FPV stands for Ford Performance Vehicles. This is a uniquely Australian branch of the giant motoring company, Ford. FPV exists to produce big, powerful sports cars and compete on more than one level with Ford’s greatest rival, Holden and their HSVs.

FPV was founded in 2002 at Ford’s Melbourne headquarters. This was an appropriate choice of location, as the first dealers to sell Ford cars were located in Melbourne, and it was a Melbourne factory, rather than the ones in Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide, that began true production of Fords rather than mere assembly. In its first incarnation (in 1991), FPV was called FTE (Ford Tickford Experience) because of the involvement of the Prodrive owned company, Tickford. FTE launched the T-series, which sold well in spite of not reaching its desired sales targets. In 2002, FTE was rebadged as FPV with the launch of the BA Falcon. FPR (Ford Performance Racing) was created shortly after in 2003 to emphasise the link between the FPV road cars and the legendary V8 supercars.

FPV itself acknowledges its heritage that comes from the proud tradition of Ford muscle and performance cars, and solid and sound engineering reliability. The iconic Ford Falcon is an obvious member of the FPV range, but other models also have a sound standing in FPV’s family tree. Models from the humble Cortina and Escort to the exciting Mustang, Cobra and Capri.

All FPV vehicles are modelled on that Aussie icon, the Ford Falcon. Most FPV vehicles available are sedan versions, but ute variants are also common and popular. This is emphasised by FPV’s logo, which features a stylised silver falcon’s head intertwined with an abstract black oval. This logo is very similar to that of the FPR, which adds the falcon’s outspread wing to the logo, adding an extra edge of speed and performance. The message is clear: if you have dreams of The Hill then buying an FPV is a step in the right direction.

The philosophy of the FPV company is simple and straightforward. Their dream and overarching goal is that of “Total Performance.” They have three key principles that must be realised in every FPV vehicle to storm out of their factory. The first principle is that of power: all FPV vehicles must be markedly more powerful than the original Ford that inspired them. For example, an FPV Super Pursuit ute may have a passing resemblance to a Ford Falcon ute, but the power of the two vehicles just can’t be compared. The second principle is that of safety, which specifies that all FPV vehicles must have their chassis, brakes and driveline altered to match the legendary power available. Thirdly, all FPV vehicles must maintain the authentic looks and styling that match the power and performance.

Back to Car Reviews