Ford Australia were screwed in 1976 with the 8 years of 85 % local content laws, and again by 1988, as by then, the Ford OHV Six had 16 years between being fielded as a 4.08" bore spacing engine with Bendix carb, Bosch ignition, and a block, crank and head which was now interchangeable with the Holden Red/Blue/Black engines. Honda making the head for Falcons from 1980 to 1992 added some extra fun into the mix. Transmissions and diffs were BW/BTR, interchangble between varous Chrysler Valiants and Leylands. I've discussed this abilty to cross over Ford, Holden and Mopar parts before. For instance, the current GM 4200 runs a 4.05" bore centre twin cam head, so you can make a Chevy headed, Holden cranked custom Ford Falcon block with either junkyard or recast parts. And even the smartest patent attorney's won't stop that. The Aussies through Kevin Sainty, Merv Waggot and Foster and Phil Irving and Duggan proved that you can remake anything with a design link to a standard production part. Blocks, heads, cranks, cams. Nissan proved that you could swap bore centers between engine families to avouid patent issues, which is why the four cylinder L14/L16/L18/20/L22 have a Ford Cortina/Escort Kent bore spacing, yet the six cylinder L 20/L24/L28's run an almost Slant Six bore spacings. They were not made with the same bore spacings, despite the high percentage of common parts. That's because Nissan was already trying to copy the Cosworth based multivalve Kent engines as high performance sixes.
Hence Holden's twin cam grey, red and blue/black motor heads are able to be slapped on Vauxhall or Ford blocks, and the F1 winning Repco Brabham was a just a Phil Irving headed 215 Buick engine with Daimler SP 250 rods, made by a Ford production engineer using Repco production facilities.
I've worked for big multi-national business for 16 as of 2009. With two movements, I had some very important design and database information that was effectively non transferable unless it was to be formed elsewhere 60% different. Patent lawyers are the best people in the world, like cross between Einstein and Alfred Ely Beach. So if well monied John Jacob Astor's of this world are kept in there place when they attempt to prevent progress, you just need a good one. A good lawyer helps you out.
There are differences between parts of the world, but generally when engineers are transferring from one company to another, there is an IP agreement which places a 5 year moratorium on non disclosure of trade secrets and designs. Although some historical 'behind closed doors' internal discussions avoided other auto makers taking new suppliers to court, there are many copies without official license. This is only tolerated when there is an internal arrangement. Examples
1. Rolls Royce stealing the Packard 352 and 376 engines, and remaking it in alloy as the 6250 and 6750 alloy engines 2 year later,as the engineer employed was ex Packard,
2. The Nissan Motor company never got taken to court for the A series knock off of the BMC A series engine because they made as many changes as possible to avoid it, but it was as much as a copy as you could get of, but they did get censored over the Bantam/Austin Seven being made illegally as the Datson.
3. The current MG 6 ( re heat of the competent Rover 75) had to be purchased from a bankrupt Austins Rover, and its Tarta company via Geely, and then a time of non production before it could be released to avoid patent, design mark and copyright infringements. There were a whole range of stipulations even a bankrupt company invoked after the 2004 collapse of Austin Rover. The car is a full copy, with more than 60% parts commonality.
4. The Holden Red motor being made on 4.08" Ford Bore spacings, with Ford suppliers components such as 1 and 2-bbl Bendix-Stromberg Technico carbs, Bosch non electronic and electronic ignition and Dodge ignition rotors.
5. The Cizeta v16t having Ferrari V8 cylinder heads
6. Ford copying the historic Jeep and Salisbury Gear HU6 and Dana 44 differential used in Jaguars, Vauxhall Cresta/Bedford CA/CF/J series, Chev Corvettes, AC Cobras and De Tomaso and Maserati rear drive cars and selling it as the 8.8 inch Ford in every bigger/higher powered Ford from 1985 to date. Internal parts between the are interchangeable between eight automakers differential housings, with some minor bolt and carrier hub changes.
7. The copy of the Austin Gypsy and Chev L6 engines on some early Japanese market Nissan and Toyota trucks. Of course, they changed more than 60% of the components to sort that out.
8. The 4 -speed gearbox in the 300G Mopar Hemi four speeds was a knocked of all syncro Ford side-valve V8 gearbox via the French Ponta Musson company, and the 153 tooth Chevy flex-plate was a Ford V8 rip off, and remains so today. But no one cared then, and don't now.
9. Lastly, the Detroit Gear/BW automatic Ford made as the multiple versions of the FMX and Cruise-O-Matic...but Ford had a gentleman arrangement, like they did with using GM Rochester 4-BBL carbs. But they didn't have BW patents to contend with when the AOD came out, despite a huge percentage of BW parts in that gearbox, because of age and the percentage of design changes.
I have worked through the legalities of making a Ford in line six myself, and Ford Australia have some major problems stemming from
1. the time since each last revision (16 years of more, free slather)
2. who the the producer of the part was(primary, secondary, tertiary supplier status, and if the part is shared with other engines)
3. and the Design mark/patent and 60% of design issues.
There's nothing to stop me getting some steel and welding together a 4.08" block in my basement, Sanity 392 Hemi style, or using three of my local grey iron casting places in Dunedin to knock off a Holden/Ford block with a detachable bell-housing adaptor and facilty for a T head cam arrangement so you can fit a Holden or Ford cam on either side of the block, and bolt a Yella Tera head or Ford log. CI , X-FLOW, AU-FG Twin cam or GM 4200 head on that block. If I lopped of 1 or two cylinders, I could make a twin cam 4 or 5 cylinder engine. All in my basement.
That's why Ford Australia shouldn't opt out of engine production, because it would soon end up unprotected, and in the wrong hands.
Hence Holden's twin cam grey, red and blue/black motor heads are able to be slapped on Vauxhall or Ford blocks, and the F1 winning Repco Brabham was a just a Phil Irving headed 215 Buick engine with Daimler SP 250 rods, made by a Ford production engineer using Repco production facilities.
I've worked for big multi-national business for 16 as of 2009. With two movements, I had some very important design and database information that was effectively non transferable unless it was to be formed elsewhere 60% different. Patent lawyers are the best people in the world, like cross between Einstein and Alfred Ely Beach. So if well monied John Jacob Astor's of this world are kept in there place when they attempt to prevent progress, you just need a good one. A good lawyer helps you out.
There are differences between parts of the world, but generally when engineers are transferring from one company to another, there is an IP agreement which places a 5 year moratorium on non disclosure of trade secrets and designs. Although some historical 'behind closed doors' internal discussions avoided other auto makers taking new suppliers to court, there are many copies without official license. This is only tolerated when there is an internal arrangement. Examples
1. Rolls Royce stealing the Packard 352 and 376 engines, and remaking it in alloy as the 6250 and 6750 alloy engines 2 year later,as the engineer employed was ex Packard,
2. The Nissan Motor company never got taken to court for the A series knock off of the BMC A series engine because they made as many changes as possible to avoid it, but it was as much as a copy as you could get of, but they did get censored over the Bantam/Austin Seven being made illegally as the Datson.
3. The current MG 6 ( re heat of the competent Rover 75) had to be purchased from a bankrupt Austins Rover, and its Tarta company via Geely, and then a time of non production before it could be released to avoid patent, design mark and copyright infringements. There were a whole range of stipulations even a bankrupt company invoked after the 2004 collapse of Austin Rover. The car is a full copy, with more than 60% parts commonality.
4. The Holden Red motor being made on 4.08" Ford Bore spacings, with Ford suppliers components such as 1 and 2-bbl Bendix-Stromberg Technico carbs, Bosch non electronic and electronic ignition and Dodge ignition rotors.
5. The Cizeta v16t having Ferrari V8 cylinder heads
6. Ford copying the historic Jeep and Salisbury Gear HU6 and Dana 44 differential used in Jaguars, Vauxhall Cresta/Bedford CA/CF/J series, Chev Corvettes, AC Cobras and De Tomaso and Maserati rear drive cars and selling it as the 8.8 inch Ford in every bigger/higher powered Ford from 1985 to date. Internal parts between the are interchangeable between eight automakers differential housings, with some minor bolt and carrier hub changes.
7. The copy of the Austin Gypsy and Chev L6 engines on some early Japanese market Nissan and Toyota trucks. Of course, they changed more than 60% of the components to sort that out.
8. The 4 -speed gearbox in the 300G Mopar Hemi four speeds was a knocked of all syncro Ford side-valve V8 gearbox via the French Ponta Musson company, and the 153 tooth Chevy flex-plate was a Ford V8 rip off, and remains so today. But no one cared then, and don't now.
9. Lastly, the Detroit Gear/BW automatic Ford made as the multiple versions of the FMX and Cruise-O-Matic...but Ford had a gentleman arrangement, like they did with using GM Rochester 4-BBL carbs. But they didn't have BW patents to contend with when the AOD came out, despite a huge percentage of BW parts in that gearbox, because of age and the percentage of design changes.
I have worked through the legalities of making a Ford in line six myself, and Ford Australia have some major problems stemming from
1. the time since each last revision (16 years of more, free slather)
2. who the the producer of the part was(primary, secondary, tertiary supplier status, and if the part is shared with other engines)
3. and the Design mark/patent and 60% of design issues.
There's nothing to stop me getting some steel and welding together a 4.08" block in my basement, Sanity 392 Hemi style, or using three of my local grey iron casting places in Dunedin to knock off a Holden/Ford block with a detachable bell-housing adaptor and facilty for a T head cam arrangement so you can fit a Holden or Ford cam on either side of the block, and bolt a Yella Tera head or Ford log. CI , X-FLOW, AU-FG Twin cam or GM 4200 head on that block. If I lopped of 1 or two cylinders, I could make a twin cam 4 or 5 cylinder engine. All in my basement.
That's why Ford Australia shouldn't opt out of engine production, because it would soon end up unprotected, and in the wrong hands.