Merkur Scorpio

The Merkur Scorpio is an automobile that was marketed by the Lincoln-Mercury division of Ford through its Merkur sub-brand for the 1988 and 1989 model years. The second model line of Merkur, the Scorpio was a mid-size luxury car slotted above the Merkur XR4Ti. A captive import from Ford of Europe, the Scorpio was marketed by Merkur in the United States and Canada (by selected Lincoln-Mercury dealers).[3]

Merkur Scorpio
Overview
ManufacturerFord of Germany (Ford of Europe)
Production1987-1989
Model years1988-1989
AssemblyWest Germany: Cologne (Cologne Body & Assembly) [1]
Body and chassis
ClassMid-size luxury / Executive car
Body style5-door hatchback
LayoutFR layout
PlatformFord DE-1 platform
Related
Powertrain
Engine2.9 L Cologne V6
Transmission5-speed Type 9 manual
4-speed A4LD automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase108.7 in (2,761 mm)[2]
Length186.4 in (4,735 mm)
Width69.5 in (1,765 mm)
Height54.6 in (1,387 mm)

A near-direct counterpart of the Ford Scorpio Mk I (Ford Granada Mk III in the United Kingdom), the Merkur Scorpio was intended as the flagship model line of the brand, giving Lincoln-Mercury a competitor against European executive cars sold in North America, including the Audi 100, BMW 5-series, Mercedes-Benz 190E (W201), Saab 9000, Sterling 827, and Volvo 740/760.[4]

Following the 1989 model year, Lincoln-Mercury ended imports of the Scorpio (closing down the Merkur brand). Along with unstable pricing resulting in insufficient sales figures, continued sales of the model line would required a costly redesign to remain in compliance with American safety regulations.

The Scorpio was manufactured in Cologne, West Germany by Ford of Germany (Cologne Body & Assembly). In total, 22,010 examples were imported.[5]

Model overview

While offered as a five-door hatchback, the Merkur Scorpio was similar in appearance to the Mercury Sable. In comparison to the first-generation (1986-1991) Mercury Sable, the Scorpio was 4.5 inches shorter in length (2 inches shorter than the Ford Taurus), 1.3 inches narrower, and 2.7 inches longer in wheelbase; the two models were nearly identical in height.

Chassis specification

The Merkur Scorpio shares its rear-wheel drive Ford DE-1 chassis with its Ford namesake, configured as a long-wheelbase version of the Ford Sierra (extended from 102.7 inches to 108.7 inches).[6] In contrast to American-designed rear-wheel drive Ford chassis (i.e. Fox, Panther), the DE-1 platform was fitted with four-wheel independent suspension. In one of the first vehicles sold in North America, the Merkur Scorpio was equipped with standard anti-lock brakes (ABS) and four-wheel disc brakes.[6]

In contrast to the XR4Ti, Ford of Europe did not fit the Scorpio with an engine specifically for Merkur. The largest engine offered in the Ford Scorpio, a 2.9L V6 produced 144 hp. Shared with the Ford Ranger and Bronco II, the engine was paired with a 5-speed manual transmission; a 4-speed overdrive automatic was offered as an option.

Body

In contrast to many of its European counterparts, the Scorpio was offered solely as a five-door hatchback (its only bodystyle produced prior to 1990). Styled as a fastback, the Merkur Scorpio provided Lincoln-Mercury an opportunity to market a (far) sportier premium alternative to its traditional Lincoln Continental and Lincoln Town Car sedans. As with the Mercury Sable sedan, the Scorpio was designed with blacked-out B and C-pillars (for a "floating-roof" effect); the model also features a minimal front grille opening (closer in design to the Ford Taurus).

While less extensive than the redevelopment of the XR4Ti, several changes were made to distinguish the Merkur Scorpio from its Ford counterpart. The rear fascia is unique to Merkur; in line with Mercury, the Scorpio is fitted with a full-width taillamp lens. With the exception of badging, the front fascia is largely identical between Merkur and Ford, with the Merkur Scorpio fitted with fog lamps and headlamps in compliance with American regulations. Merkur also received its own model-specific alloy wheels.

Sharing much of its interior with the Ford Scorpio, the Merkur Scorpio was solely offered in a five-passenger configuration.[7] In contrast to the Sable (or the Lincoln Continental or Town Car), the Scorpio was offered with power-reclining rear seats and a tilt-telescope steering column.[8]

  • Merkur Scorpio Ghia
  • Merkur Scorpio dashboard
  • 1989 Merkur Scorpio (Ford Scorpio wheels)
  • 1989 Merkur Scorpio, rear (Ford Scorpio wheels)
  • UK version of Merkur Scorpio (Ford Granada Scorpio 4x4 2.9i)

Pricing

At its launch, the Merkur Scorpio was sold with a base price of $23,390 (equal to $52,638 today). Options included automatic transmission, power moonroof, and the Touring Package. Most North American Scorpios were sold with automatic transmission and Touring Package which raised the sticker price to $26,405 (equal to $59,423 today). While wearing a similar exterior as the Mercury Sable, the Scorpio rivaled the Lincoln Town Car in price.[7]

To attract customers to the model line, Lincoln-Mercury offered potential Scorpio customers a Guaranteed Resale Value Program, matching the resale value of the Scorpio to the Mercedes-Benz 190E.[4]

Discontinuation

On October 20, 1989, Ford officially announced it was ending imports of the Scorpio to the United States; as the XR4Ti had ended sales earlier in the year, the decision effectively closed Merkur. At the end of 1989, Ford of Europe introduced a sedan version of the Scorpio.

Coinciding with lower than anticipated sales (Ford sought 15,000 sales a year for the brand[9]), Merkur fell victim to unstable exchange rates between the dollar and German mark, leading to further increases in price. As passive safety regulations were to be adopted in 1990, the Scorpio was required to adopt automatic seatbelts or airbag(s); as the Ford Scorpio was developed with neither feature, passive safety compliance proved too expensive to justify the conversion cost of redeveloping the model line for North American sale.

Following the discontinuation of the Merkur Scorpio, Ford produced the Scorpio Mk I through the 1994 model year.

Sales
Calendar Year American Sales
1987 5,178
1988 9,516
1989/1990 7,316

See also

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-09-02. Retrieved 2016-11-13.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Ford Scorpio Merkur"
  3. "1988 Merkur Brochure". oldcarbrochures.com. Retrieved 2019-05-11.
  4. "History_4_Scorpio". www.merkurclub.net. Retrieved 2019-05-11.
  5. "History_5_Facts". www.merkurclub.net. Retrieved 2019-05-11.
  6. "1988 Merkur Brochure". oldcarbrochures.com. Retrieved 2019-05-11.
  7. Koblenz, Jay (November 1988). "Black Enterprise 1989 Auto Guide". Black Enterprise. Earl G. Graves Publishing Co. Inc. p. 102.
  8. "1988 Merkur Brochure". oldcarbrochures.com. Retrieved 2019-05-11.
  9. "History_2_intro". www.merkurclub.net. Retrieved 2019-05-11.
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