Ford Panther platform
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The Panther platform is one of Ford Motor Company's full-size, rear-wheel drive sedan automobile platform, the other is the Australian Ford Falcon. Today, it is the oldest platform still in use in the United States and Canada. It uses traditional body-on-frame construction, and a live rear axle. It was introduced in 1978 for the 1979 model year as a response to the downsized GM full size offerings. As downsizing continued in the 1980s, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick, as well as AMC and Chrysler dropped out of the traditional full-size segment entirely. During trying periods for Ford it was scheduled for cancellation on several occasions, as early as 1985. It has outlasted its GM counterpart, the B-platform which was used for the Chevrolet Caprice and Buick Roadmaster, along with its extended-wheelbase version the D-platform used for Cadillac Fleetwood, until their cancellation in 1996. The Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis are among the most commonly used fleet vehicles, including police interceptors and taxicabs. The Lincoln Town Car appeals largely to older clients and is the most commonly used limousine in the United States. The Panther platform is still in production as of 2006 and is currently committed to production until at least 2010. [1]
The first Panthers were the Ford LTD and Mercury Marquis. Both were available in coupe, wagon, and sedan bodies. In 1980, the Lincoln Continental and Continental Town Car were introduced on the Panther platform, the Continental name being dropped for 1981, making Town Car a model line of its own. While Lincoln coupes based on the Panther platform lasted only two years, Ford and Mercury coupes lasted until 1987, and wagons were manufactured until 1991. After that, and an extensive redesign of the Ford and Mercury bodies, only full-size four-door sedans were produced. The Town Car's body was extensively reworked for 1990 and again for 1998.
The Panther platform is currently produced at Ford's Wixom Assembly and St. Thomas Assembly plants in Canada. Ford says they will continue the platform until least 2010. On September 18th 2006, Ford announced that with the closure of the Wixom plant it will move Town Car production to the St. Thomas plant.
Vehicles that have used the Panther platform include:
- Lincoln Continental Mark VI (1980–1983)
- Ford Crown Victoria (1992–Present)
- Ford LTD (1979–1982)
- Ford LTD Crown Victoria (1983–1991)
- Mercury Grand Marquis (1983–Present)
- Mercury Marauder (2003–2004)
- Mercury Marquis (1979–1982)
- Lincoln Town Car (1981–Present)
- The Aston Martin Lagonda Vignale concept of 1995 also used a modified Panther platform.
[edit] 2008
DaimlerChrysler and General Motors have begun moving back toward rear wheel drive for their premium models, whereas Ford never changed its Panther-based models.
While there is no real evidence and conflicting reports on the future of the Panther platform, Ford is rumored to be considering replacing the Panther platform with a derivative of the Australian Ford Falcon, which never changed from a rear drive platform, in 2008. This would be the replacement for the Crown Victoria and Grand Marquis, while the Town Car would be replaced with an all-wheel drive sedan based on the Ford D3 platform. The Ford Five-Hundred is also internal competition as it also falls in the same internal volume class, though does not offer a V8.
The Ford Interceptor concept (Ford D2C platform), which will debut at NAIAS in 2007, is also rumoured as a replacement.
[edit] External links
| Current Ford platforms |
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| B3 (subcompact FWD) · C1 (compact car FWD) · CD2 (compact SUV FWD/AWD) CD3 (mid-size car FWD/AWD) · D3 (full-size car FWD/AWD) · EUCD (mid-size car FWD/AWD) |
