Ford Scorpio

Ford Scorpio
Production period:	1985-1998
Class :	upper middle class
Body versions :	Sedan , hatchback , station wagon
Previous model:	Ford Granada

The Ford Scorpio is one of the Ford plants produced in Cologne between spring 1985 and summer 1998 car of the upper middle class with rear-wheel drive . At times, versions with all-wheel drive were also available .

The Scorpio was initially only offered with a hatchback ("aero rear"). At the end of 1989 the notchback sedan was added, followed by the “Tournament” station wagon in spring 1992 . It also won the 1986 Car of the Year election .

vehicle description

In 1985, the Scorpio was the first large-scale car in Europe to be offered with an anti-lock braking system (ABS) as standard . Until then, ABS was only available from various manufacturers as an expensive extra equipment that was subject to a surcharge. From model year 1994, driver and front passenger airbags were also standard, and from spring 1998 side airbags were also fitted. The space available (especially in the rear ) was above average for this vehicle segment.

Depending on the model and year of manufacture, petrol engines between 1.8 and 2.9 liters displacement were offered, as well as diesel engines with 2.5 liters displacement (initially from PSA , from 1993 supplied by VM Motori ). The DOHC engine with 88 kW (120 PS) introduced in 1989 - which was throttled to 85 kW in 1992 for a more favorable classification in motor vehicle liability - and the 2.9-liter V6 with 107 kW (145 PS) were particularly popular. sold.

Despite good reviews from the trade press and numerous model updates, sales fell short of expectations, which was also due to the notchback and station wagon models being offered too late. 850,000 copies of the Scorpio were produced and sold - this corresponds to about half of the Ford Consul / Granada models produced in a comparable period (1.6 million cars between 1972 and 1985).

In Great Britain it was still sold as Granada until the model change in 1994 , as this name was very well established. The aero rear end of the new model was not particularly well received by the conservative British customers of this vehicle class.

Scorpio '85 (1985-1994)

1st generation
Ford Scorpio Hatchback (1985-1989)
Production period:	1985-1994
Body versions :	Station wagon , sedan , station wagon
Engines:	Otto engines : 1.8–2.9 liters (66–143 kW) Diesel engines : 2.5 liters (51–85 kW)
Length:	4630-4745 mm
Width:	1766 mm
Height:	1450 mm
Wheelbase :	2761 mm
Empty weight :	1200-1475 kg

In March 1985, the Scorpio, which was originally to be called “Lugano”, was presented as the successor to the Ford Granada and was initially only available as a hatchback sedan (with the so-called aero rear ). In the spring of 1986 the Scorpio 4 × 4 with all-wheel drive and a 2.8-liter V6 engine was presented.

In December 1989, the classic notchback sedan came onto the market, along with some detail changes.

From autumn 1991 the top engine was available with a 2.9 l 24V engine from the engine manufacturer Cosworth . This engine with 143 kW (195 hp) (1991–1994) or 152 kW (207 hp) (1994–1998) was only available with an automatic transmission. The Scorpio 24V was positioned as a comfortable touring sedan, so the name Cosworth did not appear in the model name.

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  Rear view

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  Ford Scorpio notchback (1989–1992)

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  Rear view

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  Ford Scorpio Hatchback (1989-1992)

Scorpio '92

In March 1992 the Scorpio was given a facelift . Now it was also offered as a station wagon - traditionally called tournament at Ford .

In the British Isles, the Scorpio kept the name Granada until the model change in autumn 1994 , only the top version was sold under the name Granada Scorpio .

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  Ford Scorpio Hatchback (1992-1994)

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  Ford Scorpio notchback (1992-1994)

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  Ford Scorpio Tournament (1992–1994)

Engines

Ford Scorpio 2.9i 24V

from 1985:

• 1.8 liter OHC carburetor engine without catalytic converter (66 kW / 90 PS);
• 2.0 liter OHC carburettor engine without catalytic converter (77 kW / 105 PS);
• 2.0 liter OHC injection engine without catalytic converter (85 kW / 115 PS);
• 2.0 liter OHC injection engine with regulated catalytic converter (74 kW / 101 PS);
• 2.8 liter V6 injection engine without catalytic converter (110 kW / 150 PS);

from 1986:

• 2.5 liter PSA diesel (51 kW / 69 PS)

from 1987:

• 2.4 liter V6 injection engine without catalytic converter (96 kW / 130 PS);
• 2.4-liter V6 injection engine with regulated catalytic converter (92 kW / 125 PS);
• 2.9 liter V6 injection engine with regulated catalytic converter (107 kW / 145 hp);
• 2.9 liter V6 injection engine without catalytic converter (110 kW / 150 PS);
• 2.5 liter PSA turbo diesel (68 kW / 92 PS)

from 1989:

• 2.0-liter DOHC carburetor engine without catalytic converter (80 kW / 109 PS);
• 2.0-liter DOHC carburettor engine with uncontrolled catalytic converter (77 kW / 105 PS);
• 2.0-liter DOHC injection engine without catalytic converter (92 kW / 125 PS);
• 2.0 liter DOHC injection engine with regulated catalytic converter (88 kW / 120 PS)

from 1991:

• 2.9i 24V Cosworth BOA injection engine with regulated catalytic converter (143 kW / 195 PS)

from 1992:

• 2.0 liter DOHC injection engine with regulated catalytic converter (85 kW / 115 PS)

from 1993:

• 2.5 liter VM turbodiesel (85 kW / 115 PS)

The Scorpio models with petrol engines are E10 compatible from year of construction 1992 .

Equipment variants (exemplary)

• CL - height-adjustable steering wheel, ABS, rear center armrest, two exterior mirrors that can be manually adjusted from the inside (the CL equipment range was only expanded from around 1987: power steering, central locking and height-adjustable driver's seat were now standard, which had previously only been available for the CL at an extra charge) ;
• GL - additional front electric windows, tachometer, front center armrest, tinted windows, electrically adjustable exterior mirrors, other wheel trims;
• Ghia - additional electrically adjustable rear seat backrests, cashmere velor upholstery, additional lighting package, rear electric window lifters, large ram protection strips on the outside of the doors, optional radio control and rear headphone sockets, gray bumpers, alloy wheels, fog lights, on-board computer.

For the facelift in 1992, the equipment variant CL was renamed CLX and the GL was renamed GLX. Only the name Ghia remained.

• Saphir (1991–1992) - The basis is the CL, but refined as standard with a wood-look trim strip in the dashboard, special fabric covers, a rear panel painted in the vehicle color, aluminum rims and some comfort features such as power windows at the front.
• Topas (1993–1994) - The basis is the CLX. Here, exterior mirrors, side moldings and door handles were also painted in the vehicle color. There were also special aluminum rims and fabric covers, darker wood decor inside. Electric window lifters at the front and the front center armrest provide more comfort as standard.

Mercury Scorpio

Rear view

At times the Scorpio was sold in the USA by selected dealers of the Lincoln - Mercury division under the premium Merkur brand, which was created in 1985 specifically for the import of European Ford models . The Scorpio was offered there in the model years 1988 and 1989 (after the availability of the 2.9i V6 engine with a regulated catalytic converter), but the Merkur brand was discontinued in 1989 due to acceptance problems (difficulty in distinguishing the brand from the Mercury brand ). In addition to the Scorpio, the Sierra XR4 Ti was also offered with a 2.3-liter four-cylinder turbo engine, this version built by Karmann in Rheine.

Scorpio '95 (1994-1998)

2nd generation
Ford Scorpio (1994-1997)
Production period:	1994-1998
Body versions :	Limousine , station wagon
Engines:	Otto engines : 2.0–2.9 liters (85–152 kW) Diesel engines : 2.5 liters (85–92 kW)
Length:	4825 mm
Width:	1760 mm
Height:	1388-1442 mm
Wheelbase :	2770 mm
Empty weight :	1435-1595 kg

In October 1994 there was a comprehensive facelift to the Scorpio. The design was now based on the US sedans.

With the revision, the hatchback sedan was omitted because it was selling increasingly poorly, also because it was an atypical appearance in the upper middle class. Thus, the range of body versions was limited to the notchback sedan and the station wagon.

The facelift was the first Ford design completely developed on a CAD / CAM computer.

In addition to the well-known engines like the 2.0-liter with 85 kW and the 2.9-V6 cylinder, there were also more modern 16-valve units such as the 100-kW 2.0-liter with 16 valves and also a 2.9 -Liter, which made 152 kW and had two overhead camshafts.

In mid-1996, a slightly stronger 2.5-liter turbodiesel followed, which now produced 92 kW instead of 85.

Despite all these modernization measures, the sales success compared to the predecessor fell far short of expectations, which was not least because the front took some getting used to. In addition, a general decline in classic sedans outside the premium segment was observed in Europe. Only the station wagon, called the tournament , achieved a reasonably satisfactory number of pieces.

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  Rear view

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  Ford Scorpio Tournament (1994–1997)

In September 1997 the Scorpio was therefore slightly revised for the last time. As part of this facelift, the notchback now received a new taillight unit, recognizable by the changed color of the glasses as well as by the omission of the continuous chrome band that previously ran over it. The wide chrome border on both models on the radiator grille was also omitted, as it was now in the body color with a narrow chrome trim strip. The headlights were darkened and in the front bumper there were now small air inlets to the left and right of the indicator and fog lights.

However, this version was only available for almost a year before production of the Scorpio was finally discontinued in August 1998. This is probably one of the reasons why the revised versions are even less common than the original versions of the Scorpio '95.

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  Ford Scorpio (1997-1998)

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  Rear view

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  Ford Scorpio Tournament (1997–1998)

Equipment variants

• Scorpio - among other things, electric windows at the front, two electrically adjustable exterior mirrors, electrically height-adjustable driver's seat, driver / front passenger airbag, ABS, rear headrests, power assistance, central locking, heat protection glazing, burl wood imitation in the cockpit;
• Scorpio Ghia - in addition to the basic model for a surcharge: front center armrest, automatic air conditioning, lighting package, electric windows front and rear, electrically adjustable driver's seat with three memory functions, on-board computer, interior rearview mirror with automatic dimming. The right outside mirror swiveled down when reverse gear was engaged.
• The limousine has rarely been ordered with gray eco-wood imitation wood. Well over 90% of the vehicles were delivered with brown eco-wood imitation wood.

Engines

• 10 / 1994-08 / 1998: 2.0 liter DOHC 8V injection engine with regulated catalytic converter and 86 kW (115 PS)
• 10 / 1994–05 / 1996: 2.0-liter DOHC 16V injection engine with regulated catalytic converter and 100 kW (136 hp)
• 06 / 1996-08 / 1998: 2.3-liter DOHC 16V injection engine with regulated catalytic converter and 108 kW (147 hp)
• 02 / 1995–05 / 1996: 2.9 liter V6 injection engine with regulated catalytic converter and 110 kW (150 hp)
• 10 / 1994-08 / 1998: 2.9i 24V Cosworth BOB injection engine with regulated catalytic converter and 152 kW (207 PS)
• 10 / 1994–05 / 1996: 2.5-liter VM turbodiesel with 86 kW (115 PS)
• 06 / 1996-08 / 1998: 2.5-liter VM turbodiesel with 92 kW (125 PS); Meets the Euro 2 emissions standard

End of the series

The reasons for the unsatisfactory sales success of the Scorpio are complex. On the one hand, too much emphasis was placed on attracting “climbers” from various brands from the middle class. On the other hand, the existing customers of the Ford Granada and the upper middle class of other brands were not addressed by the model, which initially only featured the ambitious "aero rear end". It was not until December 1989 that the more conventional notchback sedan was offered as an alternative.

The target group of station wagon drivers in the upper market segment was also neglected, since Ford initially no longer offered a station wagon model in the upper market segment with the Scorpio since 1957. It was not until March 1992 that Ford corrected this decision with the introduction of the Scorpio tournament .

During the transition period, some Ford dealers imported the station wagon version of the US sister model, the Ford Taurus , which, however, was not comparable in quality and was therefore unsuccessful in Germany.

The new design introduced in October 1994 with a strongly American-inspired, very individual front and rear section also did not meet the taste of the times in this class. In addition, the range of equipment and engine variants was reduced at the same time. As a result, the Scorpio was no longer able to assert itself in a market segment of the upper middle class that was declining overall.

The discontinuation of the model series had already been decided at the time the Scorpio '95 was presented, as a successor from the USA (the Lincoln LS series) was to be imported from 1999 and the worldwide competence center in the upper segment was to be located at Ford USA. For reasons of corporate policy (among other things to avoid overlaps with the new Jaguar S-Type in terms of marketing ), however, no successor appeared on the European market. Thus, with the completion of Scorpio production in summer 1998, the Ford brand withdrew from the upper middle class .

After the Scorpio was discontinued, the core brand Ford was integrated into a multi-brand strategy of the Ford Group, in which the "upper segment" in Europe was covered by the former corporate brands Volvo and Jaguar of PAG ( Premier Automotive Group ). Jaguar S-Type and Volvo S80 were considered indirect successors to the Scorpio from the corporate perspective at the time. The position of the Scorpio is taken by the Ford Mondeo , which has meanwhile grown considerably in size , but as a mid-range model it cannot be regarded as the successor to the Scorpio.

literature

• Kittler, Eberhard: Deutsche Autos since 1990. Vol. 6, Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-613-02052-1 , pp. 73-83.
• Oswald, Werner: German Cars 1945–1990. Vol. 3, Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart, ISBN 3-613-02116-1 , pp. 483-489.

Web links

Commons : Ford Scorpio  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Spiegel Online, article Ford Scorpio - Neither Fish nor Horse from January 3, 2016, accessed on January 3, 2016
2. ↑ Auto-Zeitung issue 02/2009 - review of the year 1984 ( memento from December 27, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
3. ↑ E10: The new fuel super gasoline E10 | Ford Germany ( Memento of the original from July 18, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed May 19, 2014  
4. ↑ Auto, Motor, Sport, Article Youngtimer Ford Scorpio II: Ford for Sunday