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71-531: Produced across three generations, the Escort was the first world car developed by Ford, with the first-generation American Escort designed alongside Ford of Europe, who transitioned the Escort Mk III to front-wheel drive. During its production, the Escort also underwent a wide use of platform sharing and rebranding. The first generation served as the basis of the longer-wheelbase Ford Tempo/Mercury Topaz ,

142-472: A 1.3 L engine was designed and a prototype made, but did not see production due to lack of power and an inability to get it certified. The launch version of the hemi overhead cam inline-four produces 65 hp (48 kW). It was paired with four-speed MTX-2 and five-speed MTX-3 manual transmissions, and a three-speed ATX/FLC automatic transmission. For 1982 models, the engine was tuned to 69 hp (51 kW). In March 1982 an HO (high output) version of

213-545: A Nova SS, was available in South Africa . Unlike the contemporary Nova, it was built as a hardtop , without fixed #2 or B-pillars or frames around the door glass. Similar to Middle Eastern market, Holden Commodore-based Chevrolet Lumina SS was also offered in South Africa as sedan and also as ute until 2012. Classics: New Era: Classics: Modern Era: In 2003, Chevrolet released a concept car they named

284-617: A Sunday and which can carry our pigs to market on Mondays.” The Volkswagen Beetle was a success worldwide due to affordability and economy. To a lesser extent, its European contemporaries succeeded in global markets with the original Mini and Citroën 2CV . The Toyota Corolla and Nissan Sunny were two of the first passenger cars from Japan to be popular worldwide, thanks to a combination of durability and economy. The 1970s energy crisis saw Japanese and European manufacturers make inroads worldwide as American and Australian manufacturers focused on larger and less fuel-efficient cars. In

355-502: A close-ratio four-speed gearbox. Also included were metric TR sport alloy wheels with Michelin TRX tires, fog lights, and front and rear spoilers. For 1983, the GT received a fuel-injected 1.6-litre engine, raising output to 88 hp (66 kW); the engine was now also paired to a 5-speed manual transmission. A Turbo GT was introduced, increasing output to 120 hp (89 kW). For 1984,

426-574: A coupe variant of the Escort. The first production two-seat Ford since the Thunderbird , the EXP was developed with a sportier exterior appearance (but few performance upgrades) over the standard three-door liftback. The EXP was sold by Lincoln-Mercury from 1982 to 1983 as the Mercury LN7, differing slightly in grille and hatchback design. Following the 1985 update of the Escort, the EXP underwent

497-683: A five-door counterpart of the Lynx RS (Escort GT). Alongside the Escort, the Lynx underwent a mid-1985 body revision. Distinguished by the addition of the "cascading" Mercury emblem replacing the "big cat" logo (used by the Mercury Cougar), the Lynx received an all-black grille between flush-mounted aerodynamic headlamps. For 1986, the Lynx RS was renamed the XR3 to align it with the Cougar XR7 (and

568-567: A five-door hatchback was introduced in May 1981. To showcase its "world car" status, Ford designed an Escort badge for the front fenders including a globe representing the earth; this badge was used for 1981 only. In line with the larger Fairmont and LTD Crown Victoria station wagons, the Escort wagon was offered with an imitation woodgrain Squire package in the GL and GLX trims. For 1982, the exterior received

639-563: A minor revision, as the model badging was revised to reflect the adoption of the Ford Blue Oval emblem on the North American product lines. Along with an updated grille, the blue oval also replaced the previous "FORD" lettering on the liftgate. The "SS" package was also available during 1981; this included blacked-out trim, a special stripe and decal package, upgraded brakes, and wider tires but no additional power. The SS package

710-401: A peak of 6.1 percent in 1981 to 0.37 percent in 1986). Less than 1.2 percent of Escort/Lynx overall sales were diesels. The Escort's engines received a slightly revised camshaft and roller lifters along with the mid-1988 revision; power of the standard model was unchanged but the GT went up slightly, to 110 hp (82 kW). Introduced for 1982, the two-seat Ford EXP (later Escort EXP) was

781-502: A restyling, becoming the Escort EXP. Distinguished by the adoption of the front fascia from the liftback Escort, the two-seat coupe adopted a more subdued appearance. The variant was discontinued after the 1988 model year; as consumer demand shifted away from two-seat vehicles, Ford sought to concentrate its resources on the four-seat Ford Probe (which began development as the intended 1989 Ford Mustang). For 1981, Ford introduced

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852-475: A revision of the first-generation Escort. While much of the bodyshell was carried over, the front fascia saw extensive aerodynamic revisions, with designers fitting a smaller grille and flush-mounted aerodynamic headlamps, and the 1.6 L engine was replaced with a more powerful 1.9 L. Chrome trim was now largely relegated to the bumpers. In a trim revision, the Escort Pony became the lowest-price version of

923-612: A running change during the 1982 model year, the Escort SS was renamed the Escort GT. In addition to removing conflict with the Chevrolet SS option package , the change aligned the model nomenclature with the namesake Mustang GT (with Ford offering the Escort GT solely as a three-door). Aside from the new HO engine, the GT featured cosmetic changes such as "GT" emblems and stripes, while under the shell there were improved brakes and

994-599: A single model architecture. Intended for a 1981 model launch, the original intent was for the American Escort and the European Mk III Escort to share a common chassis architecture and components. During model development, American and European design teams diverged in thinking, leading to extensive differences in the final product lines. Though they share the same basic shape, the 1981 Ford Escort and Escort Mk III share no interchangeable body parts;

1065-420: A standard 5-speed manual transmission; a 4-speed automatic was offered with the 1.9L engine as an option. The 1.9-litre engine was one of the first Ford engines to feature distributorless ignition (known as EDIS, Electronic Distributorless Ignition System ). The Ford Escort GT was fitted with four-wheel disc brakes. For 1991 , Ford introduced the second-generation Escort under Pony, LX, and GT trims, returning

1136-628: A successful attempt that saw them surpass the Accord and Ford Taurus for best-selling passenger car in the United States, and Honda launched a bespoke Accord for the North American market in 1997 that was not sold in Japan or Europe. Models in the C-segment have usually shared a platform worldwide, with minimal styling changes for each market they are sold in. The most successful C-segment car

1207-566: A world car program is to save costs and increase quality by standardizing parts and design for a single vehicle in a certain class, in hopes of using the cost savings to deliver a superior product that satisfies expectations for quality, appeal and performance of automobile buyers worldwide. Examples include the Ford Mondeo and Focus , modern no-frills cars such as the Fiat Palio , Dacia Logan and VW Fox along with luxury cars such as

1278-451: Is more difficult to tell the difference between a genuine SS and a "clone", a non-SS vehicle that has been altered to look like an SS. Because of the number of SS clones in the marketplace, potential buyers are advised to do their research and contact their local car clubs for help to ensure that the vehicle is a true SS by running the VIN codes and casting numbers on the engine (this also includes

1349-883: Is the Toyota Corolla . The Ford Mondeo was the first modern attempt by an automaker to make a mainstream D-segment car, billed as a "world car", that was specifically designed to be successful in both the United States and Europe. It succeeded the Ford Sierra in Europe and the Ford Tempo in North America . Despite being a global design initially, world cars have to have specific changes made per national laws/regulations, or cultural differences / market tastes where these are divergent. For example, fuel prices vary greatly in different countries, and this affects

1420-568: The BMW 3 Series and Lexus LS . In the pioneering days of the automotive industry , automobiles were primarily designed for the local market that the manufacturer was based in, such as the Ford Model T , which was engineered to cope with the rural lifestyle and rugged terrain that most automobile buyers in the United States had to contend with in the early days of the automobile. However,

1491-581: The Golf offers multiple trim levels, compared to North America where it is only available in two versions, and sold as a premium hatchback rather than a workaday family car as in Europe. Super Sport (Chevrolet) Super Sport , or SS , is the signature performance option package offered by the Chevrolet division of General Motors on a limited number of its vehicles. All SS models come with distinctive "SS" markings on their exterior. The SS package

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1562-778: The Holden Ute range of two-door coupé utilities . In December 1956, Chevrolet unveiled a show car based on the first generation ( C1 ) Corvette called the Corvette Super Sport . In early 1957, the Chevrolet Corvette SS debuted — a custom built racing sports car that was the first Chevrolet to wear the SS badge. In 1961, the SS "kit" (known as a sport and appearance package) was offered on any Impala for just $ 53.80. The package included Super Sport trim for both

1633-546: The Mazda 323 /Protegé. Again using front-wheel drive, the wheelbase expanded to 98.4 inches (almost within an inch of the Tempo). To improve handling stability, a rear anti-sway bar was added to the rear suspension. In another design change, the Escort adopted independent rear suspension. The Escort shared its body with the third-generation Ford Laser, introduced in Japan in 1989. The two model lines are nearly identical in appearance;

1704-617: The Nissan Laurel and Toyota Soarer . Buoyed by exports to the United States, Volkswagen opened a plant in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in 1978. Honda , Nissan , Toyota along with an Isuzu-Subaru joint venture also opened plants in the United States during the 1980s, while their Japanese compatriots Mazda , Suzuki and Mitsubishi Motors partnered with their American affiliates, Ford, General Motors and Chrysler , respectively, to create joint ventures in

1775-734: The 1980s, compacts including the Beetle evolved into the C-segment , featuring vehicles such as the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Escort , along with the supermini class such as the Opel Corsa and Fiat Panda , which has become the leading segment in the European car market. Japanese domestic market vehicles increasingly focused on performance or luxury, featuring exclusive vehicles or variants of existing cars unique to Japan, such as

1846-679: The 1989 and 1990 model years. As Ford was gearing up for the April 1990 introduction of the next generation Escort, this version was only built at the Edison Assembly plant in New Jersey for the abbreviated 1990 model year. Developed for the Escort on both sides of the Atlantic, the CVH inline-four engine family was introduced in a 1.6-litre displacement alone for the North American market;

1917-584: The 2002 model year. In contrast to the first-generation American Escort and Escort Mk III of Ford of Europe (and the Mondeo/Contour and Mercury Mystique), the Focus adopted a much larger degree of commonality between its European and North American variants, in effect, becoming the original world car Ford had originally envisioned with the Escort. During its entire production, the Escort was produced by Wayne Stamping & Assembly in ( Wayne, Michigan ) and

1988-526: The Escort GT (and Lynx RS) during the 1984 model year. As part of the mid-1985 model-year revision, the 1.6-litre engine was enlarged to 1.9 litres, increasing output to 86 hp (64 kW); the high output GT engine offered 108 hp (81 kW) thanks to revised intake manifolds, cylinder heads and real headers. The GT was available only with manual transmissions, and the Turbo GT was retired. Estimates state that only about 1,000 Turbo GTs were built in

2059-519: The Escort GT and the EXP. For liftback/wagon Escorts, the unnamed base model was dropped, leaving the L trim as standard. For 1984, the trim levels were revised further, as the GLX was dropped and replaced with a fuel-injected LX model. Offered for the five-door hatchback or wagon, the LX was fitted with the fuel-injected engine of the GT, along with its blackout trim and styled cast-aluminum wheels. The interior of

2130-447: The Escort GT was largely carryover, with the Turbo GT lasting into the first half of 1985 production. For the 1985 1 ⁄ 2 revision of the Escort, the GT initially went on hiatus, returning for the 1986 model year. Alongside the standard Escort, the 1.6 was replaced by a 1.9-litre fuel-injected engine, with the GT receiving a higher-output 108 hp (81 kW) version thereof. Distinguished by its body-color asymmetrical grille,

2201-405: The Escort SS as a performance-oriented version of the model line, offered as both a three-door liftback and five-door station wagon. Externally distinguished by blacked-out trim, special stripes and SS decals, the Escort SS also received upgraded brakes, suspension, and model-specific seats and full instrumentation. The drivetrain was unchanged; 6,842 Escort SS were built for the 1981 model year. As

Ford Escort (North America) - Misplaced Pages Continue

2272-539: The Escort too by 1991. In April 1990, Ford released the second-generation Ford Escort as an early introduction for the 1991 model year. Again a "world car" like the previous generation, the model line shifted away from its Ford of Europe origins, adopting a design from Mazda (at the time, 25-percent owned by Ford). Adopting mechanical commonality with the Mazda 323, the Escort became the American-market version of

2343-427: The Escort was revised, introducing a new dashboard and new rubber shift boots for manual transmissions; automatic models received new gear selector levers with straight lines for gear selection instead of the twisting "question mark" pattern of the previous models. In line with other Fords, activation of the horn was moved from the turn signal stalk to the steering wheel. Debuting as a "1985½" model change, Ford released

2414-594: The GL, while the Escort Pony replaced the Standard and L versions. Finding some popularity during the final three years of this generation was the Pony model, which was the least-expensive U.S.-built Ford prior to the introduction of the Ford Festiva . Pony models used plainer interior trim with greater use of vinyl and plastic instead of cloth, and four-speed manual transaxles were standard, although buyers could opt for

2485-421: The GT continued its use of 15-inch wheels. For non-wagon LXs, a "Sport Appearance" option package was introduced; along with 14-inch alloy wheels, the option included a decklid spoiler and the full-width taillamps used by the GT. For 1994 , a driver-side airbag became standard. For 1995 , dual airbags becane standard for 1995, requiring a redesign of the dashboard, with the motorized seat belts were retained on

2556-540: The GT received another grille revision, and stayed unchanged for 1990. The first-generation Ford Escort was marketed by Lincoln-Mercury as the Mercury Lynx. The successor to the Mercury Bobcat , the Lynx also adopted a nameplate derived from big cats . Sharing its entire body with the Escort, the Lynx differed from its Ford counterpart primarily in its grille styling, parking light and taillamp lenses, and

2627-517: The GT received body-color bumpers (integrating the foglamps), 15-inch alloy wheels, body sill skirts, and optional two-tone paint (similar to the Merkur ). While 1987 was largely carryover, the GT underwent a second facelift midway through the 1988 model year alongside the standard Escort 3-door. The 1988 1 ⁄ 2 Escort GT replaced the asymmetrical grille with a body-color insert and new rear spoiler, while power climbed by two horsepower. For 1989,

2698-842: The Model T was perhaps the first world car, with knock-down kits being assembled in locations such as Canada , England and Argentina . The two largest manufacturers at the time, Ford Motor Company and General Motors (GM), both of the United States, were focused on expanding globally, with General Motors either acquiring or partnering with local automobile manufacturers, such as Opel of Germany , Vauxhall of England and Holden of Australia , while Ford created overseas subsidiaries such as Ford of Germany , Ford of Britain and Ford Australia . Both Ford and GM's overseas subsidiaries would later develop their own line of bespoke automobiles independently of their American parents. In 1933, Ford introduced their first car designed for European tastes that

2769-674: The North American market, including the Capri and the Mk I Fiesta , but these were single products conceived from the beginning to cater for both markets, not world cars. Following the success of the smaller Fiesta, the new vehicle was to adopt a front-wheel drive powertrain. The program intended to consolidate the replacements for the North American Ford Pinto and the European Ford Escort Mk II under

2840-544: The SS package has been used on a variety of GM vehicles, including pickup trucks , four-door sedans , and front wheel drive cars. Both historically and today, the Super Sport package has typically included high-performance tires, heavy-duty suspension, and increased power, along with a variety of other performance and appearance upgrades. For a short period of time in the early 1970s, a Holden Monaro –based "Chevrolet SS" model, similar in design, size and drivetrain to

2911-424: The SS. A rear wheel drive sports car with a modern 430 hp small-block V8 engine and race-tuned suspension, it was billed as "a modern interpretation of Chevrolet's Super Sport heritage". Though never intended for production, the vehicle was used as a show car and to hint at what was ahead for Chevrolet sports car design. It is usually easy to visually differentiate an SS from a "plain-Jane" model. However, it

Ford Escort (North America) - Misplaced Pages Continue

2982-505: The US-market models through 1996. For 1996 , the Escort saw few changes as the third generation was introduced for 1997. The restyle dropped the hatchbacks and added a new sporty coupe for the 1998 model year. The Escort sedan and wagon used the lower-powered CVH SPI2000 engine with 110 hp (82 kW). There are subtle differences in the Escort sedan from 1996 to 2002. The trim lines for 1997 were base and LX, for 1998–2002 it

3053-570: The choice of engine fitted. One vehicle that is an example of this is the Volkswagen Golf (currently sold in the Mk VI version), offered only with a 2.5-litre 5-cylinder petrol in the United States and Canada, but in Europe, it has 1.4, 1.4 TSI turbo , 1.6, 2.0, 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder and 3.2 V6 petrol and 1.9 SDI diesel and 2.0 TDI turbodiesel engines. The differences between market needs are not just reflected by equipment levels. In Europe

3124-601: The engine replaced the previous throttle-body fuel injection with a sequential configuration (SEFI); to allow for a lower hoodline, the engine was tilted forward. The Escort GT dropped the CVH engine, replacing it with the Mazda-sourced 127 hp DOHC BP 1.8L I4 (shared with the Mazda Protegé LX and Mazda MX-5 ). The 4-speed manual and 3-speed automatic transmissions were dropped. Both engines were paired with

3195-544: The engine was added, originally only in the EXP and with an automatic transmission, but soon thereafter available with a manual and also in the sporting Escort GT (which had replaced the SS). This unit produces 80 hp (60 kW), thanks to a higher compression ratio, a new exhaust system, and larger venturis in the carburetor. Multi-port fuel injection increased the output of the HO engine to 88 hp (66 kW) for 1983. The 1983 GT

3266-623: The eventual Topaz XR5). The Lynx was retired after 1987, but was replaced by the Mazda 323 -derived Mercury Tracer model which was sold alongside it for much of the year. The first Mercury sold without a Ford counterpart (in North America) since 1960, the Mexican- and Taiwanese-assembled Tracer shared its body with the Asian-market Ford Laser, sharing much of its chassis architecture with the Mazda 323/Familia, as would

3337-635: The first generation was also produced by Edison Assembly in ( Edison, New Jersey ), San Jose Assembly Plant in ( Milpitas, California ), and Oakville Assembly in ( Oakville, Ontario, Canada ) while the second and third generations were also produced by Hermosillo Stamping and Assembly in ( Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico ). The North American Ford Escort began as an intended " world car " project by Ford in North America and Ford of Europe , which had sold cars branded "Ford Escort" since 1968. Ford had already tried to market some of its European models in

3408-656: The five-door Escort station wagon was styled with vertical taillamps (in line with the larger Taurus); following the discontinuation of the LTD Country Squire , the Escort wagon now served as half of the Ford station wagon line. While the Laser shared powertrain offerings with the Mazda Familia/323, the Escort carried over the 1.9L CVH inline-four (retuned to 88 hp) from the previous generation. For 1991,

3479-414: The five-speed manual or the three-speed ATX automatic. The list of available options was very limited, to the extent that such luxuries as power steering and factory-installed air conditioning were not offered (a dealer-installed A/C system was available). Given their lighter weight, the Pony models also had somewhat better fuel economy than the regular Escorts. The 88.5 Escort remained largely unchanged for

3550-656: The grille oval around the Ford emblem was enlarged in size. In a trim change, the base-trim Pony was dropped for the last trim, becoming an unnamed standard trim Escort. For the first time, a four-door Escort sedan was introduced, with the LX-E trim serving as the Ford counterpart of the Mazda Protegé LX and four-door Escort GT (equipped with four-wheel disc brakes, larger front brakes, larger clutch, equal-length driveshafts, larger anti-roll bars, dual-outlet exhaust, sport interior, and 1.8L DOHC engine). For 1993 , 1.9-litre Escorts moved from 13-inch to 14-inch wheels (last used in 1990);

3621-414: The interior and exterior, chassis reinforcements, stronger springs and shocks, power brakes, spinner wheel covers, and narrow-band whitewall tires. The car's dashboard received a Corvette style passenger hand bar and a steering column mounted 7000-rpm tachometer. Chevrolet built 491,000 Impalas that year and 453 had the SS package, of which 311 received the 348 cid and 142 received the 409 cid . Since 1994,

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3692-454: The lucrative North American market. The Honda Accord was the first vehicle from a foreign brand that became the top selling car in the United States in 1989. From then on, Japanese manufacturers designed their midsize sedans to primarily appeal to the lucrative family sedan sector in the United States, with their sales in Japan and other markets an afterthought. Toyota launched the first Camry that exceeded Japanese width restrictions in 1991,

3763-434: The model line, replacing the Escort L entirely for 1986. The Mazda diesel engine continued to be available in the five-door hatchback versions of the Lynx and Escort until discontinued after 1987. For 1987, the trim lineup was simplified to a three-version range, including the Pony, GL, and GT. The Pony and GT were offered solely as a three-doors; the GL was offered as a three-door, five-door, and wagon. The model year also saw

3834-488: The only common components between the two vehicles are the CVH inline-4 engine and the ATX automatic transmission. The suspension is the same basic design between both cars, but again the components are not interchangeable. While sharing a common 94.2 inch wheelbase, the American Escort is longer and wider than the European version; most versions are fitted with a larger amount of chrome exterior trim typical of American vehicles of

3905-437: The partial 1984 model year, it is unknown how many early 1985s were made. For 1987, the standard Escort adopted throttle-body fuel injection, dropping the carburetor; output again inched up to 90 hp (67 kW). The model year also saw the retirement of the diesel engine, discontinued due to low demand as American buyers largely gave up on diesel-engined cars during the 1980s (the proportion of diesel sales overall went from

3976-471: The period, and the altered proportions gave the car a heavier and more ungainly appearance than its European sister. In Europe, the Escort was produced in three body styles never developed for North America, including a 3-door station wagon, 2-door convertible, and a 2-door van. The European version also had a 4-door sedan derivative marketed separately under the Orion nameplate. The first-generation Ford Escort

4047-453: The previous three-door and five-door hatchbacks and five-door station wagon. While growing in wheelbase, the Escort saw only negligible growth in overall size, gaining less than two inches in length and approximately 100 pounds of weight. The US-market models have the automatic shoulder belts, while the Canadian market models (except for the GT and the sedan models until 1993) have the manual shoulder belts. For 1992 , to improve engine cooling,

4118-404: The rear side windows were enlarged, and the rear-end design was more rounded. Larger, 14 inch wheels replaced 13 inch units on non-GTs and to accommodate passive-restraint regulations, the Escort received automatic shoulder safety belts. Three-door hatchback models had curving window lines along the sides towards the rear of the cars. The Escort EXP was discontinued and the LX trim replaced

4189-402: The retirement of the Mercury Lynx, replaced by the Mercury Tracer during 1987 (a rebranded Ford Laser, itself derived from the Mazda 323). 1987 was also the last year the Escort was built in Canada. The Escort saw a second facelift in mid-1988, commonly referred to as the "88.5" year, which smoothed out the front and rear fascias. The integrated plastic bumpers replaced the metal bumpers, while

4260-446: The standard Escort was styled with a grille insert styled in line with the Ford Taurus and places the rear license plate between the taillamps (the Laser, into the rear bumper). The Escort sedan was styled with a body-color C-pillar, with black trim for the Laser (a design adopted for higher-trim Mercury Tracer sedans). In line with the previous generation, the Escort GT again adopted an asymmetrical grille insert. Unique to North America,

4331-450: The third generation served as an extensive redesign of the previous-generation sedan; the Escort ZX2 two-door was introduced, with the Mercury Tracer adopting a similar redesign. Ford introduced the Ford Focus in North America for 2000 as its third "world car", phasing it in as the successor of the Escort. After 2000, the four-door Escort was moved primarily to fleet sales (with the coupe remaining available); production ended entirely after

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4402-404: The third-generation Ford Laser (introduced in 1989). In North America, the Mercury Tracer now shared design commonality with the Escort. In a major design change, a four-door sedan joined the model line for the 1992 model year, sharing its underpinnings with the Mazda Protegé . The second-generation Ford Escort adopted the Mazda B platform (BG); in North America, the chassis was also used by

4473-409: The two-seat Ford EXP/Mercury LN7 and was rebranded as the Mercury Lynx. The second generation was introduced for 1991, growing into the compact segment. Moving away from a shared design with Ford of Europe, the Escort now shared a platform with the Mazda 323 and sharing a body with the Ford Laser (a model line sold in Asia and Oceania); the Mercury Lynx was replaced by the Mercury Tracer. For 1997,

4544-494: The use of additional chrome trim. Similar to the Escort, the Lynx was introduced in base, L, GL, GS, LS, and RS trims; the Mercury LN7 was the divisional counterpart of the Ford EXP. A late addition for the 1983 model year, Mercury introduced the Lynx LTS (Luxury Touring Sedan) in October 1982. The counterpart of the Escort LX, the HO engine equipped LTS was also fitted with blacked-out exterior trim, TRX aluminum wheels, low-back bucket cloth seats, and upgraded suspension, serving as

4615-412: The year. A basketweave type of wheel was put on the Tracer Trio while a flower petal pattern was used on the Tracer Sport. The Sport/Trio package included aluminum wheels, a sport exhaust tip, a tachometer and a rear decklid spoiler. World car A world car is a car platform designed to suit the needs of global automotive markets with minimal changes in each market where it is sold. The goal of

4686-426: Was first made available for the 1961 Impala . Some of the other models bearing the SS badge include the Camaro , Chevelle , El Camino , Impala , Monte Carlo , Nova and Chevrolet Pickup Trucks. Current SS models are produced by the GM Performance Division . General Motors's also offered SS models through its Australian subsidiary Holden in its range of Holden Commodore sedans and sportwagons, and also in

4757-484: Was launched on October 3, 1980, for the 1981 model year, with Lincoln-Mercury marketing the model line as the Mercury Lynx. Sharing a nearly identical wheelbase with the Pinto, the Escort grew in size over its predecessor, nearly six inches longer and over three inches taller. Alongside an unnamed base trim, the Escort was marketed in L, GL, GLX, and SS trim levels. For 1981, the Escort was initially introduced with three-door hatchback and five-door station wagon body styles;

4828-474: Was not sold in the United States, the Ford Model Y , developed by Ford of Britain, and also manufactured by Ford of Germany as the Ford Köln . General Motors responded with the Opel 1.2 litre , developed by GM in the United States but exclusively built and sold in Europe. This would begin the divergence of vehicles sold by Ford and General Motors worldwide. In Australia, the Coupé utility was beginning to catch on in popularity, as “a vehicle to go to church in on

4899-410: Was offered in LX and SE trims. For 1999, the reverse lights were moved into the same piece as the tail lamps; they were previously below the tail lamp on the body. A very rare trim package was offered in 1999 with chrome 14 in (36 cm) wheel covers and other features. The Escort was offered in a "Sport" package as well. The Mercury Tracer's version was called the "Trio" or "Sport" depending on

4970-445: Was replaced with the (more powerful) Escort GT the following year due to an interaction with General Motors' Chevrolet SS option package . The Ford EXP was introduced as a two-seat hatchback coupe (see below). Starting at a price of $ 5,518, the 1982 Escort became the best-selling Ford model line and the best-selling automobile nameplate in the United States. For 1983, the exterior was largely carryover, with most changes concentrated to

5041-418: Was the first US Escort to be offered with a 5-speed manual transmission. For 1984, two new engines were introduced. A Mazda-sourced, 2.0-litre diesel inline-four producing 52 hp (39 kW) became available on non-GT Escort/Lynx trims; in contrast to the diesel, a turbocharged version of the 1.6-litre four raised output to 120 hp (89 kW) for the EXP Turbo. The turbo engine then found its way into

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