Mercury Topaz: the aerodynamic compact of 1984–1994

The Mercury Topaz was the Mercury-badged version of the Ford Tempo, sold from 1984 to 1994. It replaced the Zephyr as Mercury’s compact, brought front-wheel drive and aerodynamic styling to the class, and was itself replaced by the Mystique.

Mercury Topaz at a glance

The Topaz is described in the English Wikipedia article on the Ford Tempo, which is the only source used here; the article is based on one source.

History of the Mercury Topaz

Replacing the Zephyr

In the late 1970s Ford began planning replacements for its compact rear-wheel-drive Ford Fairmont and Mercury Zephyr with a smaller front-wheel-drive car. The new compact was expected to compete with General Motors’ X-body cars but ended up closer to the GM J-cars, and Ford’s chief development engineer for the programme was Ed Cascardo. The Tempo and Topaz shared some parts with the front-wheel-drive platform of the first North American Ford Escort, but with a wheelbase stretched by 5.7 inches and distinctive new bodies. There were few common components because of the larger size. Switching to front-wheel drive freed interior space that would otherwise have gone to a driveshaft and rear differential.

Shaped in the wind tunnel

Wind-tunnel testing of the Tempo began in December 1978. More than 450 hours of testing produced over 950 design changes. The Tempo and Topaz had windscreens inclined at 60 degrees and aircraft-inspired door frames that wrapped into the roofline, improving sealing, allowing hidden drip rails and cleaning up the A-pillar area. The rear track was widened, the grille laid back and the leading edge of the bonnet tuned for airflow; the wheels were pushed out to the corners of the body and the rear window laid down at 60 degrees. The rear deck was raised, cutting drag and improving fuel economy, and from the side the raised boot gave the car a wedge stance that was especially noticeable on the two-door coupes. This made the Tempo the first Ford sedan line to adopt aerodynamic exterior design, following the European Ford Sierra hatchback and the 1983 Ford Thunderbird coupe and preceding the 1986 Ford Taurus.

Technical firsts

The Tempo was the first Ford car line to offer all-wheel drive as an option and the first American automobile to offer a driver-side airbag as an option. Both of those firsts applied to the Topaz as Mercury’s version of the same car. The model line was produced across several North American plants, with a single generation of two-door coupes and two generations of four-door sedans.

The end of the line

For the 1995 model year the Tempo and Topaz four-door sedan were replaced by the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique, which were developed from the Ford Mondeo. The two-door Tempo was not directly replaced, and the Topaz disappeared from the Mercury range after 1994. For Mercury it marked the end of the rear-wheel-drive compact era that had begun with the Comet and continued through the Monarch and Zephyr.

Design and features

• Tempo twin: the Mercury version of the Ford Tempo, with its own grille and trim.
• Front-wheel drive: a new layout for Mercury’s compact class.
• Aerodynamic shape: 60-degree screens, a raised boot and a wedge stance.
• Airbag option: the first American car to offer a driver-side airbag as an option.
• All-wheel drive: the first Ford line to offer it.

Mercury Topaz versions

• Topaz two-door coupe (1984–1994): a single generation with the wedge profile.
• Topaz four-door sedan (1984–1987): the first sedan generation.
• Topaz four-door sedan (1988–1994): the second, facelifted generation.
• All-wheel-drive Topaz: the optional all-wheel-drive version.

The Topaz replaced the Zephyr and was replaced by the Mystique; it was also related to the Lynx through the Escort platform. More cars are in the Mercury collection.

Video: Mercury Topaz COLD start

Video by LeoTheNewb on YouTube.

Sources

• Ford Tempo, English Wikipedia: development, aerodynamics, technical firsts and the end of production