Argentina's Falcons
Many European fans may only remember the Ford Falcon as the car Aaron Kaufman prepared to climb Pikes Peak on the Fast N’ Loud show. For Argentines the story is very different. For more than half a century, the Falcon has been one more element of the country ‘s landscape.
Falcon’s badge has identified several generations of models from Detroit’s manufacturer. Just last year the last one was assembled at the Broadmeadows’ Australian plant, ending with the manufacture of Ford in the country after 91 years. The only thing Argentinean Falcons share with the last generation produced in Australia is its name.
Like Kaufman's, the Argentinian model belongs to the first generation of the American Falcon (1960-63). In the United States it was produced in a wide range of versions, including sedans, coupes, convertibles, pick-ups, station wagons, etc. Of all those versions only the 4-door sedans arrived to Argentina. Falcon’s assembly began in La Boca in 1962. The early units were made form parts coming from the United States. A year later, when this first series was discontinued in the North American catalogue, the manufacture began in Argentina lasting until 1991. After 30 years, about half a million units were produced, a little more than those made in the United States during the first year of manufacture. In this link you may find abundant information on the evolution of the Falcon in Argentina.
The main early modifications were aimed to adapt the model to the Argentinian roads and dirt trails, with a higher and reinforced suspension. Throughout these three decades the Falcon underwent several updates, always with 6 cylinder engines, except a brief period in the 80's when a 4-cylinder version was included. The facelifts concentrated mainly in the front and rear ends. Personally the most attractive to me is the first version with its round tail lights. The last one came with the rear lights of the last European Taunus / Cortina generation, which at that time would have given it a more modern touch, but certainly did not match that car.
Next to the sedan a station wagon was added to the range in 1968, the “Falcon Rural”. Derived from the Argentinian 4-door model; therefore not based on the original longer wheelbase United States wagon discontinued years before. Last December, near Caminito, I could photograph the green copy you can see above. In 1971, also derived from the sedan, a pick-up version was presented: the Ford Ranchero. As you can see in another picture, in Buenos Aires streets you can still find Falcons to your hearts' content.
The Falcon managed to become best-selling car in Argentina in years as far back as 1965, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1979 and 1983. Still today it is inevitable to walk along Corrientes and find some Falcon rolling down the street. Many are in a rather scruffy state, the newest ones are already around 25 years old, but there are also people who restore them and keep them in pristine condition. The Falcon worked as taxi, ambulance, police car, hearse, etc., similarly to what happened to the SEAT 1500 in Spain. The last unit manufactured was offered as a lottery prize among the employees of the Pacheco’s Ford plant and it was on the news when the lucky winner put it on sale in 2009. Recently also a 0 km. unregistered unit of the last series came to light.
Unfortunately, the Falcon is also part of Argentina’s dark history. During the dictatorship, the repressive forces became famous, among other things, for driving Falcons in the chase of their victims. There are dozens of testimonies claiming having last seen missing persons when they were forcibly put into a Falcon.
In 2012, in an inspection at the naval base of Puerto Belgrano, 43 Falcons and a Chevy covered with dust appeared in a warehouse. The Secretariat of Human Rights decided to intervene the vehicles arguing: “From the above, it is stated that in the repressive machinery of the state the use of this car model effectively contributed to the dark intentions of the military, in practice, as an instrument that allowed the kidnapping and transfer of innumerable people, and from the symbolic, sowing terror among the population because when these vehicles were seen, this - many times - was a sign that the task forces were operating in the place”. The Puerto Belgrano Falcons, like some airplanes that participated in the "flights of death", were analysed in search of evidence to help to clarify this very regrettable period of Argentina's history. Hopefully those dusty Falcons can provide some clue that contributes to convicting those guilty of such crimes.
