Ford Panther platform
| Manufacturer | Ford Motor Company |
|---|---|
| Production | 1979-present |
| Predecessor | 1973-1978 Full-size Ford 1970-1979 Lincoln Continental |
| Successor | Ford D3 platform (2012 Ford Police Interceptor) |
| Class | Full-size car Full-size luxury car Full-size station wagon (1979-1991) |
| Layout | front-engine, rear-wheel drive body on frame |
| Body style(s) | 2-door sedan (1979-1987) 4-door sedan (1979-present) 4-door station wagon (1979-1991) |
| Engine(s) | Ford Windsor V8 (1979-1991) Ford Modular V8 (1991-present) |
The Ford Panther platform is one of Ford Motor Company's full-size, rear-wheel drive sedan automobile platforms; the other is the "E8" platform used for the Ford Falcon in Australia. It was introduced in 1978 for the 1979 model year and has been progressively updated ever since.
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[edit] Overview
As of the 2010 model year, the Panther platform has been used longer (31 model years) than any other automotive platform in North America. It was initially developed as Ford's response to downsizing of full-size cars from Chrysler and GM due to increasingly stringent fuel economy standards for cars. For a time, Chrysler stopped producing large cars of any kind. During trying periods for Ford, the Panther cars were scheduled for cancellation and replacement (in favor of the front-wheel drive D186 platform) on several occasions, as early as 1985.
As the 1980s progressed, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick all would downsize further, switching to front-wheel drive. Its GM counterparts, the B-platform (Chevrolet and Buick) and D-platform (Cadillac) ended production in 1996. Chrysler returned to the production of full-size cars in the early 1990s (the LH platform) and rear-wheel drive (the LX platform) a decade later; however, most of these cars are not marketed towards the same customers that Ford attracts with the Panther platform.
[edit] Design
The Panther platform utilizes the body-on-frame construction with live rear axle suspension. While this was common during its late-1970s introduction, it is a design found almost exclusively in large SUVs and pickup trucks today. The durability resulting from the body on frame construction (which allows easier repair after minor collisions), the cars' low price, and their relatively simple design make the Panther cars appealing as fleet vehicles, including police cars and taxicabs. The Lincoln Town Car appeals largely to livery services, and is the most commonly used limousine in North America, due to its ability to be easily "stretched" by lengthening the frame without compromising chassis strength.
[edit] Assembly
The Panther platform is currently produced at Ford's St. Thomas Assembly plant in Canada. Prior to its closure on 31 May 2007, the Wixom Assembly Plant was the assembly site for the Lincoln Town Car. Assembly of the Town Car was consolidated at the St. Thomas plant in January 2008 following paint shop and other upgrades. Ford and Mercury versions built before the 1986 model year were assembled in the St. Louis Assembly Plant in Missouri; this facility is currently closed.
[edit] Vehicles
Although it has remained in production since 1979, the Panther platform has undergone major changes along the way. There are 3 basic generations: the initial downsized versions, the restyled versions of the 1990s, and the current versions, which date from 2003, when the frame received a redesign.
[edit] First generation (1979-1991)
The first cars introduced on the Panther platform were the downsized 1979 Ford LTD and Mercury Marquis. Both were available in coupe, wagon, and sedan bodystyles. For 1980, federal fuel-economy regulations forced the Lincoln Continental to downsize; for the first time, the flagship cars for all 3 divisions shared a common platform. In 1982, the Town Car became a model line of its own as the Continental became a mid-sized Fox-platform car; the Mark VI ended production in 1983. While Lincoln coupes (Mark VI and the rare Town Coupe) based on the Panther platform were discontinued in 1983, Ford and Mercury coupes lasted until 1987, when low demand brought their cancellation.
- Changes
Ford made relatively few changes to any of the 1st-generation Panther-platform cars throughout their production life aside from nameplate changes. A 1988 re-style was given to the LTD Crown Victoria and Grand Marquis in an effort to improve their aerodymamics. 1990 marked the addition of SRS airbags to the Panther platform. The Lincoln Town Car came with dual air bags standard, but the passenger air bag remained an option on Ford and Mercury versions until 1993.
The 1st-generation Panther was also:
- The last American car with functional vent windows (option on 1989 Ford/Mercury)
- The last American-brand car available with a carbureted engine (351 cubic-inch V8; option on Grand Marquis, Crown Victoria wagon/police car)
| 1st-generation Panther platform (Ford versions) | |||
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| Model Name | Ford LTD | Ford LTD Crown Victoria | Ford Country Squire |
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| Years Produced | 1979–1982 | 1983–1991 | 1979–1991 |
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| 1st-generation Panther platform (Mercury versions) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Model Name | Mercury Marquis | Mercury Grand Marquis | Mercury Colony Park |
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| Years Produced | 1979–1982 | 1983–1991 | 1979–1991 |
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Colony Park was not redesigned for 1992 and was largely replaced by the Aerostar and Villager minivans. |
| 1st-generation Panther platform (Lincoln versions) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Model Name | Lincoln Continental | Lincoln Continental Mark VI | Lincoln Town Car |
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| Years Produced | 1980–1981 | 1980–1983 | 1982–1989 |
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[edit] Second generation (1990-2002)
The American automotive landscape had changed significantly throughout the 1980s, although Ford had left the Panther platform essentially unchanged. A combination of changing consumer tastes as well as increasingly more stringent fuel economy standards forced Ford to make significant changes to the Panther cars in order to keep them in production. Bucking industry trends of the time, Ford chose not to downsize it any further or to replace it entirely with a front-wheel drive platform, opting instead for more aerodynamic bodystyling (which had been popularized by the smaller Taurus) and an all-new powertrain. As a result of changing market trends towards minivans and sport utility vehicles, one casualty of the redesign was the Country Squire and Colony Park station wagons; at the time, their de facto replacement was the Ford Aerostar.
In 1990, Lincoln introduced the second-generation Town Car. For 1992, the Crown Victoria (the LTD prefix disappeared) and Grand Marquis received total redesigns of their bodies; the Ford was restyled to have more of a family resemblance to the Ford Taurus, while the Mercury was styled as a more contemporary version of its predecessor (a formal family sedan).
- 4.6-liter "Modular" V8
In 1991, the 4.6L SOHC Modular V8 debuted under the hood of the Lincoln Town Car. It was the replacement for both the 302 and 351 cubic-inch Windsor V8 engines; in 1992, it became available in the Crown Victoria and Grand Marquis. Although the torque peak for the Modular V8 was 1,200 rpm higher than for the 302 V8, the 4.6L was available with up to 60 more hp (with optional dual exhaust).
- 1998 upgrades
In 1998, Ford significantly upgraded the exterior designs of all three Panther platform cars. The Town Car received the most extensive changes with its entire body being restyled. To increase parts commonality between the two, the Crown Victoria was redesigned to share the rear roofline (and much of the exterior sheetmetal) with the Grand Marquis, which saw minor cosmetic changes itself. Underneath the sheetmetal, a Watt's linkage was added to the rear suspension (still a live rear axle) in an effort to improve handling.
| 2nd-generation Panther platform | ||||
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| Model Name | Ford Crown Victoria | Ford Police Interceptor | Mercury Grand Marquis | Lincoln Town Car |
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| Years In Production | 1992–2002 | 1990–2002 | ||
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[edit] Third generation (2003-current)
For 2003, Ford completely redesigned the frame of the Panther platform, using a design with hydroformed steel. The front and rear suspension were also completely overhauled in an effort to improve handling; rack and pinion steering replaced the recirculating-ball design.
In 2003, Mercury introduced the Marauder, a high-performance variant of the Grand Marquis designed much like the 1994-1996 Chevrolet Impala SS. It sold poorly and was dropped after 2004 after just over 11,000 were built. Due to very low demand, the Crown Victoria was restricted to fleet sales after the 2007 model year.
| 3rd-generation (current) Panther platform | |||||
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| Model Name | Ford Crown Victoria | Ford Police Interceptor | Mercury Grand Marquis | Mercury Marauder | Lincoln Town Car |
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2003–2010 | 2003–2004 | 2003-current |
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[edit] Timeline
| Ford Panther Platform Timeline | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Brand Name | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| '79 | '80 | '81 | '82 | '83 | '84 | '85 | '86 | '87 | '88 | '89 | '90 | '91 | '92 | '93 | '94 | '95 | '96 | '97 | '98 | '99 | '00 | '01 | '02 | '03 | '04 | '05 | '06 | '07 | '08 | '09 | '10 | '11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ford | LTD | LTD Crown Victoria | Crown Victoria | Crown Victoria | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country Squire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Crown Victoria P71 | Crown Victoria Police Interceptor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mercury | Marquis | Grand Marquis | Grand Marquis | Grand Marquis | Grand Marquis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colony Park | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marauder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lincoln | Continental | Town Car | Town Car | Town Car | Town Car | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Continental Mark VI | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[edit] Variants
- The Aston Martin Lagonda Vignale concept of 1995 utilized a modified Panther platform.
- United States President George H.W. Bush's Presidential State Car used a modified Panther platform (a 1989 Lincoln Town Car) as its basis; the modifications included fitting a 460 cubic inch V8 engine as part of the conversion.
[edit] Future beyond 2011
- Potential Replacements
For most of the 2000s, Ford had considered a new global rear wheel drive platform that could consolidate both a new-generation replacement for the Panther platform and Ford of Australia's Falcon/Territory. In January 2009, Ford announced such efforts were canceled,[2] leaving the Panther platform with no direct replacement. The 2007 Mustang-derived Ford Interceptor concept was speculated to be a Crown Victoria replacement but no formal announcements were made regarding a production version of the Interceptor.
- Change in Retail Presence
Since the 2007 model year, Ford's full-size retail presence has shifted from Panther-based sedans to the smaller Volvo-derived D3 platform, as it is larger than its D186 predecessor. As such, the Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS have largely taken the place of the Crown Victoria and Town Car. However, despite similar interior dimensions, sedans based on the D3 platform are only available with 5-passenger seating; instead of rear-wheel drive, the Taurus and MKS are offered with optional all-wheel drive. Since the 2008 model year, the Crown Victoria has been available exclusively through fleet, police, and taxi sales. Although highly dependent on livery fleet sales, the Town Car is still available for retail purchase. Like its Grand Marquis stablemate, it has been de-emphasized in Lincoln-Mercury marketing plans in an effort to steer buyers to their newer models.
- End of the Police Interceptor and Grand Marquis
In 2009, Ford announced that the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor would end production in 2011, with a new police-use interceptor to begin production[3]; in the first quarter of 2010, Ford unveiled its replacement, the 2012 Ford Police Interceptor based on the new Taurus. On June 2, 2010, Ford announced the discontinuation of the Mercury brand; the Grand Marquis ends production with the conclusion of the model year. No formal announcements have been made concerning the future of the Lincoln Town Car (or the civilian version of Crown Victoria still produced for fleet sales) beyond the 2011 model year. Currently, the St. Thomas Assembly facility is slated to close in September 2011.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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