In a delayed post this week we have one of the brighter points of Ford Australia’s small car history in the TX3 Turbo all-wheel drive Lasers. As with any affordable performance car, many have fallen by the wayside but recently I’ve seen a couple.
The Ford Laser was built in Ford’s Homebush, Sydney plant as a replacement for the European rear-wheel drive Escort, and based on the Mazda 323. Needless to say it was a massive change, but one that was popular and became the best-selling small car in the country.
The second-generation KC model in 1985 introduced the TX3 nameplate to replace the earlier Sport model which had featured a twin carburettor engine. The TX3 became the range-topping model above the luxurious Ghia trim level, and had a fuel-injected 1.6L 61 kW (82 hp) engine instead of the standard 53 kW (71 hp). The three-door bodyshell was imported from Japan as opposed to being built in the Homebush factory. Interestingly the related Mercury Tracer in the USA came from Mexico while Canada apparently imported theirs from Taiwan! In Central and South America you were more likely to see Ford Lasers rather than contemporary Escorts.
The 1987 KE facelift added a TX3 Turbo model making 101 kW (135 hp) as well as 50% more torque as well as an all-wheel drive model that, well it should be pretty obvious! This model also featured quad headlights inset in a body-coloured housing that would be echoed on Falcon XR models in a few years.
The basics of the third-generation KH model of 1990 were now shared with North America, although there were still differences such as engines with Australia only getting upgraded 1.8L Mazda units. One addition to the range was a mild ‘S’ trim level with minor cosmetic and suspension upgrades.
The TX3 continued with power now at 92 kW (123 hp), a useful 18 kW (25 hp) more than standard Lasers, while the Turbo had 117 kW (157 hp). The fwd Turbo model was dropped, which was probably sensible given the torque steer affecting the less-powerful 1.6 of the previous model.
The key external difference was a sticker just behind the door, which can just be seen in the lead photo, advertising the 4wd Turbo. The Turbo AWD cost $26,245, a quite reasonable increase over the $22,400 TX3 and only $330 more than its 1987 predecessor – incredible given the inflation of the time.
1991 Bathurst 12 Hour race where the team of Kent Youlden, Ken Douglas and Brett Youlden brought their Laser TX3 Turbo home in second place having covered 239 laps, just 3 laps behind the winning Toyota Supra Turbo. Not bad for a last-minute converted press car! The feat was nearly repeated the following year as the car was in second place until a CV joint failed with half an hour to go due to excessive suspension travel through the infamous Dipper corner. That race was won by a Mazda RX7 Turbo, from a BMW M5 and Saab 9000 to give an idea of the calibre of the competition!
This photo is from the 1991 launch of the facelifted KH model (featuring a new grille and headlamps)
The TX3 Turbo was available through to 1993 (by which time the cost had increased $31,528), although presumably sales were pretty low due to the early-90’s recession.
Overall it was a pretty good little pocket rocket, and it is a shame that it has taken until recent for Ford to come back with a ‘normal’* 4wd turbo road car with the Focus RS.
(*Not including the homologation-special Escort RS Cosworth which was far from a normal car.)
Further Reading:
Curbside Classic: 1981-85 Ford KA/KB Laser – A Beam of Light
Cohort Sighting: 1988/89 Mazda 323 GT – One Of 800 Imported
Curbside Classic: 1988 Mercury Tracer – The Road To Hiroshima Runs Through Hermosillo
Makes me wonder why we never got an AWD version of the Escort GT, given that the engineering work had been done in Oz and that the GT was a fairly popular and well-regarded little car.
More Ford Alternate Universe for you… (Though I will say I prefer the US’s Taurus-inspired blanked grille panel as opposed to the ones in this article, which remind me of a Tracer on the older version and an Aspire on the newer one.)
The engineering was done by Mazda in Japan and that blank front was from Ford of Europe’s Sierra.
Looks like the same basic car as the CT20 Escort, an extremely successful platform.
If anything, the Aussie version is better looking than what we got in the US (Which makes sense given its loftier position in the Australian market).
Correct, that model was a collaboration with Mazda and now it was Ford Europe that was out on its own.
The market positioning was not a lot different in Australia, the model range went Festiva-Laser-Telstar-Falcon. This generation did increase in size over the earlier cars, roughly a foot longer and a couple of inches wider, although on almost the same wheelbase, but it was still for people who wanted a small/economical/cheap car. You could however get a more nicely trimmed Ghia model, which had been in the range since the rwd Escort Mark 2 in 1975 – in today’s context this just means it had some features rather than none at all! The Ghia was typically bought by older, downsizing buyers.
EX GFs father had one in the 80s he traded a Daihatsu Charade turbo on it, very rapid car. NZ has a lot of ex Japan Mazda Familia turbo 4wds very popular with the boy racer set, but in this day and age not really all that fast, actual TX3s are quite collectable.
Agreed – my Uncle still has the 1986 Familia GT Turbo sedan he bought in 1992; I drove it once and was surprised how little oomph it had for a turbo.
These performance Lasers are intriguing; one of my best friends had a North American Escort GT in teal during high school. Fun little bomb. We nicknamed him Zeus. Quite the ordinary shitbox until about 3500 RPM, where then he would whip up a bunch of fury and rocket off. Considering how that car was quite the sleeper, a turbo Laser must have really been a stealth bomber. Sadly, the gas gauge broke right around the same time the tank developed a leak, and Zeus’ fumy days were swiftly numbered. His replacement is in several posts above today, as luck would have it, and talk about a big step down on so many levels…
My first car was a USA 1991ish Ford Escort five door hatch. It was very practical and with the five speed I could even pretend it was fast. It was soon totaled (not my fault I swear) and replaced with a 1995 Cavalier 2.2L…which wasn’t nearly as practical but it felt like a sports car after the Escort.
Interesting. Didn’t know there was a turbo for these. Never seen one riced, or ozzed.
Love these things 🙂 I have a certain fondness for sporting Fords, even if they’re not all that special. When I was a child, I wanted an Escort GT. At nearly 30 years old, I still do.
Compared with the very pretty KC/E TX3, the KF/H TX3 was not terribly well styled. And don’t get me started on the abysmal KJ TX3…
I agree, the 1990 was a bit dumpier looking but the TX3 awd was so much more capable that it was worth it. The 3-door KJ version was called the Lynx in Australia, not sure why that was.