Ford’s Merkur model was one of many shortest-lived North American marques of the late twentieth century, current for simply the 1985 via 1989 mannequin years and comprising simply two fashions: the XR4Ti and the Scorpio. Of the 2, the Scorpio is the toughest to seek out in the present day; I used to be excited to find this ’89 in a automotive graveyard in Carson Metropolis, Nevada.
Dearborn had introduced over some vehicles from its European operations in many years previous, with various levels of gross sales success. 1000’s of left-hand-drive Prefects, Consuls, Zephyrs and Anglias confirmed up through the Fifties, with the Cortina out there right here all through the Nineteen Sixties. The West Germany-built Ford Capri was bought in North America via Mercury sellers (although with neither Ford nor Mercury badging) for the 1970 via 1977 mannequin years, adopted by the equally West German Ford Fiesta for 1978 via 1981.
American automotive customers turned more and more keen about sporty European equipment through the first half of the Eighties, and Detroit tried to push a few of its fashions in a extra European route throughout that point. Ford was already a gross sales behemoth in Western Europe and had been so for many years, although, so why not deliver over precise Euro-market machines from the Blue Oval Empire? Thus was the Merkur (the German phrase for Mercury, pronounced “mare-KOOR”) model born.
First to reach was an Americanized Ford Sierra XR4i, powered by the turbocharged 2.3-liter straight-four from the Thunderbird Turbo Coupe and Mustang Turbo, badged because the Merkur XR4Ti. It went on sale as a 1985 mannequin. For 1988, the Ford Scorpio (itself primarily based on the Sierra) arrived because the Merkur Scorpio.
The engine within the Scorpio was the nice previous Cologne pushrod V6, on this case a 2.9-liter rated at 144 horsepower and 162 pound-feet. Members of the Cologne household went into every little thing from Pintos to Mustangs to Rangers in North America over the many years, however had a a lot wider vary of purposes in Europe.
A five-speed handbook was base tools, however this automotive has the $550 non-compulsory four-speed automated ($1,427 in 2024 {dollars}). That is the fourth discarded Scorpio I’ve documented, and all have been two-pedal vehicles.
The MSRP for this automotive was $25,167, or about $62,292 after inflation. That was cheaper than the smaller BMW 325i four-door for 1989 ($25,450) and less expensive than the $37,000 525i sedan. The 1989 Volvo 740 GLE sedan with automated transmission listed at $25,045, whereas the Mercedes-Benz 190 sedan began at $31,840.
Regardless of being an honest deal for a European rear-wheel-drive sedan, not many American automotive customers needed a brand new Scorpio; it was out there for simply the 1988 and 1989 mannequin years.
This one simply barely squeezed previous the 100,000-mile mark throughout its life.
Jackie Stewart appreciated the comfortable again seat.
It realized to run within the Black Forest of Germany.
Go forward, drive a Ford Scorpio from Germany to Paris!
Or sleep in a brand new Scorpio in England.