The U.S.-market Merkur Scorpio is merely a blip on the radar of automotive blunders in history. It owes its failure to numerous factors – styling not even being the most significant. Yet as much as I want to like the Scorpio, its expansive hatchback roofline has always turned me off (and probably a lot of potential buyers at the time).
Some cars like the Saab 9000, could make the hatchback design look slick and sporty. The Scorpio just looked plain clumsy. Naturally, this was something the car designer in me had an urge to fix.
The European-spec Ford Scorpio was available as a 4-door sedan. However like the hatchback, I’ve never found it particularly appealing or sporty. The sedan roofline looked too much like a squared-off Taurus or even worse, a Tempo. Neither of these resemblances would’ve have attracted yuppie Euro sports sedan buyers had the sedan been sold in the U.S.
Unimproved
The most obvious change I made from the original was to the roofline. I kept the slope of the hatchback’s roofline, yet made it distinctly sedan-like, evoking that of the Mercedes W124. Additionally, I moved the front wheels slightly forward, and the windshield back a bit. I also lowered the hood, making it level with the trunk.
Styling alone could not have saved the Scorpio and the Merkur brand. Paul highlighted a number of other factors in his Merkur Scoprio CC. My changes are purely an attempt at giving the Scorpio more proper “sports sedan” styling, better fitting the brand image that Ford tied to Merkur.
I dunno photoshop, but I think maintaining the wrap-around D-pillar glass on the sedan was the way to go, sans quarter glass on the door… a la Sable, basically.
Now a sedan like that, with a high-boost 2.3 OHC, would be my idea of a great ’80s Yuppiemobile.
My thoughts exactly! 🙂
The biggest challenge facing this car was its awkward placement into the LM showroom where the buyer base was decidedly pro American. It sort of overlapped the Sable and Grand Marquis, and was the oddball expensive car where the typical LM buyer just knew parts would be a problem when the car failed.
I give the original styling credit for trying something new in the American market. Endless me-to is quite boring, hence the moniker “Camcord.”
The alteration on the dash to axle ratio is the least possible change. It was built to be a space efficient FWD car and giving it a Benz like RWD ratio just wouldn’t be in the cards for the stylists.
The alteration on the dash to axle ratio is the least possible change. It was built to be a space efficient FWD car and giving it a Benz like RWD ratio just wouldn’t be in the cards for the stylists.
+1 as would be lowering the hood. That requires a lower cowl and that throws literally everything off
The Scorpio/Granada was a RWD car, in the UK Scorpio simply being the Granada’s top trim level. The rest of them were largely fleet cars, and almost all gone now.
My bad: It was RWD. The amount of fender behind the front wheel as designed is actually enough to signify possible RWD.
Still, the goal of so many cars in that era was space efficiency, and a stretch ahead of the firewall would be a pretty tough variance to get on anything but a very high end car.
Except the Scorpio was RWD. And it has a tremendous amount of rear leg room. So much, that it had reclining rear seats.
It had lots of things that only recently are normal for cars. Automatic vents, automatic temperature control, reclining seats, pneumatic lumbar support, automatic rear wiper and a fuel computer. 30 years later, those seats are very comfortable. Even the ones that are worn and torn.
Interesting how closely it resembles a W140 S-class sedan from the side.
I like your version better. Big hatchbacks/fastbacks have never done well here.
I also agree with DaveB that the existence of the Sable was a big problem for this car. Without the Sable, this might have been an upscale alternative to the Taurus. However, the Sable was trying to stake out that territory, and it was a lot less expensive than the Scorpio.
Finally, the Merkur brand thing was just stupid. 90% of America did not know how to pronounce it, and of those who did, 75% thought it sounded snobbish and affected. “No, actually you pronounce it Mare-Koor.” Either come up with a more German-sounding name to go for more snob appeal, or just call it a Mercury Scorpio.
In the end, the car was too expensive to compete with American stuff of its size, and not powerful or high-class enough to compete with European stuff of its size.
If the British car industry hadn’t dragged its’ name so thoroughly through the mud, expanding “Consul” into an export marque for all European Fords might’ve made sense.
Other than the usual “Volkswagon” and “Camero”-type misspellings (“make: Console”)…
As a former Scorpio owner, I have to defend the five door body for both looks and utility. Not only is the usability superior to a sedan, I think it’s a sharp ride. Of course, the marketplace voted differently, so I suppose I’m in the minority.
In regards to a turbo version, Ford’s 2.3 four was too agricultural for the “Gentleman’s Express” market segment occupied by the Scorpio. The best choice may have been the “light pressure turbo” that Saab added to their V-6. The LPT increases engine top end, but reduces some of the negatives associated with turbocharging
Rather than driving the turbo with both banks of the V-6, a light pressure tubo uses the exhaust output of one bank. This reduces total boost, but allows a higher compression ratio and helps maintain off-the-line torque. The 2.9 in the Scorpio even points the intake manifold to one side, so it would have been easy to plumb in one bank.
Concur, good takes.
A fine car, and we saw some in SoCal back then…
Ford engineers must have agreed with you. The 1990 Scorpio was to have a higher output engine, an electronically-controlled transmission instead of hydraulic and the newly obligatory airbags.
I actually liked the looks of these, and wanted my parents to buy one. But then I had seen pictures of not-in-the-US-midwest cars like the Rover SD1 and Citroen CX, and thought a big hatchback, preferably one with a racier back than the Saab 9000, was the best car design ever. To me, both the “real” 4-door and the imagined one are less interesting.
The problem with the Scorpio was almost 100% price: a well-equipped Mercury Sable (what my parents bought in 1989) was something like $3000 less. It seemed like then-established “aspirational” cars, like a Saab 900S, were noticeably cheaper as well. And I think this was mainly a macroeconomic thing. The high US interest rates used to kill inflation in the early-mid 80s made German-made cars cheaper, especially “gray market” ones. But the dollar weakened against the DM through the late 1980s, so Merkur/Mercury couldn’t use low prices to establish interest in the new brand. (I think the weak dollar-DM ratio drove Porsche into odd jobs like building Mercedes 500e’s and consulting on Volvo engines, before they adjusted.)
If we are ‘what if’ -ing, it would have been interesting if the Scorpio (and XR4ti) had been branded a Lincoln. It would have given Lincoln a competitor to other upscale imports. Marketed as ‘a different Lincoln’ that would have complemented the Continentals, MK VII LSC and Town Cars.
Or, Mercury could have received it and all the Euro Fords and made itself unique and relevant.
Tracer/Lynx becomes Euro Escort or Ford Orion (different name)
Topaz replaced with Sierra line (Sapphire Sedan, hatchback and wagon)
Sable is Scorpio (with 4 and 6 cylinder)
Grand Marquis – bring over Aussie Falcon.
Mountain state people take note – Sierra and Scorpio were available with AWD so that solves that concern.
Things one can’t get at a Ford dealer – things that get folks into L-M dealers.
Yes, exchange rate to import (assemble them here – start out with kits then locally sourced manufacturing) safety standards, etc all effect this plan. More money than rebadging, but less money than a separately developed model.
Maybe Mercury would still be around if it had a full slate of unique upscale vehicles….
I with you! I suggest that Ford named the Scorpio and XR4Ti (but give that hatch a proper name) as the “Zephyr”, rather than Merkur. That would associate these 2 cars with Lincoln as a lower-priced “second channel”, as well as bring back a relevant name from Lincoln’s past. Ford should have consulted with me!
Ford HQ answered the calls for “just import your Euro cars, they will get snapped up”
However reality
L-M dealers “We dont want no furren crap in our store, park it in the back” “Get them in a Town Car when they come in looking for that Murkur thing”.
And if Ford tried to force all Mercurys to be imports, the dealers would have sued. “We sell every Grand Marquis we get, and you want us to sell that hatchback junk to big car loving Americans?”
At the same time no 1980’s yuppie/Beemer fan was going to set foot in a L-M dealer to look at an Imported Euro Ford product.
The view a BMW driver gets on a twisty road V6 engine 4WD these actually went really well plus if you had the cash a Cosworth engine could be had.
Answers the question: “What was the Merkur Scorpio.”
The site has a Car and Driver article on the car. It sold in three years about what Ford hoped would be one year’s sales.
It appears the car’s shape was part of a goal to be space efficient and quite roomy inside.
http://www.derekspratt.com/HTML/Automotive/1987_Mercury_Merkur.html
Looks good, but it’s basically identical to a Mercedes-Benz W124 now!
The last traditional big British Ford,6 cylinders RWD RIP
I see one of these nearly every day, on my way to work. A real daily driver curbside classic. I took some photos of it about a year ago. It’s battered, but it still runs!
I remember both of these. I kind of liked the XR4TI as a kid…hell, pretty much ANY sporty coupe had my attention when I was thinking in ‘car mode’ as opposed to ‘jeep and 4×4 truck mode’. But now I see that both are a bit on the awkward side, styling wise. The Scorpio was never on my radar, being a 4-door, but Ive since softened my stance as long as they have a hatch. But its still a narrow, ass-heavy design that doesn’t have anywhere near the clean balanced look of the Dodge Lancer/Chrysler LeBaron GTS or a Saab. Likewise with the XR. I absolutely HATE a 6 window side profile on a 2-door and its barely tolerable on a 5 door hatch. The Mopar 024 twins suffer the same thing, but they just pull it off a little better..ummm…well, less bad. Both these cars have the same clunky and misshapen ‘aero snout’ similar to the ’87-’93 Fox Mustangs….which I hate just as bad! It was mentioned that the 2.3 turbo was a bit ‘harsh’…but in a sporty 2-door, a more raw visceral feel is what goes with the whole car. The V6 just suits a sedan more, its a more posh and pillowy car even in Euro trim. Its not Cadillac or buick soft….but just soft-ER.
Still, both of these in theory SHOULD have had some level of success if you take them at face value. I don’t know from experience, but someone said they were sold thru L-M dealers and that sounds like a boneheaded move to me. That’s like having a small table selling bratwursts and Spaten inside of an old country buffet….its just weird. The smart move would’ve been to offer Merkur as a separate franchise at auto malls in import heavy areas…OR, as a side franchise to a more mainstream import dealership in smaller towns on the coasts which tend to be more import heavy.
Always had a soft spot for the Granada, the last RWD European Ford. The 2.9 V6 Cosworth was pretty special and very tasty – an excellent Q car, as it looked near enough identical to the cooking 2 litre model.
The Granada, both this generation and previous versions, were popular with many British police forces.
UK and Europe also got an estate/wagon version. It was vast, despite the RWD packaging. If I remember correctly, only the Citroen XM estate was bigger, at that time.
+1 on Granadas,Mum had a Mk1 saloon.I had a Mk2 2.8 GL saloon.Would love to find a Mk1 fastback but they were rare new.
You and your family had good taste Gem. Having grown up watching ‘The Sweeney’ and ‘The Professionals’, I’m a Ford fan. My lottery garage would include a mk3 silver 3.0S Capri, a mk2 white RS2000 Escort, and a mk2 red 2.8 Ghia Granada.
I;ll be the first to admit that the Capri is awful, but I adore it!
I loved those shows,you got good taste in cars and TV.Product placement wasn’t quite as blatant as American TV but it was close,remember all the Fords with the occasional Mercury and Lincoln in the Invaders?
That’s an interesting take on it Brendan, quite Sablesque. I like the factory sedan, but its losing the wraparound side/rear glass, took away a little of the distinctiveness.
We got the Scorpio hatchback new in NZ in 1984-6 in very limited numbers – they were UK-spec. From memory they were the dearest car Ford sold here, excluding the various Sierra Cosworth models. Most of our Scorpios were V6, but at least one 4-cylinder Ghia hatch slipped in, as a mate-of-a-mate’s father bought one back in 1991ish. Considering its underpinnings (basically it’s a stretched and widened Sierra) the Scorpio was quite an accomplished car I thought. Haven’t seen one on the road for 3-4 years, but I love the looks – very, very elegant exterior and a nicely-styled interior – and would have a burgundy one on my top-20 cars-to-own list.
The factory sedan was dull, but can be seen as product of Ford Europe’s reactive design thinking at the time.
Late 70’s-Early 80’s: Square, clean, conservative designs epitomised by the 78 Mk2 Granada, and Mk5 Cortina.
Early-Mid 80’s: Bravery! The Sierra and 85 Granada were bold, different, and hatchbacked. Unexpected, especially in light of their predecessors.
Late 80’s: Normalisation: the market wasn’t kind to the Sierra in particular, so through a series of updates both cars were toned down, and then the thoroughly conventional sedans were added.
Early 90’s: Bland as bland can be. Any styling mojo completely lost, see Escort Mk4 from 1990. Or the first Mondeo.
Mid 90’s: Oval mentalism. See 1994 Scorpio.
Ford sold almost 2 million Sierras, so despite the slow start, the market was very kind to it. The MkII had a different front clip, and the 93 and 94 had a different dash, but the car was pretty much unchanged for a decade. The combining of the Sierra and Scorpio model lines into the Mondeo put an end to both nameplates.
As to the frog-eye Scorpio, just say no.