Model range

The EA series was available in seven model variants:

• Falcon GL Sedan
• Falcon GL Wagon
• Falcon S Sedan
• Fairmont Sedan
• Fairmont Wagon
• Fairmont Ghia Sedan
• Fairmont Ghia Wagon

No commercial vehicle variants of the EA were developed and the existing XF Falcon

Ford XF Falcon

The Ford XF Falcon is a car that was produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia between 1984 and 1993. The XF sedan and wagon sold between October 1984 and February 1988, with the utility and panel vans running through to March 1993....

 utility

Coupé utility

The coupé utility automobile body style, also known colloquially as the ute in Australia and New Zealand, combines a two-door "coupé" cabin with an integral cargo bed behind the cabin—using a light-duty passenger vehicle-derived platform....

 and panel van

Panel van

A panel van is a form of solid van, smaller than a lorry or truck, without rear side windows...

 both continued in production alongside the EA passenger vehicles.

Engines and transmissions

Engine choice comprised three straight-six units: the 3.2 litre and 3.9 litre with ”CFI” throttle body injection and a 3.9 litre with ”MPI” multi-point fuel injection. The Falcon GL was equipped with the 3.2 L straight-six, although most were sold with the 3.9 CFI. The 3.9 L CFI engine was available in the Falcon S and in the Fairmont and the MPI version was standard in the top of the range Fairmont Ghia.

A five-speed T50D fully synchronised manual

Manual transmission

A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...

 and Borg-Warner Model M51 three-speed automatic transmission

Automatic transmission

An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...

 were offered, however the latter was replaced by a four-speed BTR Model 85LE in the Series II range then updated to the BTR 95LE in the EB update in 1991. Taxi owners, however, would continue to fit reconditioned 3-speed M51 automatic transmissions (as these were less costly) to these cars, until the bellhousing design was finally changed in later models preventing this practice.

Development

The result of a A$

Australian dollar

The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...

700 million development program, the EA Falcon bore a passing resemblance to the European Ford Scorpio

Ford Scorpio

The Ford Scorpio is an automobile that was produced by the Ford Motor Company from 1985 through to 1998.It was the replacement for the European Ford Granada line...

. However under the skin, it remained an entirely Australian design, and is credited as the first Falcon model to employ wind tunnel

Wind tunnel

A wind tunnel is a research tool used in aerodynamic research to study the effects of air moving past solid objects.-Theory of operation:Wind tunnels were first proposed as a means of studying vehicles in free flight...

 testing. Developed under the codename EA26 (E for the large size, A for Australia, 26 for the (usually in sequence) global project number), it 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.

In addition, Ford's dominance of the taxi

Taxicab

A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...

 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.

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

EA Series II

Launched in October 1989, the Series II brought with it a four-speed automatic transmission and body-coloured B-pillars

Pillar (car)

Pillars are the vertical supports of the greenhouse of an automobile — known respectively as the A, B, C or D-pillar moving in profile view from the front to rear....

. 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

Ford Fairlane (Australia)

The Ford Fairlane and LTD are full-size luxury vehicles that were produced in a series of models by Ford Australia between 1959 and 2007....

 and DA series LTD, and even the utility and panel van variants, which continued with the older XF architecture.

Production and replacement

Production of the EA series had totalled 223,612 vehicles at the time of its replacement by the facelifted Ford EB Falcon

Ford EB Falcon

The Ford EB Falcon is a car which was produced by the Ford Motor Company in Australia between 1991 and 1993.Visually the 1991 EB remained nearly identical to its predecessor. The most noticeable change was the transfer of the Ford emblem from the tip of the bonnet to the grille...

in 1991.

Legacy

In its era, the only competition to the EA Falcon providing anything comparable in terms of performance and interior space was the Holden Commodore. However over the years the Commodore has proven to be more popular especially amongst younger people, with the Commodore being more of a sports car and the falcon being more of a family style car.

Over 20 years since its release the Falcon is now a cheap second hand car commonly bought by families for its strengths of a big roomy body, however reliability issues have been a concern in this model especially with the CFI system.