Ford Sierra
The Ford Sierra is a mid-size car or large family car manufactured and marketed by Ford Europe from 1982–1993, designed by Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick le Quément — and noted for its aerodynamic styling producing a drag coefficient of 0.34, a significant improvement over its predecessors.
| Ford Sierra | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Ford Europe |
| Also called | Merkur XR4Ti (North America, 1985–1989) Ford Sapphire (South Africa, 1990–1993) |
| Production | 1982–1993 |
| Assembly | |
| Designer | Uwe Bahnsen Bob Lutz Patrick le Quément |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Mid-size car/Large family car (D) |
| Body style | 3/5-door liftback 4-door saloon 5-door estate 5-door car derived van |
| Layout | Front-engine, rear-wheel drive / four-wheel drive |
| Related | Ford Scorpio Ford P100 Merkur XR4Ti |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine |
|
| Transmission | 3-speed automatic 4-speed automatic 4-speed manual 5-speed manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,609 mm (102.7 in) |
| Length | 4,531 mm (178.4 in) |
| Width | 1,727 mm (68.0 in) |
| Height | 1,367 mm (53.8 in) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Ford Cortina Mark V Ford Taunus TC3 |
| Successor | Ford Mondeo |
The Sierra debuted at the 1982 British International Motor Show in Birmingham, shortly followed by the 1982 Paris Salon de l'Automobile. Sales began on 15 October 1982, replacing the Ford Taunus TC3 (UK: Ford Cortina Mark V). Its aerodynamic styling and the absence of a saloon/sedan configuration was such that many conservative buyers (including company car drivers) did not prefer its design. A saloon/sedan model debuted in 1987 with the introduction of the facelifted Sierra.
Designated internally under the "Project Toni" code name, the nameplate Sierra derived from the Spanish word for mountain range. The car was primarily manufactured in Belgium, and the United Kingdom, although Sierras were also assembled in Cork, Ireland, Argentina, Venezuela, South Africa and New Zealand.