October 4^th, 2000

`New for old’ was a big step forward

NOW here’s something to consider if your car’s engine cries `Enough!’ and you find yourself leaving the car with an engine replacement specialist for a few hours…

Back in 1937 Ford Australia introduced a unique solution for V8 owners who needed to recondition the engine in their car or truck.

The normal procedure was for the dealer to remove the engine and recondition it on his premises. This was not a case of "Would you like a cup of tea while you’re waiting?", as it might be several days before the job was finished.

The innovative move by Ford meant that, for the first time in Australia, a motorist could buy a ‘changeover’ engine, thereby avoiding many days without his car.

Ford set up a complete reconditioning plant, so all the dealer had to do was order a reconditioned engine, get the customer to bring in his car and then swap engines – often on the same day.