Two Captial Letter designations. What?

[Cord Fourteener]

I previously thought that the Two Capital Letter designations were a GM thing. Turns out Ford did it too, at least in Arse-Trailer (that is the Antipodean continent country down under). I've heard of Vauxhall  HA, HB and HC viva etc, Bedford QL and HC etc, Holden Commodore VE, VF, VC etc.

Why then did Ford also use the same kind of series designations using two letters? Until now I only heard of names like Fiesta, Sierra, Escort, Couga etc etc and some alpha-numerics that were really just trim levels that also kinda related to models like XR2, XR3, XR4 XR5 and XR6.

Turns out that in Arse-Trailer Ford were also using the list of designations for the Falcon posted below (and others for other models). Can anyone shed any light? Is this a cross-manufacturer thing, or some Aussie competition thing or just some random co-incidence? Edit: Just to highlight my point

	XK XL XM XP XR XT XW XY XA XB XC XD XE XF XG XH EA EB ED EF EL AU BA BF FG FG X https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiEUN6OrxSw

[Mrs6C]

Citroen has a few as well, such as: AX, BX, CX, DS, GS, LN, SM, XM...

[Cord Fourteener]

7 minutes ago, Mrs6C said:

Citroen has a few as well, such as: AX, BX, CX, DS, GS, LN, SM, XM...

True, but they were distinctly different models. Here, we are talking (mostly) about a model with a series distinction denoted by two letters. Maybe I'm being too specific though in looking for a connection?

[Heidel_Kakao]

It's not uncommon, Mazda RX7's went FB,FC,FD. Honda Civics too many to list. I guess it's just a designation system that works as well as any other you could come up with.

[Cord Fourteener]

7 minutes ago, Heidel_Kakao said:

It's not uncommon, Mazda RX7's went FB,FC,FD. Honda Civics too many to list. I guess it's just a designation system that works as well as any other you could come up with.

Yes, I think MX5s also have N A, NB, NC, no? Any others?

[Heidel_Kakao]

1 minute ago, Tim_E said:

Yes, I think MX5s also have N A, NB, NC, no? Any others?

Mazda 323 fourth generation onwards, BD,BF,BG,BH and amusingly for a childish person BJ.

[MorrisItalSLX]

Most Australian car manufacturers used the 2 letter model designation. I believe it was to differentiate the different updated/facelifted versions of the same model.

For instance the MK1 Holden Commodore had 5 different facelifts: VB, VC, VH, VK & VL, MK2 had 4: VN, VP, VR & VS, MK3 had 4: VT, VX, VY & VZ, MK4 had 2: VE & VF and the MK5 is the ZB.

Holden have always used the system, Ford started in using it in 1960, Chrysler adopted it in 1966 and continued to use it under Mitsubishi ownership until the factory closed in 2008.

BMC/BL and Toyota are the only two I can think of that did not use this system, but they both had their own designation systems used internationally.

[LightBulbFun]

Invacar Mk 12 12A 12B 12C 12D 12E  

[cort1977]

GM would also assign these codes to non-Australian captive imports, we once had an MH Holden Barina which was a Suzuki Swift.  As above, Ford and Holden would update the cars regularly (not quite annually like the US manufacturers in the 50's) and the two digit code is a handy way of keeping track.  So you ask for a 'BA Falcon' tail light at the wreckers, not a 1998 model.  It works quite well

[MorrisItalSLX]

5 minutes ago, cort1977 said:

 So you ask for a 'BA Falcon' tail light at the wreckers, not a 1998 model.  It works quite well

Especially handy when the new model was released mid year. A 1971 Kingswood could be a HG or HQ which are quite different.

[Split_Pin]

7 hours ago, MorrisItalSLX said:

 

BMC/BL and Toyota are the only two I can think of that did not use this system, but they both had their own designation systems used internationally.

All Austin/Morris commercials used 2 letter designations. LD, EA, FG, FM, FF, FJ. With the exception of the LD which was replaced by the EA, all became BMCs and were then categorised under the Leyland Redline range, made in Bathgate. The FF and FJ became the Terrier, Boxer and Mastiff (alongside similarly-cabbed Albion range made in Scotstoun) but the EA and FG designations remained until the end of production some time around the early 1980s.

[MorrisItalSLX]

All Austin/Morris commercials used 2 letter designations. LD, EA, FG, FM, FF, FJ. With the exception of the LD which was replaced by the EA, all became BMCs and were then categorised under the Leyland Redline range, made in Bathgate. The FF and FJ became the Terrier, Boxer and Mastiff (alongside similarly-cabbed Albion range made in Scotstoun) but the EA and FG designations remained until the end of production some time around the early 1980s.

I was referring to the ADO numbers, but I never knew the commercials used that system. Colour me intrigued!

[Tadhg Tiogar]

9 hours ago, MorrisItalSLX said:

....the MK1 Holden Commodore had 5 different facelifts: VB, VC, VH, VK & VL, MK2 had 4: VN, VP, VR & VS, MK3 had 4: VT, VX, VY & VZ, MK4 had 2: VE & VF and the MK5 is the ZB....

Ah, memories of the VX Commodore I hired in Australia for a month. Effortless. Stunned to lift the bonnet on day 2 and find that this was the so-called "economy" version - 3.8 litres!!

[Cord Fourteener]

Wow, thanks all. Everything I was wondering about here pretty much answered. Much obliged!