Ford Australia first to get new Canadian-built V8

Engines made at Ford of Canada’s Essex Engine Plant are being exported to Australia for the first time. The Canadian-made Triton V8 is powering models in the new unique-to-Australia Falcon/Fairmont range.
Since it opened in 1981, Essex has produced V6 engines but a recently launched state-of-the-art assembly line has added V8 production a three-valve version of the 5.4-litre Triton.
Initial Essex V8 production is earmarked for Australia where the engine is standard on the recently redesigned Fairmont Ghia and optional on other models in the Falcon range.
By 2003, production will increase significantly as the new engine will be fitted to the next generation Ford F-150 pickup in the US.
Exports have been a mainstay of Essex Engine Plant’s output for two decades with engines and crankshafts being produced for 10 Ford facilities in North and South America.
The new V8s are shipped primarily by sea for the 30-day voyage to Ford’s Broadmeadows Assembly Plant in Campbellfield, Victoria, Australia.