The ED Ford Falcon was released in 1993. Here is a bit of a snapshot of what things were like and what things costs in Australia at that time. The landscape has changed a lot since the ED was first released and it is interesting to see where things were back then vs how they are today. Where were you when the ED Falcon was first released?
Cost of a new Ford ED Falcon
- Base sedan models started at approximately $26,000–$27,000
- GLi and Futura models ranged from $28,000–$30,000, while XR6 and XR8 performance variants could exceed $35,000
Average wage
- Average weekly wage: about $700–$720 per week
- Average annual wage: about $36,000–$37,500
Average house price
- Around $180,000–$185,000
Price of petrol
- Around $1.10–$1.15 per litre
Prime Minister
- Paul Keating (Labor Party)
Population of Australia
- About 17.5 million people
Top-grossing movie
- Jurassic Park and Mrs. Doubtfire dominated box offices internationally and in Australia.
Top song
- I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston topped Australian charts.
Significant world event
- The early 1990s recession had ended, and Australia was entering a period of economic recovery
- The dissolution of the Soviet Union had recently reshaped global geopolitics
Popular TV / radio in Australia
- Shows like Home and Away, Neighbours, and Hey Hey It’s Saturday remained extremely popular
- FM radio stations dominated pop and youth music culture
Significant Australian news story
- Economic recovery, employment growth, and technology adoption were major domestic themes
- Car buyers increasingly valued comfort, safety, and performance, reflected in XR6/XR8 variants alongside standard Falcons
Interesting comparisons
- The ED Falcon cost roughly 0.7–0.8 of a year’s average wage for base models, while XR variants could approach 1 year’s average wage
- The average house cost about 5 times a yearly wage
- Filling the ~70L tank in a Falcon cost about $80
- A week’s wages could buy roughly 600–620 litres of petrol
- The ED Falcon represented modern Australian family and performance cars, balancing comfort, safety, and driving pleasure