Ford Taunus P4
| Ford Taunus 12M | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Ford Germany |
| Also called | Ford Taunus P4 “Ford Cardinal“ |
| Production | 1962–1966 |
| Assembly |
Cologne-Niehl, Germany Genk, Belgium |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Small family car (C) |
| Body style | 2-door or 4-door saloon 3-door “Kombi” estate car 2-door coupé 3-door sedan delivery 2-door coach-built () cabriolet |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine |
1183 cc V4 cylinder water-cooled 1498 cc V4 cylinder water-cooled |
| Transmission | 4-speed all-synchromesh manual with column-mounted gear change lever |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,527 mm (99.5 in) |
| Length | 4,248 mm (167.2 in) |
| Width | 1,594 mm (62.8 in) |
| Height | 1,458 mm (57.4 in) |
| Curb weight | 860–870 kg (1,896–1,918 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Ford Taunus 12M P1 |
| Successor | Ford (Taunus) 12M/15M P6 |
The Ford Taunus 12 M is a small family car that was produced by Ford Germany between September 1962 and August 1966.
The Taunus 12M name had been used for the car’s predecessor and it would apply also to subsequent Ford models which is why the 12M introduced in 1962 is usually identified, in retrospect, as the Ford Taunus P4. It was the fourth newly designed German Ford to be launched after the war and for this reason it was from inception known within the company as Ford Project 4 (P4) or the Ford Taunus P4.
More unusually, the car was originally designed not for production in Germany but to be produced in North America and sold as the Ford Cardinal, a home-grown competitor for the Volkswagen. A last minute change of strategy saw the US production plans cancelled, and in 1960 Ford of Germany received a fully developed modern new design which they adapted for German conditions in order to replace their own by now badly outdated Ford Taunus P1.
The 1952 Ford Taunus had received a stylish new body, but its engine was little changed from the (originally British designed) unit fitted in 1935 to the Ford Eifel and other underpinnings, including its rear axle and suspension, were little changed from those of the 1939 Ford Taunus G93A. By contrast, the P4, originally designed for large scale manufacture in North America, was technically innovative, featuring a newly developed compact V4 engine which would provide the basis for engines designed and produced by Ford of Germany for twenty years. The Taunus P4 was also a front-wheel drive design at a time when other German auto-makers were still avoiding what was then seen as an unnecessarily complicated lay-out.
The decision, taken only after the new model had been prepared for production, not to build the Ford Cardinal in North America was the result of a review of “marketing opportunities” in the US market. In 1960 a prototype was delivered to Ford in Cologne. The form of the model that emerged from the production line at Koeln-Niehl two years later would be unchanged. The single all-red rear light cluster was seen as a tell-tale sign of the car’s US provenance at a time when independent (from brake lights) amber direction indicators were increasingly common on European cars. The dished steering wheel was another feature not normally found in European designs of the time.
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Wikipedia