenteral administration generally acts more rapidly than topical or enteral administration, with onset of action often occurring in 15–30 seconds for IV, 10–20 minutes for IM and 15–30 minutes for SC. They also have essentially 100% bioavailability and can be used for drugs that are poorly absorbed or ineffective when they are given orally. Some medications, such as certain antipsychotics, can be administered as long-acting intramuscular injections. The practice is often carried out through physical force in company of law-enforcement, and often against the will of the patient. However, all doses of long-acting antipsychotics injections are of at extreme risk to the health and well-being of the patient. Extreme ethical concerns should be considered. If the choice is made to use force, care should be taken to use only the smallest dose that is currently scientifically demonstrated to be efficacious for the specific drug. This is because, despite being injected, the drugs are designed with heavy esterifying molecular additions which can cause traces of the drugs to be found in circulation for up to one year. Ongoing IV infusions can be used to deliver continuous medication or fluids.


title: Route of administration

text: Disadvantages of injections include potential pain or discomfort for the patient and the requirement of trained staff using aseptic techniques for administration. However, in some cases, patients are taught to self-inject, such as SC injection of insulin in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. As the drug is delivered to the site of action extremely rapidly with IV injection, there is a risk of overdose if the dose has been calculated incorrectly, and there is an increased risk of side effects if the drug is administered too rapidly.


title: Route of administration

text: Drug administration via the nasal cavity yields rapid drug absorption and therapeutic effects. This is because drug absorption through the nasal passages doesn't go through the gut before entering capillaries situated at tissue cells and then systemic circulation and such absorption route allows transport of drugs into the central nervous system via the pathways of olfactory and trigeminal nerve.


title: Route of administration

text: Intranasal absorption features low lipophilicity, enzymatic degradation within the nasal cavity, large molecular size, and rapid mucociliary clearance from the nasal passages, which explains the low risk of systemic exposure of the administered drug absorbed via intranasal.


title: Route of administration

text: Sublingual administration is fulfilled by placing the drug between the tongue and the lower surface of the mouth. The sublingual mucosa is highly permeable and thereby provides access to the underlying expansive network composed of capillaries, leading to rapid drug absorption.


title: Route of administration

text: Buccally administered medication is achieved by placing the drug between gums and the inner lining of the cheek. In comparison with sublingual tissue, buccal tissue is less permeable resulting in slower absorption.


title: Route of administration

text: Neural drug delivery is the next step beyond the basic addition of growth factors to nerve guidance conduits. Drug delivery systems allow the rate of growth factor release to be regulated over time, which is critical for creating an environment more closely representative of in vivo development environments.


title: Cf.

text: The abbreviation cf. (short for the , both meaning "compare") is used in writing to refer the reader to other material to make a comparison with the topic being discussed. Style guides recommend that "cf." be used only to suggest a comparison, and the word "see" be used to point to a source of information.


title: Cf.

text: In biological naming conventions, "cf." is commonly placed between the genus name and the species name to describe a specimen that is hard to identify because of practical difficulties, such as poor preservation. For example, " cf. " indicates that the specimen is in the genus "Barbus" and believed to be , but the actual species-level identification cannot be certain.


title: Cf.

text: "Cf." can also be used to express a possible identity, or at least a significant resemblance, such as between a newly observed specimen and a known species or taxon. Such a usage might suggest a specimen's membership of the same genus or possibly of a shared higher taxon. For example, in the note ", cf. ", the author is confident of the order and family (Diptera: Tabanidae) but can only suggest the genus ("Tabanus") and has no information favouring a particular species.


title: Nightjar

text: Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds in the family Caprimulgidae and order Caprimulgiformes, characterised by long wings, short legs, and very short bills. They are sometimes called goatsuckers, due to the ancient folk tale that they sucked the milk from goats (the Latin for goatsucker is "caprimulgus"), or bugeaters, their primary source of food being insects. Some New World species are called nighthawks. The English word "nightjar" originally referred to the European nightjar.


title: Nightjar

text: Nightjars are found all around the world, with the exception of Antarctica and certain island groups such as the Seychelles. They can be found in a variety of habitats, most commonly the open country with some vegetation. They usually nest on the ground, with a habit of resting and roosting on roads.


title: Nightjar

text: The subfamilies of nightjars have similar characteristics, including small feet, of little use for walking, and long, pointed wings. Typical nightjars, though, have rictal bristles, longer bills, and softer plumage. The colour of their plumage and their unusual perching habits help conceal them during the day.


title: Nightjar

text: Previously, all members of the orders Apodiformes, Aegotheliformes, Nyctibiiformes, Podargiformes, and Steatornithiformes were lumped alongside nightjars in the Caprimulgiformes. In 2021, the International Ornithological Congress redefined the Caprimulgiformes as only applying to nightjars, with potoos, frogmouths, oilbirds, and owlet-nightjars all being reclassified into their own orders. See Strisores for more info about the disputes over the taxonomy of Caprimulgiformes. A phylogenetic analysis found that the extinct family Archaeotrogonidae, known from the Eocene and Oligocene of Europe, are the closest known relatives of nightjars.


title: Nightjar

text: Traditionally, nightjars have been divided into two subfamilies - the Caprimulginae, or typical nightjars with 79 known species, and the Chordeilinae, or nighthawks of the New World, with 10 known species. The groups are similar in most respects, but the typical nightjars have rictal bristles, longer bills, and softer plumage. Their soft plumage is cryptically coloured to resemble bark or leaves, and some species, unusual for birds, perch along a branch rather than across it, helping to conceal them during the day. The subfamilies of nightjars have similar characteristics, including small feet, of little use for walking, and long, pointed wings.


title: Nightjar

text: The common poorwill, "Phalaenoptilus nuttallii", is unique as a bird that undergoes a form of hibernation, becoming torpid and with a much reduced body temperature for weeks or months, although other nightjars can enter a state of torpor for shorter periods.


title: Nightjar

text: In their pioneering DNA-DNA hybridisation work, Sibley and Ahlquist found that the genetic difference between the eared nightjars and the typical nightjars was, in fact, greater than that between the typical nightjars and the nighthawks of the New World. Accordingly, they placed the eared nightjars in a separate family, the Eurostopodidae (9 known species), but the family has not yet been widely adopted.


title: Nightjar

text: Subsequent work, both morphological and genetic, has provided support for the separation of the typical and the eared nightjars, and some authorities have adopted this Sibley-Ahlquist recommendation, and also the more far-reaching one to group all the owls (traditionally Strigiformes) together in the Caprimulgiformes. The listing below retains a more orthodox arrangement, but recognises the eared nightjars as a separate group. For more detail and an alternative classification scheme, see Caprimulgiformes and Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy.


title: Nightjar

text: Nightjars inhabit all continents other than Antarctica, as well as some island groups such as Madagascar, the Seychelles, New Caledonia and the islands of Caribbean. They are not known to live in extremely arid desert regions. Nightjars can occupy all elevations from sea level to , and a number of species are montane specialists. Nightjars occupy a wide range of habitats, from deserts to rainforests but are most common in open country with some vegetation.


title: Nightjar

text: A number of species undertake migrations, although the secretive nature of the family may account for the incomplete understanding of their migratory habits. Species that live in the far north, such as the European nightjar or the common nighthawk, migrate southward with the onset of winter. Geolocators placed on European nightjars in southern England found they wintered in the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.


title: Nightjar

text: Some species of nightjars are threatened with extinction. Road-kills of this species by cars are thought to be a major cause of mortality for many members of the family because of their habit of resting and roosting on roads.


title: Nightjar

text: They also usually nest on the ground, laying one or two patterned eggs directly onto bare ground. Nightjars possibly move their eggs and chicks from the nesting site in the event of danger by carrying them in their mouths. This suggestion has been repeated many times in ornithology books, but surveys of nightjar research have found very little evidence to support this idea.


title: Nightjar

text: Developing conservation strategies for some species presents a particular challenge in that scientists do not have enough data to determine whether or not a species is endangered due to the difficulty in locating, identifying, and/or categorizing their limited number (e.g. 10,000) known to exist, a good example being the Vaurie's nightjar in China's south-western Xinjiang Province (as seen only once in-hand). Surveys in the 1970s and 1990s failed to find the species., implying that the species has become extinct, endangered, or found only in a few small areas.


title: Fess Parker

text: Fess Elisha Parker Jr. (born F. E. Parker Jr.; August 16, 1924 – March 18, 2010), was an American film and television actor best known for his portrayals of the titular characters in the Walt Disney television miniseries "Davy Crockett" (1954–55; ABC) and the long-running television series "Daniel Boone" (1964–70; NBC). He was also a winemaker and resort owner-operator.


title: Fess Parker

text: Parker was born in Fort Worth, Texas, and raised on a farm in Tom Green County near San Angelo. His father -- born Fess Parker but later added the initial "E." -- was a tax assessor. The name Fess had been given to him in honor of the educator and politician Simeon D. Fess. The future actor decided to change his name from F.E. Parker Jr. to Fess Elisha Parker Jr. He selected the middle name himself, when he was a teenager (about 1937), because it sounded rhythmic and matched his middle initial.


title: Fess Parker

text: He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in the latter part of World War II, hoping to become a pilot. He was turned down because he was too tall at . He then tried to become a radioman gunner, but he was found too large to fit comfortably into the rear cockpit. He was finally transferred to the United States Marine Corps as a radio operator and shipped out to the South Pacific shortly before the war ended.


title: Fess Parker

text: Discharged in 1946, he enrolled at Hardin–Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, with assistance from the GI Bill. After an automobile collision, he was stabbed in the neck by the other driver during an argument. He was an active member of the H-SU Players Club and transferred to the University of Texas at Austin in 1947 as a history major and continued to be active in drama. One of his roommates there was the future actor L.Q. Jones.


title: Fess Parker

text: Parker graduated from UT in 1950 with a degree in history. He had been initiated into the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. Having one year remaining on his GI Bill benefits, he studied drama at the University of Southern California, where he pursued a master's degree in theater history.


title: Fess Parker

text: Parker began his show-business career in the summer of 1951 when he had a $32-a-week job as an extra in the play "Mister Roberts", although he is credited with the voice of Leslie, the chauffeur, in the 1950 film "Harvey".


title: Fess Parker

text: Within months, he was on location with a minor part in "Untamed Frontier" with Joseph Cotten and Shelley Winters.


title: Fess Parker

text: Parker became a contract player with Warner Bros., appearing in small roles in several films such as "Springfield Rifle" (1952), "Island in the Sky", "The Bounty Hunter" and "Battle Cry". In 1954, he appeared as Grat Dalton in the Jim Davis syndicated Western anthology series "Stories of the Century" in the episode "The Dalton Brothers".


title: Fess Parker

text: In another 1954 appearance, Parker was cast as Curt Morrison, a cowboy/militia-marshal patrolling the land rush in the New Mexico Territory, in the episode "The Kickapoo Run" on the syndicated anthology series "Death Valley Days". In the 1961 "Death Valley Days" episode "A Miracle at Whiskey Gulch", Parker portrayed the Reverend Joel H. Todd, who tries to instill Christian principles in a wild frontier town.


title: Fess Parker

text: According to Parker himself, when the Walt Disney Company was seeking an actor to play Davy Crockett, James Arness, later cast as Marshal Matt Dillon on CBS's "Gunsmoke", was first considered for the title role. Parker had recently graduated to being a contract weekly actor but listened to his agent and appeared in a Warner Bros. science fiction film about giant ants called "Them!", which required only one day's work. He had a small scene as a pilot put into an insane asylum after claiming his plane had been downed by giant flying insects. Arness appeared in a larger role in the same film.


title: Fess Parker

text: During the screening of this film, Walt Disney looked past Arness and discovered Parker. Disney was impressed by Parker's portrayal of a man who was unswerving in his belief in what he saw despite the forces of authority against him. Parker was asked to drop by the Disney Studio. When he did, he brought his guitar, met Disney, sang a song, and then said goodbye. Several weeks later, Parker was informed that he had been selected over Arness and several others for the role, including Buddy Ebsen, who eventually played Crockett's sidekick, Georgie Russell.


title: Fess Parker

text: Disney's three-episode version of Crockett depicted his exploits as a frontiersman, congressman, and tragic hero of the Alamo. The episodes have been called the first television miniseries, though the term had not yet been coined. "Davy Crockett" (1954–55) was a tremendous hit and led to a merchandising frenzy for coonskin caps and all things Crockett.


title: Fess Parker

text: Parker became a contract star for Disney and appeared in "The Great Locomotive Chase", "Westward Ho, the Wagons!", "Old Yeller", and "The Light in the Forest". He complained that they were all basically the same role. Disney refused to lend Parker for roles outside that persona, such as Jeffrey Hunter's role opposite John Wayne in "The Searchers" and Marilyn Monroe's leading man in "Bus Stop".


title: Fess Parker

text: Parker was dissatisfied with Disney's proposal to use him only in a small role in "Tonka". He was put on suspension for refusing the role, and subsequently left Disney.


title: Fess Parker

text: Parker made guest appearances on many television programs, and composed and sang. He performed the occasional role of Tom Conrad, editor of the "Diablo Courier" in the syndicated western series, "Annie Oakley" (1954–1957), starring Gail Davis, Brad Johnson, and Jimmy Hawkins.


title: Fess Parker

text: Parker was contracted to Paramount Pictures from 1958 to 1962. He appeared in a small assortment of Paramount movies, including a cameo as an unnamed frontiersman in Bob Hope's Western comedy "Alias Jesse James" and supporting roles in "The Hangman" (1959) with Robert Taylor, "The Jayhawkers!" (1959) with Jeff Chandler, and "Hell Is for Heroes" (1962) with Steve McQueen.


title: Fess Parker

text: In 1962, he starred in the title role of the TV series "Mr Smith Goes to Washington", portraying the same idealistic character that James Stewart had played in the 1939 film. Parker took to the stage in 1963, in a traveling production of "Oklahoma!" as Curly. The movie roles he sought were elusive. In 1966, Parker starred in the movie "Smoky", directed by George Sherman where he played the role of Clint Barkley, who finds a black stallion named Smoky, a wild stallion who eventually becomes a wonderful cutting horse and the best friend an old cowboy could ever want.


title: Fess Parker

text: Parker's "Daniel Boone" television series portraying another historic figure of America's frontier days began filming in 1964. Over its six years (1964 to 1970) as one of the highest-rated shows of its time, Parker was not only the star of the series, but also the co-producer and director of five of its most popular episodes.


title: Fess Parker

text: Turning down the title role of "McCloud", Parker retired from acting at the age of 49 after a sitcom pilot called "The Fess Parker Show" was broadcast on March 28, 1974, but was not subsequently picked up by the network.


title: Fess Parker

text: Fess Parker was nominated for best new personality Emmy in 1954, but lost to George Gobel. He was never nominated again, nor was his show "Daniel Boone".


title: Fess Parker

text: In 2003, Parker received the Texas Cultural Trust's "Texas Medal of Arts Award", established only the year before.


title: Fess Parker

text: For his work with Disney, Parker was honored in December 2004 with his own tribute window on a façade in the Frontierland section of Disneyland.


title: Fess Parker

text: Parker became interested in opening a Davy Crockett-themed amusement park. In the late 1960s, he optioned land in northern Kentucky at the intersection of Interstates 71 and 75, with the intention of building Frontier Worlds. However, when the Taft Broadcasting Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, began building Kings Island Amusement Park in nearby Mason, Ohio, less than a 2-hour drive from Parker's site, financing for Parker's venture dried up.


title: Fess Parker

text: After his acting career, Parker devoted much of his time to operating his Fess Parker Family Winery and Vineyards in Los Olivos, California. The winery is owned and operated by Parker's family, and has produced several different types of award-winning wines. Parker's son, Eli, is president and director of winemaking and vineyard operations, while daughter, Ashley, is vice president of marketing and sales.


title: Fess Parker

text: The Parker operation includes over of vineyards, and a tasting room and visitor center along the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail. In addition to wine, the winery is known for selling coonskin caps and bottle toppers inspired by Parker's Crockett and Boone characters, and for its appearance under another name in the movie "Sideways". In reminiscence of his acting days, Parker's wine labels have a logo of a golden coonskin cap.


title: Fess Parker

text: In 1985, Parker briefly flirted with running in 1986 for the United States Senate as a Republican for the seat of incumbent Democrat Alan Cranston. He considered himself a conservative in the mold of Ronald Reagan.


title: Fess Parker

text: Parker married Marcella Belle Rinehart on January 18, 1960. They had two children, Fess Elisha Parker III and Ashley Allen Rinehart, along with 11 grandchildren and a great-grandson.


title: Fess Parker

text: Parker died of natural causes on March 18, 2010, at his home in Santa Ynez, California, near the Fess Parker Winery. He is buried in the Santa Barbara Cemetery with a simple headstone, and a coonskin hat inscribed below his name.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: Yaroslav the Wise or Yaroslav I Vladimirovich () was the Grand Prince of Kiev from 1019 until his death. He was also the Prince of Novgorod on three occasions, uniting the principalities for a time. Yaroslav's baptismal name was George (, ) after Saint George.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: The early years of Yaroslav's life are mostly unknown. He was one of the numerous sons of Vladimir the Great, presumably his second by Rogneda of Polotsk, although his actual age (as stated in the "Primary Chronicle" and corroborated by the examination of his skeleton in the 1930s) would place him among the youngest children of Vladimir.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: It has been suggested that he was a child begotten out of wedlock after Vladimir's divorce from Rogneda and marriage to Anna Porphyrogenita, or even that he was a child of Anna Porphyrogenita herself. French historian argues that he was indeed Anna's son, as this would explain his interference in Byzantine affairs in 1043.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: Furthermore, Yaroslav's maternity by Rogneda of Polotsk has been questioned since Nikolay Kostomarov in the 19th century. Yaroslav figures prominently in the Norse sagas under the name Jarisleif the Lame; his legendary lameness (probably resulting from an arrow wound) was corroborated by the scientists who examined his remains.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: In his youth, Yaroslav was sent by his father to rule the northern lands around Rostov. He was transferred to Veliky Novgorod, as befitted a senior heir to the throne, in 1010. While living there, he founded the town of Yaroslavl (literally, "Yaroslav's") on the Volga River. His relations with his father were apparently strained, and grew only worse on the news that Vladimir bequeathed the Kievan throne to his younger son, Boris. In 1014 Yaroslav refused to pay tribute to Kiev and only Vladimir's death, in July 1015, prevented a war.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: During the next four years Yaroslav waged a complicated and bloody war for Kiev against his half-brother Sviatopolk I of Kiev, who was supported by his father-in-law, Duke Bolesław I the Brave (King of Poland from 1025). During the course of this struggle, several other brothers (Boris, Gleb, and Svyatoslav) were brutally murdered. The "Primary Chronicle" accused Sviatopolk of planning those murders. The saga is often interpreted as recounting the story of Boris' assassination by the Varangians in the service of Yaroslav.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: However, the victim's name is given there as "Burizaf", which is also a name of Boleslaus I in the Scandinavian sources. It is thus possible that the Saga tells the story of Yaroslav's struggle against Sviatopolk (whose troops were commanded by the Polish duke), and not against Boris.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: Yaroslav defeated Sviatopolk in their first battle, in 1016, and Sviatopolk fled to Poland. Sviatopolk returned in 1018 with Polish troops furnished by his father-in-law, seized Kiev, and pushed Yaroslav back into Novgorod. Yaroslav prevailed over Sviatopolk, and in 1019 firmly established his rule over Kiev. One of his first actions as a grand prince was to confer on the loyal Novgorodians, who had helped him to gain the Kievan throne, numerous freedoms and privileges.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: Thus, the foundation of the Novgorod Republic was laid. For their part, the Novgorodians respected Yaroslav more than they did other Kievan princes; and the princely residence in their city, next to the marketplace (and where the often convened) was named Yaroslav's Court after him. It probably was during this period that Yaroslav promulgated the first code of laws in the lands of the East Slavs, the .


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: Leaving aside the legitimacy of Yaroslav's claims to the Kievan throne and his postulated guilt in the murder of his brothers, Nestor the Chronicler and later Ukrainian historians often presented him as a model of virtue, styling him "the Wise". A less appealing side of his personality is revealed by his having imprisoned his youngest brother Sudislav for life. In response, another brother, Mstislav of Chernigov, whose distant realm bordered the North Caucasus and the Black Sea, hastened to Kiev.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: Despite reinforcements led by Yaroslav's brother-in-law King Anund Jacob of Sweden (as "Yakun" - "blind and dressed in a gold suit" or "handsome and dressed in a gold suit") Mstislav inflicted a heavy defeat on Yaroslav in 1024. Yaroslav and Mstislav then divided Kievan Rus' between them: the area stretched east from the Dnieper River, with the capital at Chernigov, was ceded to Mstislav until his death in 1036.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: In his foreign policy, Yaroslav relied on a Scandinavian alliance and attempted to weaken the Byzantine influence on Kiev. According to "Heimskringla", Olaf the Swede made an alliance with Yaroslav, even though the alliance was not liked in Sweden, in order to declare war against Olaf II of Norway. . This was sealed in 1019 when King Olof of Sweden married his daughter to Yaroslav instead of the Norwegian king. That led to protests in Sweden because the Swedes wanted to reestablish control over their lost eastern territories and bring in tribute from Kievan Rus', as his father Eric the Victorious had, but after years of war against Norway, Sweden no longer had the power to collect regular tributes from Kievan Rus', according to "Heimskringla". In 1022 Olaf was deposed and forced to give power to his son Anund Jakob.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: In a successful military raid in 1030, he captured Tartu, Estonia and renamed it Yuryev (named after Yury, Yaroslav's patron saint) and forced the surrounding Ugandi County to pay annual tribute.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: In 1031, he conquered Cherven cities from the Poles followed by the construction of Sutiejsk to guard the newly acquired lands. In c.1340 Yaroslav concluded an alliance with Polish King Casimir I the Restorer, sealed by the latter's marriage to Yaroslav's sister, Maria.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: Later in Yaroslav's reign, around c.1035, Ingvar the Far-Travelled, Anund Jakob's jarl, sent Swedish soldiers into Kievan Rus due to Olof's son wanting to assist his father's ally Yaroslav in his wars against the Pechenegs and Byzantines. Later, in c.1041 Anund Jakob tried to reestablish Swedish control over the Eastern trade routes and reopen them. The Georgian annals report 1000 men coming into Georgia but the original force was likely much larger, around 3,000 men.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: Ingvar's fate is unknown, but he was likely captured in battle during the Byzantine campaigns or killed, supposedly in 1041. Only one ship returned to Sweden, according to the legend.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: Yaroslav presented his second direct challenge to Constantinople in 1043, when a Rus' flotilla headed by one of his sons appeared near Constantinople and demanded money, threatening to attack the city otherwise. Whatever the reason, the Greeks refused to pay and preferred to fight. The Rus' flotilla defeated the Byzantine fleet but was almost destroyed by a storm and came back to Kiev empty-handed.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: To defend his state from the Pechenegs and other nomadic tribes threatening it from the south he constructed a line of forts, composed of Yuriev, Bohuslav, Kaniv, Korsun, and Pereyaslavl. To celebrate his decisive victory over the Pechenegs in 1036, who thereafter were never a threat to Kiev, he sponsored the construction of the Saint Sophia Cathedral in 1037.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: In 1037 the were built, named after patron saints of Yaroslav and his wife. Some mentioned and other celebrated monuments of his reign such as the Golden Gate of Kiev were destroyed during the Mongol invasion of Rus', but later restored.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: Yaroslav was a notable patron of literary culture and learning. In 1051, he had a Slavic monk, Hilarion of Kiev, proclaimed the metropolitan bishop of Kiev, thus challenging the Byzantine tradition of placing Greeks on the episcopal sees. Hilarion's discourse on Yaroslav and his father Vladimir is frequently cited as the first work of Old East Slavic literature.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: In 1019, Yaroslav married Ingegerd Olofsdotter, daughter of Olof Skötkonung, the king of Sweden. He gave Staraya Ladoga to her as a marriage gift.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: Saint Sophia's Cathedral in Kiev houses a fresco representing the whole family: Yaroslav, Irene (as Ingegerd was known in Rus'), their four daughters and six sons. Yaroslav had at least three of his daughters married to foreign princes who lived in exile at his court:


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: Yaroslav had one son from the first marriage (his Christian name being Ilya (?–1020)), and six sons from the second marriage. Apprehending the danger that could ensue from divisions between brothers, he exhorted them to live in peace with each other. The eldest of these, Vladimir of Novgorod, best remembered for building the Cathedral of St. Sophia, Novgorod, predeceased his father.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: Three other sons—Iziaslav I, Sviatoslav II, and Vsevolod I—reigned in Kiev one after another. The youngest children of Yaroslav were Igor Yaroslavich (1036–1060) of Volhynia and Vyacheslav Yaroslavich (1036–1057) of the Principality of Smolensk. There is almost no information about Vyacheslav. Some documents point out the fact of him having a son, Boris Vyacheslavich, who challenged Vsevolod I sometime in 1077–1078.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: Following his death, the body of Yaroslav the Wise was entombed in a white marble sarcophagus within Saint Sophia's Cathedral. In 1936, the sarcophagus was opened and found to contain the skeletal remains of two individuals, one male and one female. The male was determined to be Yaroslav. The identity of the female was never established. The sarcophagus was again opened in 1939 and the remains removed for research, not being documented as returned until 1964.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: In 2009, the sarcophagus was opened and surprisingly found to contain only one skeleton, that of a female. It seems the documents detailing the 1964 reinterment of the remains were falsified to hide the fact that Yaroslav's remains had been lost. Subsequent questioning of individuals involved in the research and reinterment of the remains seems to point to the idea that Yaroslav's remains were purposely hidden prior to the German occupation of Ukraine and then either lost completely or stolen and transported to the United States where many ancient religious artifacts were placed to avoid "mistreatment" by the communists.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: Four towns in four countries were named after Yaroslav, three of which he also founded: Yaroslavl (in today's Russia), Jarosław in Poland, Yuryev (now Bila Tserkva, Ukraine), and another Yuryev in place of conquered Tarbatu (now Tartu) between 1030 and 1061 in Estonia. Following the Russian custom of naming military objects such as tanks and planes after historical figures, the helmet worn by many Russian soldiers during the Crimean War was called the "Helmet of Yaroslav the Wise". It was the first pointed helmet to be used by a modern army, even before German troops wore pointed helmets.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: In 2008 Yaroslav was placed first (with 40% of the votes) in their ranking of "our greatest compatriots" by the viewers of the TV show . Afterwards, one of the producers of The Greatest Ukrainians claimed that Yaroslav had only won because of vote manipulation and that (if that had been prevented) the real first place would have been awarded to Stepan Bandera.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: In 2003, a monument to Yaroslav the Wise was erected in Kyiv, Ukraine. The creators of the monument are Boris Krylov and Oles Sydoruk. There is also a Yaroslavska Street in Kiev, and there are various streets named after him in cities throughout Ukraine.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: "Iron Lord" was a 2010 feature film based on Yaroslav's early life as a regional prince on the frontier.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: On December 12, 2022, on the Constitution Day of the Russian Federation, a monument to Yaroslav the Wise was unveiled at the site near the Novgorod Technical School. The author of the monument is sculptor Sergey Gaev.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

text: Yaroslav was at the earliest named a saint by Adam of Bremen in his "Deeds of Bishops of the Hamburg Church" in 1075, but he was not formally canonized. On 9 March 2004 on his 950th death anniversary he was added to calendar of saints of Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate). On 8 December 2005 Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow added his name to Menologium as a local Ukrainian saint. On 3 February 2016, Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church held in Moscow allowed to establish his cult in whole Russian Orthodox Church.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The Ford Falcon is a full-sized car that was manufactured by Ford Australia from 1960 to 2016. From the XA series of 1972 onward, each Falcon and range of derivates have been designed, developed, and built in Australia, following the phasing out of the American-influenced Falcon of 1960 to 1971, which had been re-engineered locally as the XK to XY series for the harsher Australian conditions. The luxury-oriented Ford Fairmont model joined the range from 1965. Luxury long-wheelbase derivative versions called the Ford Fairlane and LTD arrived in 1967 and 1973 respectively with production ending in 2007.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: Over 3,000,000 Ford Falcon and its derivatives were made in seven generations to 2016, almost exclusively in Australia and New Zealand, but also South Africa and some RHD Asian markets. Along with its closest Australian-made rival, the Holden Commodore, the Falcon once dominated the fleets of taxis in Australia and New Zealand, as well as police car and company fleets.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: In its last incarnation as the FG X series, the body style of the Falcon range consisted of sedan and utility body styles. Luxury variants of the current model Falcon, collectively known as the G Series, were marketed as the Ford G6, G6 E, and G6 E Turbo, which replaced the long-standing Fairmont and Fairmont Ghia models. Previously the Falcon range also included a hardtop coupé, panel van and station wagon (respectively up to 1978, 1999 and 2010)., as well as the Futura variant. The Falcon platform had also spawned luxury models such as the Landau coupe and long-wheelbase Fairlane and LTD sedans.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: In May 2013, Ford Australia announced the end of local production, which consisted of Falcon and its closely related Territory crossover SUV, by October 2016. This decision was attributable to Ford Motor Company's "One Ford" product development plan introduced in 2008 to rationalise its global range. Under this plan, Falcon's indirect replacements are the fourth-generation Mondeo from Europe and the sixth-generation Mustang from North America, the latter to retain Ford's Australian V8 heritage. The final Ford Falcon, a blue XR6, rolled off the production line on 7 October 2016.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: During the 1950s, Ford's Australian sales were faltering due to the popularity of the Holden, which did not have an effective competitor. Ford assembled the British Zephyr and its Consul and Zodiac derivatives. However, while these cars were moderately successful and had a good reputation, Ford could not match Holden's price, so sales suffered. One of the reasons for the price difference was the higher cost of imported parts, which were subject to an import tariff. Ford also assembled Canadian-sourced Ford V8 models, but these cars were in a higher price category, putting them out of reach of the average buyer.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: Hence, Ford decided to commence local production of a Holden challenger. Initially, they intended to produce the Zephyr, Consul, and Zodiac, using expensive dies they would need to purchase from Ford of Britain. However, during a visit to Ford headquarters in Detroit in 1958, they were shown the new Falcon, which was being prepared for its United States launch. Immediately, the executives were attracted to the new car- it was about the same size as Holden, but it was low, long, wide and modern. The width allowed it to accommodate six people, and a two-speed automatic transmission was available. Besides all this, Ford Australia felt they had more experience building North American cars. Hence, they decided to make Falcon their new Australian car. In 1959, Ford built the Broadmeadows Assembly Plant at Campbellfield, a suburb of Melbourne, for local production of the North American Ford Falcon. The factory was designed in Canada, and had a roof designed for Canadian snow falls, which is needed in Melbourne due to the occurrence of heavy hail falls in the Australian south east and east coast areas.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The first Falcon sold in Australia was the XK series, introduced in September 1960. It was initially offered only as a four-door sedan, in both Falcon and Falcon Deluxe trim levels. The XK was essentially a right-hand drive version of the North American model, although local country dealers often included modifications such as heavy-duty rear suspension (five leaves) and larger, 6.40 by 13-inch (16 by 33 centimetre), tyres.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The steering was light and the ride surprisingly good, on well-paved roads. The Falcon's "king-size" drum brakes actually had less lining area than the Zephyr's, but they were stopping a car that was over lighter, and so were adequate. Whereas the North American model used an "economy" 3.10 to 1 rear-axle ratio, the Australian Falcon was built with a 3.56 to 1 ratio, which better complemented the torque characteristics of the engine, yet still allowed a reduction in cruising rpm when compared with the Zephyr.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The station wagon, added to the range in November 1960, lacked the American version's extended rear overhang due to concern that the back of the car might scrape on rough roads and spoon drains.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: Billed as being "Australian-with a world of difference", the Falcon offered the first serious alternative to Holden, and became an instant success. Sales were aided by the contemporary FB-series Holden being perceived as lacklustre and dated by comparison. A 170 in engine was introduced late in the model's life.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: However, before long, XK sales suffered from complaints about the durability on rough outback roads, due chiefly to collapsing front ball joints, and adjusting shims dropping out of the front suspension, both problems inducing some rather severe front camber; the car earned the unflattering nicknames "foul can" or "fault can" during this time.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The XK range was expanded in May 1961 with the addition of utility and panel van body styles, officially designated the Falcon utility and Falcon sedan delivery, respectively.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: Ford Australia introduced some local design changes to the XL in early 1962, such as a heavier suspension system with components from the Fairlane. Also, the appearance was changed with a new Thunderbird roofline. The slogan was "Trim, Taut, Terrific". Nevertheless, the Falcon was still widely perceived as unsuitable for local conditions and sales stagnated. Ford stuck with the Falcon and sales gradually increased over the following years as improvements to durability and reliability were applied.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: New for the XL series were the top-of-the-range Falcon Futura sedan and the Falcon Squire station wagon, the latter featuring simulated woodgrain exterior side and tailgate paneling.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The XM, released in 1964, was the first Falcon with an Australian-designed body; the rear taillights were raised for Australian conditions and the front end received a full-wrap chrome grill and surrounds. The steering linkage was upgraded with 9/16 in tie rods instead of the 1/2 in tie rods found in the US models. The suspension was also improved with the upper control arms lowered to reduce the notorious bump steer found in the North American Falcon (and early Mustangs), on which this model was based.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: A coupé, in a two-door hardtop body style, was offered for the first time in both Falcon Deluxe and Falcon Futura trim levels.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The XP, released in 1965, saw the Fairmont introduced as an upmarket variant. The XP was the "make or break" Falcon: Ford's future in Australia depended on this car succeeding. Ford's deputy managing director Bill Bourke conceived a promotion for the new model which was a risk: demonstrate the XP's strength by mercilessly driving a fleet of XP Falcons around Ford's You-Yangs testing grounds for at over . The gamble paid off with the Falcon winning the "Wheels" Car of the Year Award. A three-speed automatic progressively replaced the two-speed and front disc brakes were introduced as an option (standard on Fairmont and hardtop models).


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: This model was also the last to include the Squire range of Ford Falcons which featured wood panels on the side of the wagons, similar to the US-based station wagons. The Fairmont made its debut, midway through the model run, as the flagship of the XP Falcon range. It was offered in both sedan and station wagon body styles, replacing the Futura sedan and Squire wagon. Unlike later examples, the XP Fairmonts carried both Falcon and Fairmont badgework.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: Additionally in the XP range, several cars were modified by Bill Warner to carry a 260- or 289 in V8 and a three-speed automatic or four-speed manual. These cars are discussed as precursors of the GT Falcon which debuted in the next model or as XP Falcon Sprints.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The next new model Falcon, the XR series, was introduced in September 1966. Styling was based on the third-generation 1966 US Ford Falcon and it was promoted as the "Mustang bred Falcon". It was the first Australian Falcon to be offered with a V8 engine, the , 289 cubic inch (4.7 litre) Windsor unit. The XR marked the first time a V8 engine could be optioned in all trim levels of an Australian car, V8s having previously been reserved for the more up-market variants. The 144 in (2.4 L) six-cylinder engine was deleted for the XR series, leaving the 170 in (2.8 L) six as the base Falcon engine. A 200 in (3.3 L) six was also available.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The XR series was initially offered in nine different models: Falcon, Falcon 500, and Fairmont sedans, Falcon, Falcon 500, and Fairmont wagons, Falcon and Falcon 500 utilities, and the Falcon Van. The new wagons shared the wheelbase with the XR sedans, unlike the 1966 US Falcon wagons which featured a wheelbase. The Falcon 500 replaced the Falcon Deluxe of the XP series and the two-door hardtop body style available in the XP series was not offered in the XR range. Ford New Zealand, which assembled the Falcon 500 at its Seaview, Lower Hutt, plant near Wellington, introduced a short-lived Falcon 600 model into the XR and subsequent XT ranges, with additional equipment such as a heater standard. The Fairmont and GT models were not locally assembled, but were imported from Australia in limited numbers.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The Falcon XR won the "Wheels" Car of the Year Award in 1966, giving Ford Falcon two consecutive wins.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The marketing focus on the Falcon's relationship with the Mustang's design appeal led to Ford introducing a Falcon GT variant of the XR in 1967, featuring a version of the 289 in (4.7 L) Windsor V8 engine, sourced from the Ford Mustang. The GT marked the beginning of the Australian muscle car. All of the original XR GTs were painted in the colour "GT gold", except for eight that were "Gallaher Silver" and another five that were "Russet Bronze", "Sultan Maroon", "Polar White", "Avis White" and "Ivy Green". The non-gold GTs, while having the same specifications, are the rarest of the early Australian muscle cars.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: Also specified on the first GT Falcon was a Hurst shifter for the four-speed gearbox, a deep-dish sports steering wheel, sports instrumentation, chrome full-cover wheel trims, and thick "GT stripes" along the lower panels between the front and rear wheels.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The 1968 XT model featured a mild facelift, with a divided grille, and inset driving lights for the GT. The GT also replaced the thick lower body stripes of the XR with narrow stripes along the waistline from grille to tail light. The tail lights were still round, but instead of the small round indicator of the XR, the XT model had a long indicator across the light. Otherwise, all external body panels and bumpers were the same as the XR.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: This XT series Falcon is not to be confused with the XT model variant introduced from 2002 with the BA series Falcon.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The 1969 XW Falcon introduced bolder styling which featured raised ridges down each front guard and a 'buttressed' c-pillar (although the rear windscreen was not relocated), which made the cars appear larger than the XR/XT models. A new dashboard and trim variations also appeared. Factory-fitted fully integrated air conditioning was made available as an option for the first time.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The GT variant gained a bigger V8, the Canadian-made Windsor engine, producing equipped with dual exhausts and sports air cleaner. The styling of the GT went wilder with the addition of an offset racing-style bonnet scoop, bonnet locks, and blackouts, as well as 'Super Roo' stripes along the full length of the car (these and the bonnet blackouts were a 'delete option'). GT wheels were now 12-slot steel with flat centre caps over the lug nuts and stainless steel dress rims. The twin 'driving lights' introduced on the XT GT were carried over to the XW GT.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: In August 1969, the XW also introduced the GT-HO specification. The GT-HO was a homologation specially built for racing. Externally, it was almost indistinguishable from a standard GT, but offered a higher-performance engine and improved suspension— although the 'HO' stood for 'Handling Option', the cars also gained larger Holley carburettors and other performance additions. The Phase I or 'Windsor HO' was fitted with the 351 in Windsor V8, but was replaced a year later with the 351 Cleveland, producing in the Phase II GT-HO. Phase II GT-HO wheels featured a new five-slot design.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The XW also gained a GS ('Grand Sport') option, which could be optioned with the , six-cylinder, or Windsor V8 engines, but not the Windsor V8 on Falcon 500, Futura, and Fairmont. It offered the same dash as the GT with sports instruments, sport wheel trims, and stripes. The GS lasted until the 1978 XC series I model, longer than the GT, which finished with the XB.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The venerated XY was released in October 1970, with variations to grille and tail lights but otherwise unchanged bodywork from the XW. The six-cylinder motors were bigger— and . A two-barrel (2V) carbureted) version of the 351 Cleveland V8 was an option on all sedans. and this is especially true of the XY GT and XY GTHO Phase III, released in 1970.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The GT's styling went wilder again with a 'Shaker' cold-air induction scoop protruding from a hole in the bonnet, which now sported twin wide GT stripes from grille to windscreen, rather than the bonnet blackouts of the XW. The thick side stripes remained, although altered slightly, as did the twin driving lights and blacked-out panel between the tail lights. Wheels were now the five-slot steel items first seen on the XW Phase II GT-HO. The Phase III GT-HO also sported a plastic front spoiler and a wild bootlid spoiler styled after those fitted to the Mach series Mustangs.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The upgraded Cleveland V8 in the 1971 XY GTHO Phase III produced an estimated , although Fords official figures for this motor were much lower. The 750 cfm Holley carburettor of the XW GT-HO Phase II was replaced by a 780 cfm Holley, along with numerous other performance modifications. The Phase III was Australia's fastest four-door production car and possibly the fastest four-door sedan in the world at the time, with a top speed of 141.5 mph (227.7 km/h). Power figures are still debated today, as Ford still claimed as the standard 351 Cleveland V8 in the GT though the GTHO Phase III received many modifications to increase its reliability and race performance. In 1972, Ford made the 15 in Globe 'Bathurst' alloy wheels available as an upgrade to the GTHO Phase III.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: During the life of the XY model, the uniquely Australian uprated 200, 250-1V and 250-2V variants of the seven-main-bearing six cylinder were introduced. Cleveland V8s were imported initially, until the Geelong Foundry began to produce these motors for automatic Falcons in mid-1972. The transmissions included both Ford and Borg-Warner, as did rear axles. The XY is now widely regarded as the best Falcon made in Australia, not just with its Bathurst dominance, but also in its performance, build quality, and refinement, which was superior to competitors at the time. Current values for XYs compared to other Aussie Falcons, and their competitors, attest to this.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: Australia's first production four-wheel-drive car-based vehicle—a utility—was introduced by Ford as an XY model in November 1972. All were fitted with the 250 in six that was mounted on a 30° slant to provide front axle suspension clearance between the front differential and the sump.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The end of production of the Falcon in the US paved the way for much greater Australian input in the design of Australian-made Falcons, from 1972 onwards, although for several years a distinct resemblance to the US-made Mustang still existed. The XA Falcon, introducing a new hardtop coupe model, entered the scene with its distinctive range of paint colours, with purple and wild plum being popular, often ordered with white or black upholstery. The XA Falcon Hardtop bore a strong resemblance to the 1970–71 Ford Torino SportsRoof (both cars shared the same floor sheet metal), and shared its "frameless window" doors with the utility and panel van variants. The drivetrains carried over from the XY, although the 250-2V was soon dropped, and the 'full-house' GT-HO engines no longer required due to changes in production racing regulations. Ford had planned a 'Phase IV' GT-HO (and built four), but cancelled it in the wake of the so-called 'Supercar scare'.The GT variant kept the twin driving lights, but reverted to a bonnet blackout with no stripes at all on the vehicle. The front guards received fake 'vents' just behind the indicators, and NACA ducts were added to the bonnet. Steel 12-slot wheels were reintroduced, although some GTs received the five-spoke Globe 'Bathurst' wheels, which had been ordered for the GT-HO Phase IV and now needed to be used. The GT's rear suspension featured radius rods to help locate the elliptical-spring solid rear axle. Other performance parts from the aborted Phase IV found their way onto GTs, including larger fuel tanks and winged sumps.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: From the rear, XA hardtops can be distinguished from later models by the tail lights, which have lenses which slope inwards (towards the front of the vehicle).


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: In 1973, the XB Falcon (sold with the slogan "The Great Australian Road Car") was introduced with more aggressive styling, a multifunction control stalk (indicators, high beam, horn), new colours including colour-coded bumpers on the GT variants, and minor trim variations. Engine options carried over from the XA-series. New panel van and utility option packages, "Surferoo" and "Surfsider" vans, and "Overnighter" ute, were introduced.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: Power-assisted front disc brakes were now standard across the Falcon range. The GT variant of the XB also included four-wheel disc brakes (the earlier GT/GT-HO models used large finned drums at the rear). The first 211 XB GTs built were fitted with a US-built version of the Cleveland V8 engine known as the 'big port', and later XB GTs were fitted with an Australian-built version of the engine with 'small port' heads and a 4-barrel 605 CFM downdraught Autolite 4300 carburetor, rated at @ 5400 rpm and @ 3400 rpm of torque. The twin driving lights remained, as did the bonnet locks. The bonnet scoops of the GT were now integrated into the "power bulge" on the bonnet, the bumpers were now body-coloured, and the power bulge, wheel arches, sills, and valances were painted in a contrasting colour to the body colour (usually black, but dependent upon the actual body colour choice).


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: This classic car is world-renowned for its starring roles in the movies "Mad Max" and "Mad Max 2" ("The Road Warrior"), both starring Mel Gibson. In "Mad Max", the police use yellow XA and XB sedans, and Max later drives a customised black XB hardtop known as the Pursuit Special, or black-on-black due to its matte black over gloss black paint scheme. In "Mad Max 2" ("The Road Warrior") it was referred to as the "Last of the V8 Interceptors". It is often referred to as Max's Interceptor, but all the MFP cars badged "Interceptor" were four-door sedans, including the one Max drove during the Night Rider chase.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The Ford Landau, a two-door "personal coupé" based on the XB Falcon Hardtop was released in August 1973.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: In July 1976, Ford introduced the XC Falcon, which was the first model to comply with the new pollution regulations specified under Australian Design Rule 27A. This led to locally produced Cleveland V8s and the introduction of the cross-flow (also called the X-flow) six-cylinder. Versions of this engine were produced in North America and, in various guises, used in Australian Falcons through to the XF. Its long stroke and large capacity made for very good 'towing' torque, while its thick castings and relatively loose tolerances gave it a reputation for reliability in spite of abuse.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The XC also introduced the country's first locally produced family sedans with a suspension designed around radial-ply tyres. Known as "Touring Suspension" (or 'Sports Handling Suspension'), it initially was standard on the Fairmont GXL sedan (optional on other sedans) until it was made standard equipment on all sedans and hardtops in the 1978 'XC½' facelift. For better handling on station wagons, owners could order the stiffer heavy duty suspension package as a no-cost option.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: Other changes included a totally different dashboard layout to the XA/XB series, new rear doors with a lower sill cut, air extraction vents in the rear of the C-pillars, and very large bumpers front and rear with no additional valance panel under them.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: From behind, XC hardtops can be distinguished from earlier models by the tail lights, which have flat lenses with black bezels.The Falcon Sundowner Van, based on the Falcon 500 Van, was introduced in 1977. It included options from the Falcon GS Hardtop, such as comprehensive instrumentation, bonnet scoops, slotted sports road wheels, and driving lights, but with bodyside protection mouldings and van side glass deleted. Side and rear decals were included in the package, as was the "sedan ride" 500 kg (10-cwt) suspension package and ER70 H14 radial-ply tyres.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: In December 1977, Ford built 13 special-order XC Falcon GS Hardtops. These vehicles carried chassis numbers commencing with JG65TE (verified by Ford). These cars were specially modified in the "parts and accessories" workshop at Ford's Campbellfield factory. They were all modified and fitted with the body and mechanical specifications approved in the September 1977 and October 1977 evolution race homologations; these changes were mostly designed to enhance race durability. The vehicles, often referred to as "Pre-Cobras" formed the basis to the special build of 30 Bathurst Cobras (build numbers 02-31) that were built six months later in July 1978. Due to the small production numbers of these homologated GS Falcon Hardtops and the timing of manufacture, the batch of 13 cars is believed to have been built as a one-off special order specifically for Ford and privateer race teams which planned to race them in the 1978 Australian Touring Car Championship season. They were also needed to satisfy the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport regulators for minimum production numbers to allow the modifications to be legal for racing. Seven are thought to have been raced and six were sold off to dealers that marketed them as "Homologation Packs".


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: In 1978, inspired by a dominating 1–2 finish for Falcon hardtops at the 1977 Hardie Ferodo 1000, Ford introduced the limited-edition Cobra, which used the last 400 hardtop coupé bodyshells. Based on the Falcon GS Hardtop model, each Cobra was individually numbered and featured highlights such as Globe 15-in alloy road wheels copied from Ferrari intended to aid brake disc cooling, ER70 H15 radial-ply tyres, comprehensive instrumentation, bonnet scoops, driving lights, dual exhaust, four-wheel disc brakes, and a distinctive white and blue colour scheme. The 5.8 L engines were installed in cars numbered 002 to 199 and No 351, and the 4.9 L engines were installed in the rest (001, plus 200 to 400 except for no. 351).


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The Falcon, while popular, was usually outsold in Australia by GM Holden's Kingswood until 1978, when it started to gain ground after Holden decided to replace the Kingswood with a smaller model called the Commodore, based on the European Opel models.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: Holden gambled that the predicted increase of oil prices during this era would drive consumers to choose smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, but the oil price rise never materialised, whilst Ford dealers aggressively pitched the Cortina 6 against the Commodore alternative until the XD Falcon arrived in 1979.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: Ford's next model Falcon, the XD (Project Blackwood), introduced in 1979, bore many external styling resemblances to the European Ford Granada, but was slightly larger and less luxurious. Improved body reinforcing allowed many reductions in component weight to be made, improving performance and braking. The Fairmont Ghia replaced the Fairmont GXL.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: Initially, as with the first Commodores, quality and fuel consumption concerns dogged the XD. The 1980 introduction of the alloy head improved the fuel economy of the ageing OHV six-cylinder engine, an engine with its roots in the 1950s, while at the same time boosting power in the high-compression 4.1 L version from . However, during this period, a combination of government pressure, the fuel crisis, and more stringent pollution controls began to curtail the development of high-performance cars.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: Along with Ford's consideration to delete the V8 engine, Ford had also considered replacing the Falcon with a smaller front-wheel drive sedan and hatchback, codenamed "Capricorn". By 1981, however, thanks to the Falcon's sales success, the replacement project was cancelled.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: As the fuel crisis eased, Australians moved away from the downsized Commodore back to the traditional full-size Falcon. In 1982, for the first time in more than a decade, the XE Falcon, with its Watt's linkage coil-sprung rear suspension and fuel-saving differential ratios (4.1 L models) eclipsed its Holden rival in terms of sales. Ford Falcon remained number-one seller in Australia until 1988, when Holden returned to the full-size Australian sedan design. A manual transmission was available in three-speed column shift (in six-seater vehicles) or four-speed floor shift, with a five-speed floor shift also available with the base 3.3 L engine. An automatic transmission was available as a three-speed, column or floor shift.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: Ford's Australian-manufactured 'Cleveland' V8s were discontinued in 1982. During this period, Ford Australia also built a quantity of four-bolt 351C engines—similar to those used in NASCAR at the time—for race purposes in Australia. With the 351's local race career ending in 1985, the remains were shipped and sold in the United States.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The last V8-powered Australian Ford Falcon passenger car (until this powerplant's return in 1991) was a silver 4.9-l (302 in) Ford XE Fairmont Ghia ESP sedan, VIN # JG32AR33633K, in November 1982. Ford Australia continued to make remnant stock of the 5.8 litre (351C) engine available in Bronco and F-series vehicles until August 1985.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: In 1983, the 4.1 L EFI six-cylinder engine was introduced to replace the 4.9 L V8, but initially produced and of torque, well down from the and previously produced by the 5.8 L V8.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The Falcon XF sedan and wagon sold between October 1984 and March 1988 (modified to run on unleaded petrol from January 1986), with the ute and van running through to March 1993. The handling and ride were described as competent, but the non-powered steering was heavy at low speeds with an overly strong caster action after performing a maneuver such as a U-turn. Power steering (and four-wheel disc brakes) were made standard in 1986. It remains Ford's best-selling Falcon model to date; over 278,000 XFs were built. It was the first model since the XP not to offer a V8 engine.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: When the XF Falcon passenger car range was replaced by the redesigned EA series, the XF commercials (utility and panel van) continued unchanged due to there being no EA series versions. The XF commercial models continued unchanged stylistically, but over time would gain the EB series engine updates.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The XG, released in March 1993, represented the most significant update to the Falcon commercials in five years. Aside from a new name—the ute was referred to as the 'Falcon Longreach'—the XG got a new engine, an exterior facelift, and lost the three-speed (or three-on-the-tree) column-shift manual transmission (and the three-speed column-auto ) but now with a five-speed manual on the floor. Ford Australia added the Longreach name for its tough "workhorse" image, as the birthplace of Qantas and the home of the famous Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame on the boundaries of the outback. The model was introduced to the media in Longreach.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The XG was essentially an update of the XF. It gained the EB II's 4.0-l OHC inline six-cylinder engine, with either a five-speed manual or four-speed auto transmissions (floor or column shift), meaning Ford could retire the old engine and transmission options. It also gained interior updates from the EB including the instrument cluster, centre console (in two-seater models), steering wheel, and seats. Exterior changes were minimal, and included an EB-style grill, black window trims (as opposed to chrome on XF's) EB style door 'rubbing' strips, and indicator lights on the front quarter panels.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: An XR6 model was released in October 1993. Over the standard model, it gained the ED's XR6 engine, distinctive quad headlights, indicators in the front bumper (due to the different headlights), sportier suspension, ED XR6 seats, trim, 15 in five-spoke alloy wheels, and exterior badging. 1,050 XR6s were sold between October 1993 and March 1996.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The XH series Falcon utility and van, released in 1996, were essentially XG models facelifted to resemble the contemporary Falcon EF sedans and wagons. The XH also gained an all-new front suspension and rack and pinion steering from the EA–EL series cars. This meant changes to the frame and bodywork, from the firewall forward. The turret (roof) panel on the utility was now domed and lost its squared-off appearance, increasing interior head room. By this time, the popularity of the panel van had faded and Ford released their final Falcon panel van in 1997 as part of the revised XH II series. It was also with this model that the V8 engine was reintroduced into the Falcon utility commercial vehicle range. After 20 years, the fourth generation Falcon was discontinued in June 1999.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: As a result of an A$700 million development the Ford EA Falcon introduced in 1988, bore a passing resemblance to the European Ford Scorpio. Under the skin, however, it remained an entirely Australian design, and is credited as the first Falcon model to employ wind tunnel testing. The EA was also only produced in sedan and station wagon body styles, with the previous-model (XF) utility and panel van continuing in production.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The EA Falcon was available in four trim levels with a choice of three straight-six engine: the base GL powered by a 3.2 litre CFI (although the majority featured a 3.9 L version of the same engine); the luxury Fairmont powered by a 3.9 litre CFI; the sports Falcon S pack and upper luxury Fairmont Ghia both powered by a 3.9 L multi-point (MPI). A five-speed "T50D" fully synchronised manual and Borg-Warner "M51" three-speed automatic transmission were offered, however, the latter was replaced by a four-speed BTR "85SXLE" in the Series II upgrade and further upgraded to BTR "95LE" with the EB series of 1991.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The EA Falcon, released under the codename "EA26" (E for the large size, A for Australia, 26 for the (usually in sequence) global project number), would retain the traditional Falcon hallmarks of width and rear-wheel drive. This proved to be the correct move as sales of the Falcon began to climb after the fuel crisis aftermath, while those of the rival Commodore slipped. It became clear that Australian buying patterns had not truly changed and what the public wanted was a full-size (albeit smaller) family car.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: In addition, Ford's dominance of the taxi market in Australia meant that a car that could comfortably seat three along the back seat—and even the front, with a bench seat installed—was necessary. It also ensured that Ford could retain, at least until Holden released the new Statesman/Caprice in 1990, the market for official cars for governmental use.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: While initially popular, the EA's build quality was uncompetitive with uneven panel shutlines, computer problems, poor paint quality and front suspension alignment problems.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: Launched in October 1989, the Series II brought with it a four-speed automatic transmission, body-coloured B-pillars, and the 3.2 L engine was dropped. Despite the Series II models having significantly fewer problems than the Series I, Series II prices are also affected by curtailed resale values. The same problem also affects the NA Fairlane and DA series LTD, and even the ute and panel van variants, which persisted with the older XF architecture.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: Visually, the 1991 EB Falcon remained nearly identical to its predecessor with subtle front and rear styling changes to the location of the Ford badge and the rear taillight applique, respectively. This series saw the reintroduction, by Ford Australia, of a V8 engine option (on sedans only) for the first time since 1982. This generation of the Falcon sedan closely resembles Ford's North American Tempo of the same era. Moreover, this series also saw the reintroduction of a Falcon GT model, with the refined "25th Anniversary" model limited to 265 units. Both this limited edition, and the first XR6 and XR8 sports models (that have continued with all subsequent Falcons and were originally marketed as S-XR6 and S-XR8) first appeared with the EB Series, through the then newly established Tickford Vehicle Engineering (TVE) joint-venture.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: Reportedly costing A$1 million, the radically different Series II model of April 1992 primarily benefitted from a higher capacity 6-cylinder engine (up 35 cubic centimetres or from 3949 cc to 3984 cc), bringing its nominal total swept capacity to 4.0 L. The transmission and electronics were also improved and, externally, styling changes abounded including the base model now having body-coloured bumpers and its matte black plastic exterior door handles in a glossy finish. Other aspects of this upgrade consisted of improvements in safety, electronics and overall refinement. For example: the car now featured an advanced "Smartlock" security locking system standard across all models; anti-lock brakes became optional; a lap sash centre rear seatbelt became standard (from 1993); foam-filled A-pillars helped deliver better crash protection and Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) reductions.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The ED Falcon came in response to Holden's new VR Commodore in 1993. The front grille was now elliptical to differentiate it from the EB, and the sports genre (XR6, and XR8) gained an exclusive quad headlamp cluster. Making a comeback in the ED range was the Futura. The safety orientated Futura was marketed towards private buyers, and was equipped with cruise control, anti-lock brakes, and featured body-coloured mirrors. For the first time since the XF series, the luxurious Fairmont Ghia trim level was not available in station wagon form.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The standard 4.0 L six-cylinder produced , the XR6 high-performance option , and the 5.0 litre EFI V8 at 4500 rpm.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: When the facelifted EF was introduced in August 1994, it brought with it a new curvaceous body shape while sharing its doors (albeit, with a new door handle design) and most of its body structure with the earlier EA–ED series cars. Unlike the sedan, the station wagon inherited the rear styling of the ED series. With the new model, came a thoroughly redesigned interior. Cup holders were now prominent features in all models, and Ford paid particular attention to safety. A driver's airbag was made standard on all variants, a first for an Australian car, even though the Holden VR Commodore was the first to feature it as an option. From the outside, the reinforced body gave added rollover strength and front collision protection. An original innovation introduced in the EF range was the "Smart Bar". A bullbar developed to work seamlessly with the vehicle's airbag system.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The 4.0 L inline six-cylinder engine was upgraded to aid refinement and increase power to 157 kilowatts (211 hp) this included the removal of the distributor as it was replaced with a coil-pack ignition system which was a first for the Falcon. Also the intake manifold was changed to include a dual length system which involved intake runners of two different lengths and a valve to switch between the two. Changes were also made to the suspension with the aim of providing a more supple ride, but drew criticism for producing nervous handling and an unsettling feeling of roll oversteer (a problem not corrected until the EL facelift).


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: A passenger airbag was offered as an option in the Series II facelift of October 1995. The unique design allowed it to protect the not only the front passenger, but the centre passenger as well (only the entry-level GLi was offered with the optional bench seat). The Fairmont Ghia was the only trim level to receive dual airbags as standard, which also benefited from the XR6 engine, leather upholstery, extensive use of chrome and lowered suspension. With the use of neoprene rubber insulation, road and wind noise was cut off from within the cabin, contributing to vehicle refinement. Ford also dropped the XR6 station wagon from the lineup in the Series II.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The EF Series also saw the first use of polycarbonate headlight lenses instead of glass, saving weight and gaining shatter resistance.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The final E-series model, the EL Falcon, was merely a facelift of the EF intended to keep sales strong until the sixth generation AU Falcon was launched. The most obvious change visually, was the return of the grille on the GLi and Futura spec levels. The new oval grille tied in with Ford's global lineup of the time. Cosmetic updates extended further with the bonnet, front bumper and headlamps also receiving a revised design. New grilles were now prominent on the luxury variants (Fairmont and Fairmont Ghia), and the quad-headlamps of the XR sport models gained minor changes. New wheel trims were featured on all trim levels, and station wagon variants gained white tinted indicator lenses, replacing the amber tint which had been common since the introduction of the EA.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: With the EL there was a revision again with the engine this time the distributor was refitted and the coil-pack ignition removed, though power remained the same at 4900 rpm / at 3000 rpm. The final drive ratio went down from 3.23:1 to 3.08:1 allowing for the moon reaching low ratios. 1700rpm at 100 km/h was attainable in 4th gear.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: To address handling concerns with the EF, improvements were made to the rear suspension and steering which would largely be attributed to Ford Australia's association with Tickford Vehicle Engineering. Speed-sensitive power steering on the Fairmont Ghia made parking more straightforward, without compromising high speed steering. With the exception of the GLi, the entire range was fitted with standard Bosch 5.3 ABS brakes and an advanced window film known as "Smart Tint" that gave equivalent protection levels of SPF15 sunscreen.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: Interior upgrades ranged from reshaped seats and headrests, to new colour schemes, and switches. Station wagons could now be ordered with third-row accommodation and an electric network for mobile phone usage.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: The new-generation AU Falcon was released in 1998 with its range comprising the following models: Forté (previously GLi), S, Futura, Fairmont, Fairmont Ghia, XR6, XR6 VCT and XR8. External model differentiation was achieved via the use of different grilles and bonnets (low bonnet and vertical "waterfall" grille on Forté, horizontal single bar on Futura, integrated quad-lamp bumper bar and grille on the XR sports range; high bonnet and large grille on Fairmont range) and more basic fittings such as different alloy wheel designs, rear light clusters (clear turn signals on Fairmont), body colour-coordination and chrome fittings.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: Initially, the company considered a revamped 5th-generation Falcon and even studied the possibility of fully imported replacements such as the American front-wheel-drive Ford Taurus or rear-wheel-drive Ford Crown Victoria, the European rear-wheel-drive Scorpio and, reportedly, even the Japanese rear-wheel drive Mazda 929 (then part of the Ford conglomerate).


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: Developed under the code name "EA169", the AU series adopted Ford's New Edge worldwide styling, which was meant to differentiate it from the "conformist" styling prevalent in the 1990s. The gamble, which had worked with the Ford Focus, did not particularly endear the AU Falcon to its buyers.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: Ford attempted to address the AUs issues with its Series II (April 2000) and Series III (November 2001) updates, which brought styling and interior improvements such as a raised bonnet across the non-XR range (from the Fairmont range), scrapping of the unpopular "waterfall" grill on the base model Forté, revised bigger profile bumper bars, bigger wheels and improved interior trims.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: In addition, this series also received mechanical and structural improvements including an upgraded braking system, a laminated firewall engineered to reduce NVH, and incremental power upgrades for the V8 engine. Nevertheless, despite these improvements and ownership incentives (such as free air conditioning and automatic transmission on the biggest volume-seller Forté, plus complimentary scheduled servicing for three years or 60,000 km across the range), Falcon's sales never recovered to meet expectations, being outsold by its chief rival, the Holden VT and its successor, the VX Commodores.


title: Ford Falcon (Australia)

text: This Falcon's Australian-production firsts included the 6-cylinder's Variable Cam Timing (VCT) and automatic transmissions on the high-performance T-series with an adaptive mode that included steering wheel gear shift buttons.