Why the Crown Victoria Could Have Ended Up in Australia
The Ford Crown Victoria earned its place in automotive history largely because in the U.S. it was everywhere — as a police car or taxi. Had a few decisions turned out differently back then, this large body-on-frame sedan with a V8 and rear-wheel drive could have been sold in Australia too, looking roughly like in these renders.
Ford sold the Crown Victoria in America, while Australian buyers got the Falcon. When the time came to replace the EL-generation model, the company seriously considered dropping the locally built model and importing a ready-made vehicle from overseas instead. During that process, the Crown Victoria came under close scrutiny, but the idea never gained traction, so Australian buyers never saw it.
Imaginary Ute by Abimelec Design
Imagining what an Australian version of the Crown Victoria might have looked like, Abimelec Design didn’t limit itself to a traditional sedan. Instead, it created a ute — a body style that was invented in Australia itself. These renders show a vehicle based on the later AU Falcon XR8 Ute, combining elements of two Ford models into something surprisingly cohesive.
The front end of the Crown Victoria is instantly recognizable: there are the familiar headlights and the small central grille. The front bumper, hood, and front fenders are also entirely from the Crown Vic. But behind the front doors is where the major change begins: instead of a conventional three-box sedan cabin, a large pickup cargo bed appears, complemented by a silver sports bar.
Powertrain: Old-School V8
In terms of design, the two Fords were very close in philosophy: both relied on classic V8s and rear-wheel drive. The Crown Victoria used a 4.6-liter modular SOHC V8 that produced between 200 and 235 hp in civilian versions. The Police Interceptor version later came close to 250 hp.
The AU Falcon XR8, meanwhile, had a 5.0-liter Windsor V8. It initially developed 185 kW (248 hp), and after the 2001 update power rose to 200 kW (268 hp). An even more hardcore version, the AU III Pursuit ute, got a 5.6-liter stroked version of that Windsor. No matter which trim was chosen, a Crown Vic ute would have had a true V8 under the hood.
What Happened to Utes and the Falcon
After the Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore stopped being assembled in Australia, the traditional ute disappeared from the market. Today, mid-size pickups dominate the roads, although plenty of Falcon- and Commodore-based utes are still in service.
So if any Falcon ute owners out there are brave enough to make their vehicle truly unlike any other, they could try using parts from the American Crown Victoria. Of course, we harbor no illusions that anyone will take on such an unusual project.
Why the Idea Remained Just Renders
If Ford had actually decided to bring the Crown Victoria to Australia, local buyers would have had to choose between American scale and practicality. The Crown Victoria was quite large even by American standards, while the Falcon felt better on narrower local roads and had a huge fan base. Moreover, local production meant thousands of jobs, so dropping the Falcon would have been a serious political and social issue.
Today, with both the Falcon and Holden Commodore now history, such renders remind us how thin the line can be between the familiar automotive landscape and a version that could have changed it forever. Abimelec Design’s imaginary Crown Vic ute shows just how fun and unconventional this chapter of Australian motoring could have been.