How Ford Australia’s secret prototype skunkworks helped create legendary vehicles

When Ford Australia pulled down the curtain on nearly 90 years of Aussie manufacturing in 2016, most people would understandably have thought that was the end of the Blue Oval building cars at Broadmeadows. 

But that’s not quite right. 

In fact, in the years since, Ford has continued to build hundreds of hand-made prototypes at its secret New Model Programs (NMP)  facility, in Campbellfield, Victoria.

The 1000th such prototype, a Ranger PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) recently rolled out of the NMP, which is located in the old Plant 2 at Broadmeadows, adjacent to Ford’s still busy Product Development and Design Centres.

Ford's celebration of producing 1000 prototypes

The NMP team works on what Ford describes as projects requiring bespoke craftsmanship and agile manufacturing processes – such as building engineering prototypes and ‘mules’ that support the company’s global vehicle launches. This included the initial prototypes for the current Ranger ute and Everest SUV. 

NMP was originally set up in the 1970s as a truck plant dubbed Plant 2, and produced Broncos and F-Series for emergency services. In the 1980s, Ford introduced utes and vans to the facility, becoming the first Australian manufacturing plant to use robots. This was followed by work on components for the ill-fated Ford Capri convertible and equally ill-fated AU Falcon.

In the years after manufacturing closure, Ford recognised the need for an efficient solution for prototype building, so Plant 2 was transformed and a team set up to build Ranger prototypes. 

2020 Mustang R-SPEC

Most of this team – and those who work in the facility today – have many years of experience from the facility’s ‘Plant 2’ days, ensuring the right mix of skills and know-how to build the prototype Rangers and Everests for engineering evaluation. 

NMP also collaborated with Herrod Performance to produce all 500 examples of the Australian-exclusive supercharged Ford Mustang R-Spec, which was released in 2020. 

So, the next time you get a bit down in the mouth about the demise of Aussie car making, spare a thought for the custom car builders at Broadmeadows who are keeping the flame alive.  

2020 Mustang R Spec