The Ford Crown Victoria was a full-size sedan built by Ford Canada from the 1992 to the 2012 model years. It was the largest Ford sedan in North America, the Mercury Grand Marquis’ Ford twin, and the last car on the rear-wheel-drive, body-on-frame Panther platform.
Ford Crown Victoria at a glance
| Maker | Ford Canada, St. Thomas Assembly, Ontario |
|---|---|
| Model years | 1992–2012 |
| Predecessor | Ford LTD Crown Victoria |
| Platform | Panther, body-on-frame, rear-wheel drive |
| Engine | standard V8 |
| Twin model | Mercury Grand Marquis, Lincoln Town Car on the same chassis |
| Police version | Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, 1992–2011 |
| Long wheelbase | 2002–2011, mainly for taxi fleets |
| Production | over 1.5 million cars, 1991–2011 |
| Replaced by | full-size Taurus for police work |
This page is based on English Wikipedia only.
History of the Ford Crown Victoria
A name with three lives
Before 1992 Ford had used the Crown Victoria name twice. From 1955 until 1956 it was the flagship trim of the two-door Fairlane, with a wide stainless-steel band “crowning” the B-pillar and, on the Skyliner version, a tinted acrylic roof panel. For 1980 the name returned as the top trim of the Ford LTD, becoming a stand-alone model line for 1983 and lasting until 1991. The stainless-steel B-pillar band was used on both versions as a signature.
The Panther sedan
Development of the new car, coded EN53, began in the first quarter of 1987. It was unveiled on 28 November 1990 and went into production in January 1991 as a 1992 model, launched on 21 March 1991; fleet sales were held back for 14 months so that private buyers could get cars first. The redesign brought a wedge-shaped “aero” body that cut the drag coefficient from 0.42 to 0.34, close to the Taurus’s 0.32, while the chassis was carried over. The Crown Victoria was now offered only as a four-door sedan, with the wood-trimmed Country Squire wagon gone, and its role as the family load carrier passed to the Aerostar and Econoline.
Police, taxi and the end
All Crown Victorias were built by Ford Canada at St. Thomas in Southwold, Ontario, alongside the Grand Marquis. The Crown Victoria Police Interceptor was sold to law enforcement from 1992 to 2011, and a long-wheelbase version was offered from 2002 to 2011 mainly to taxi fleets. From 1997 until 2011 the Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car were the only four-door sedans built in North America with a full-length frame, rear-wheel drive and a standard V8. More than 1.5 million cars were built at St. Thomas before the plant closed, the last one a Middle East export car, and the full-size Taurus took over as the basis for Ford police vehicles.
Design and features
- Panther platform: a full frame, rear-wheel drive and a standard V8.
- Police Interceptor: the law-enforcement version built from 1992 to 2011.
- Taxi version: long-wheelbase cars from 2002 to 2011.
- Aerodynamic redesign: a drag coefficient of 0.34 on the 1992 car.
Ford Crown Victoria versions
- Crown Victoria (1992–1997): the first Panther generation.
- Crown Victoria (1998–2012): the second generation.
- Police Interceptor: fleet model for law enforcement.
- Long-wheelbase taxi: the extended body for cab fleets.
- LTD Crown Victoria (1980–1991): the earlier car that used the name.
The Crown Victoria shared its Panther chassis with the LTD line that came before it and sat above the Taurus in Ford’s North American range. More Ford vehicles are in the Ford collection.
Sources
- Ford Crown Victoria, English Wikipedia: name history, Panther platform, production
