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44-641: The Ford Taunus is a family car that was sold by Ford Germany throughout Europe. Models from 1970 onward were built on the same basic construction as the Ford Cortina MkIII in the United Kingdom, and later on, the two car models were essentially the same , differing almost only in the placement of the steering wheel. The model line was named after the Taunus mountain range in Germany, and

88-598: A Ford 20M RS won the Safari and occasionally a Capri was seen with works involvement. This is the last specifically German Ford. In early 1972, it is replaced by the new Consul and Granada . In 1970 a new Taunus, the Taunus Cortina (TC), was introduced. Ford offered a two- or four-door sedan or a five-door station wagon/estate (identified like previous Taunus estates as the Turnier ). Between 1970 and 1975, for

132-561: A fake air scoop on the bonnet and a new, bigger engine. The engines of the 17M/20M P5 were continued, with only one addition on the top end. It was the Shrinking sales of the P7 forced Ford to offer a restyled car only one year later, and the new car was again called P7. Rear lights again mounted on corners. Here, to avoid confusion, it was called P7.2 , sometimes it is called P7b . The name "Taunus" no longer used. The 26M, introduced in 1969,

176-693: A habit that Ford would find hard to break in the ensuring decades. Around the time the Taunus P2 was replaced by the Taunus P3 tail fins abruptly fell out of fashion even in the USA, which was generally seen as the country that had invented them. The Baroque Taunus had attracted adverse comment for its over-ornate styling even while in production, and the modern clean design shaped for the P3 by Ford’s new styling guru, Uwe Bahnsen , invited unfavourable comparisons between

220-506: A minority shareholding in the Simca business until 1958, the P2's French cousin, despite having been developed when the business was under Ford control, was in most markets badged as a Simca. The Vedette had pioneered an independent front suspension system that involved incorporating an oil filled shock absorber within a spring in a manner intended to dampen the excessively rapid vertical movement of

264-491: A new body and new engines. The 17M now gets a V4 engine: New 20M gets a V6 engine with 1.8 litres and 82 hp, or 2.0 litres (1998 cc) and 85 or 90 hp (63 or 66 kW) with a top speed of 158 or 161 km/h (99 or 101 mph). Again, it was a good selling car. For the new Ford P7 , there was a new body; engines and platform were carried over from the P5. Rear lights were no longer mounted at corners. The 20M-model had

308-465: A relatively low cost, but the shock settings on the Baroque Taunus nevertheless must have contributed to its informally awarded “Flying carpet” title The P2 came as a two- or four-door sedan/saloon. A three-door station wagon was also offered together with a van, which was in effect a station wagon with the side windows to the rear of the b-pillars replaced by steel panelling. The deluxe version

352-541: A simple steel spring. The resulting unit later became known as a MacPherson strut , and starting in 1951 with the British Ford Consul , Ford would fit them to many mainstream models produced by their German and British factories. The 1957 Taunus P2 was the first car from Ford Germany to feature a front end suspension configuration using MacPherson struts. The MacPherson strut arrangement would become known for combining good road holding and passenger comfort for

396-787: A starting point for the first Hyundai Stellar which succeeded the Cortina line in South Korea, handing over some major technical components such as the steering rack and the transmission propelling shaft to the otherwise non-Ford successor. In 1982 production of the Taunus ceased in Europe; it was replaced by the Ford Sierra . The Sierra carried over the Cortina/Taunus OHC Pinto Engines and RWD configuration but

440-567: A style similar to American 1955 Fords , featuring substantial (at least by European standards) tailfins . The transatlantic flamboyance of the car's styling gained it the sobriquet "Baroque Taunus", showing styling influences from the North American Mercury Monterey of the same time period. Unusually for middle-class German cars of this period, it was available with either two or four doors. The competition noticed, and from 1959, buying an Opel Rekord with four doors

484-581: A welcome boost to the company’s domestic market share at a time when its only other mainstream model, the Ford Taunus P1 was lagging badly in the marketplace. However, during the same three-year period Opel produced 817,003 of their Opel Olympia Rekord model which competed in almost the same class. Coming second to General Motors in the high volume market segments in West Germany (which would soon be Europe’s largest national auto-market) became

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528-499: Is the top-of-the-line version with a new bigger engine (2.6 litres), bigger brakes, dual headlights, power steering, and the most luxurious trim level. V6-engines were slightly revised. The engine programme is enlarged; now, two base engines (V4 and V6) in six displacement sizes and nine power stages are available: The Ford 20M RS Coupé was made in Germany as a (2300 S) P7b and (2600) P7b. In the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon , Ford entered three Ford 20M RS from Germany and Belgium. In 1969,

572-512: The Ford Cologne V6 engine , which is basically the same engine design with two extra cylinders added. The 12, 15, 17, etc. numbers refer to the engine displacement ; 1200, 1500, 1700 cc, etc. However, a few exceptions from that rule were made, such as 17M 1800, which was powered by the V6 in its smallest displacement and the 20M 2300S (in the later P7 series), which used a 2.3-l version of

616-683: The Baroque Taunus was replaced with the Bathtub Taunus (Badewanne). The application of affectionately disrespectful names to Ford’s German models seems by now to have become a habit for the German press. In terms of the company’s own nomenclatures 1960 was the year that the Ford Taunus P2 was replaced by the Ford Taunus P3 . Between 1957 and 1960 Ford produced 239,978 Taunus P2s. 45,468 of these were station wagons. This provided

660-469: The British Occupation had ended. In total, 7,128 pre-war Taunuses (G93A) were made, including estate cars and light vans, followed by 76,590 post-war models (G73A). From 1952 to 1968, all German Fords were called the Taunus, using the model names 12M, 15M, 17M, 20M, and 26M (on some Scandinavian markets, for a short while the branding 10M was used on a slightly better-equipped export version of

704-488: The Cortina Mk III and their successors have been produced in slightly updated forms in Europe, Argentina and widely across Asia by Ford or their local co-operators. Cortinas were also built in small numbers starting with the predecessor Cortina Mk II throughout the model series' European/east Asian lifespan under license by Korean automaker Hyundai. This led to the Cortina 80 at the end of its production life serving as

748-508: The Deluxe version that had the same styling as the American counterpart. The Taunus P2 seems to have been developed in close collaboration with Ford of France , and it closely resembled that company's Vedette model which itself emerged with enlarged tailfins in 1957. However, in 1954 Ford had sold a majority holding in its strike prone French operation to Simca , and although Ford retained

792-421: The Ford Taunus P2. The sharp “markers” atop the four wings of the car did nevertheless confer a practical benefit by making it very easy to determine, from the driver's seat, precisely where the car ended. The forward ones also positioned the turn signals high and in a spot where they could be seen through more than 180 degrees. For buyers who found a standard Ford Taunus 17M unacceptably restrained, Ford offered

836-411: The Taunus 17M deluxe: this provided a two tone paint finish, an interior enhanced with Brocade coverings , an exceptionally stylish steering wheel, a tachometer shaped like a kidney, and even more chrome on the outside of the body. More than fifty years later the Taunus P2 has become very rare, and surviving examples tend to be of these deluxe versions. The “Flying carpet” soubriquet seems to have been

880-403: The auspices of Ford of Europe, and most major components including key parts of the bodyshell were identical. At the end of November 1975, in time for the 1976 model year, production began of the Taunus series "GBTS". The Taunus and Cortina Mk IV were in most cases now almost identical, apart from regional variations (in terms of specification changes and trim levels). The Taunus TC along with

924-793: The bigger engine was called Taunus 12M 1.5-litre. Body styles were the same as in the 1952 model. The new Ford Taunus 12M P4 was similar in size, but a completely new car based on the Ford Cardinal project: New body, new V4 engine , front-wheel drive. It was the first Ford car with front-wheel drive (second was the Ford Corcel , third was the Ford Fiesta ). Engines available included: Body styles were two-door sedan, four-door sedan, two-door coupé, two-door station wagon, and sedan delivery. The Ford Taunus P6 came with new bodies, whilst engines and platform were continued. The car with

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968-633: The bigger engine was now called 15M again. Engines available included: Body styles were unchanged from the P4. In 1970, the P6 was replaced by the Taunus TC. Growing prosperity in postwar Germany encouraged Ford to offer a line of bigger and more expensive cars. The Ford Taunus 17M of 1957 was as long as (though significantly narrower than) the British Consul Mk2 , but a different car. It presented

1012-411: The car's body were rearranged. One of the results of that was that the basic model now flaunted the same front grill as the de Luxe model. On a more practical note, buyers paying extra for the four-speed transmission now enjoyed synchromesh on all four forward gears. Under the bonnet/hood September 1959 saw the introduction of a redesigned cylinder head and a slight increase in the compression ratio. There

1056-500: The closing decades of the nineteenth century. The style, which contrasted with the uncompromised functionalism more usually associated with German design in recent decades, enjoyed a brief revival in the 1950s. Competitor automakers at this time also emulated US styling cues, using large amounts of chrome on the body work and incorporating exaggerated fins, but in 1957 it was nevertheless hard to find any Borgward or Opel decorated with more chrome, nor featuring longer or larger tail fins than

1100-472: The early Taunus, which is said to be the precursor of later uses). The "M" is said to stand for " Meisterstück ", in English "Masterpiece", but that word was found to be already registered by another German automaker. Taunus was also sometimes adopted as the brand name in export markets, particularly where British and North American Fords were also available. The 12M, 15M, and 17M models had an engine, which in

1144-612: The first 12M was a carryover of the sidevalve (flathead) engine from the first Taunus series, and beginning with the 15M, it was replaced by an overhead-valve design similar to the British Ford Consul engine. With the introduction of the new 12M line (internal code P4) for 1962 came the V4 engine , which starting in late 1964 with the larger 17M/20M became the base engine for the Taunus M-series. The 20M and 26M models had

1188-415: The first 17M also acquired various descriptive soubriquets of which "Barocktaunus“ is probably, today, the most widely used. During a three-year production run 239,978 Taunus P2s were manufactured. The early sketches for Ford's new middle class sedan date from early in 1955. Originally it was intended that the car be powered by the 1498 cc ohv engine installed in the Taunus 15M which went on sale in

1232-466: The first Taunus TC, a fashionable fast-back coupé was also included in the Taunus range. This model also formed the basis of the Cortina Mk.III , but with different door skins and rear wing pressings from the "coke-bottle" styling of the Cortina. In addition, there was never a Cortina III equivalent to the fast-back bodied Taunus TC coupé. The Taunus TC and Cortina Mk.III were both developed under

1276-451: The marketed use of these cars to carry a whole family , locally or on vacations . Most family cars are hatchbacks or sedans , although there are MPVs , estates and cabriolets with the same structure as with the other body style . The term covers two types of family cars. This automobile -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Ford Taunus P2 Because of its unusually flamboyant styling

1320-405: The old and the new models. Second-hand values for the P2 were never strong, and this combined with inadequate rust protection to ensure that few survived for long enough to acquire " oldtimer status". Fifty years later, the car’s rarity and its 1950s style generate more positive reactions, at least among enthusiasts who are prepared to overcome the acute shortage of ready made replacement parts for

1364-411: The outside. Although the 1.7-litre version was launched with the same 60 PS power output as the outgoing model, the new model was a full 10 km/h (6 mph) faster, which was attributed to improved aerodynamics and a lighter body shell. The front end styling is reminiscent of the 1961 U.S. Ford Thunderbird and Lincoln Continental. Three engine sizes were now offered: The Ford Taunus P5 came with

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1408-480: The response of a keen drivers to the company's attempts to give the car the ride and handling characteristics commensurate with its flamboyant bodywork, modelled on the North American boulevard cruisers of the day, set up for a country associated with straighter, wider and more even roads than those commonly encountered in Europe then or indeed now. The car was mostly inspired from the 1955 Ford , especially

1452-421: The same engine. From 1962 to 1970, the smaller models 12M (P4) and its successor 12M/15M (P6) had front wheel drive. All other models had rear wheel drive. These models were offered: The Taunus 12M presented in 1952 was the first new German Ford after World War II. It featured ponton styling, similar in style to British Ford Zephyr . Something else the new Ford Taunus 12M had in common with British Fords

1496-429: The same year. The design for the body quickly grew too large and heavy for the 55 PS (40 kW; 54 hp) 1498 cc unit, however, and so the company developed a bored out 1698 cc version of the engine, now producing 60 PS (44 kW; 59 hp). At the end of the summer of 1957, memorably, the car was launched at an upmarket Cologne restaurant by the singing star Gitta Lind . Lind's singing style

1540-473: The soubriquet "Taunus Badewanne ". At a time when competitors boasted that all four corners of the vehicles were visible from the driver's seat, the new Taunus instead offered a streamlined form. However, in Germany the concept of streamlining in cars was associated with narrow passenger cabins reminiscent of the 1930s and of the still popular Volkswagen Beetle . The new Taunus, however, provided greater interior width than its predecessor, despite being no wider on

1584-495: The stars at the Frankfurt Motor Show . In addition to the relatively mild "baroque“ insult, Ford's new middle-weight quickly gained other informal names including "Gelsenkirchener Barock“ and "Fliegender Teppich“ (Flying carpet). Gelsenkirchener Baroque, a term frequently applied to the Taunus P2 in press reviews, was a style more generally associated with heavy furniture in the newly confident German empire during

1628-433: The time was never offered with more than two doors, and the two-door Taunus 17Ms of the period seem to have comfortably outsold the four-door versions. After the annual summer shut down in 1959 the Taunus P2 received a minor facelift in time for the 1960 model year which would be its final year of production. The roof line was flattened, reducing the height of the car by 3 cm (more than an inch). The chrome decorations on

1672-584: Was denoted with the letter “L” while the letters “CL” were reserved for a two-door cabriolet which was the result of a conversion performed by the traditional Cologne coach-builders Karl Deutsch GmbH . In retrospect the inclusion of a four-door sedan/saloon in the range seems unsurprising. However, the West German market, in contrast to the French and British markets, still had more of an appetite for two-door models in this category. The Borgward Isabella of

1716-521: Was first made in 1939, and continued through several versions until 1994. The Ford Taunus G93A was a development of the Ford Eifel , and used the same 1172-cc four cylinder engine, but in a longer chassis and a streamlined body. It was the first German Ford to have hydraulic brakes. First introduced in 1939, production was halted in 1942 due to the war. Production recommenced in November 1948 after

1760-460: Was no change in the listed power output or top speed resulting from this, but there was a 5% reduction in fuel consumption. Most of the cars produced were sedans/saloons, but the total of 239,978 also included 45,468 estate/kombi bodied cars and (evidently not included in these data) more than 3,000 cabriolets, converted from sedans/saloons by the Cologne based coach-builder Karl Deutsch. In 1960

1804-562: Was not one with wide appeal in most of the US or the UK, where she may be chiefly noteworthy as a great niece of Beethoven ’s piano teacher. The singer’s own compositional talent was on display with the song she wrote for the occasion which was entitled "Fahren auch Sie den neuen Taunus 17M" ( "You too [should] drive the new Taunus 17M" ). The next month the Ford Taunus 17M itself appeared as one of

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1848-658: Was otherwise an all new car with independent suspension all round. The Taunus was produced in Argentina from 1974 up until the end of 1984, when the production assembly was sold to Turkey to manufacture the Otosan Taunus. The Turkish car, easily distinguishable because of its remolded front and back panels continued in production until 1994. Family car A family car is a car classification used in Europe to describe normally-sized cars. The name comes from

1892-425: Was possible. The P2 used an overhead-valve (OHV) engine with 1698 cc and 60 hp (44 kW). A maximum speed of 128 km/h (80 mph) was quoted. A road test of the time commended the smoothness of the three-speed, all-synchromesh manual transmission system. The Ford Taunus P3 had a completely new body in a very modern style. The look of car reminded some critics of a bath tub, and it consequently gained

1936-423: Was the retention of an old side-valve engine at a time when competitors were increasingly moving over to overhead-valve units. The Taunus 15M used a new and more powerful engine: Body styles were two-door sedan , two-door station wagon , and sedan delivery . The second generation 12M was not a new car, but a reworking of the 1952 model. All cars were called 12M, though both engines were continued. The car with

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