GEELONG, Australia – Ford is celebrating the 50th birthday of the Ford Falcon, the longest running vehicle nameplate in Australian motoring history.

Since the first Falcon XK rolled off Ford Australia’s production line on 28 June 1960, Ford has produced 27 different models of the Falcon in Australia and New Zealand, resulting in almost 3.5 million Falcons on the road clocking up an estimated 450 billion kilometres.

From the onset, the much-loved Falcon sedan has achieved a number of motoring "firsts" which include:

• First Australian-manufactured car to feature standard driver air-bags (August, EF series Falcon)
• First Australian-made family car to have driver and passenger airbags (5 April, 2000)
• First six-speed automatic transmission to feature in an Australian car (October, 2005)
• First Australian-built car to receive a 5-star ANCAP safety rating (August, 2008)

The Falcon’s evolution will continue in 2011 with the introduction of Ford’s global EcoBoost technology, making it the first rear-wheel-drive vehicle in the Ford world to feature the cutting-edge, fuel saving powertrain.

This will result in the Ford Falcon being one of the most environmentally conscious family cars in Australia and New Zealand – delivering six-cylinder performance with four-cylinder fuel economy and a 15 percent reduction in CO2 emissions, all without the premium charged for a hybrid.

To mark the Falcon’s special birthday, Ford is releasing a series of limited edition commemorative models including the Falcon G Series and XR models, with six individual variants available in the sedan and Ute.