Ford Taunus GXL

Thursday 27 June 2013
The Ford Taunus is a family car sold by Ford in Germany and other countries. Models from 1970 onward were similar to the Ford Cortina in the United Kingdom. The model line was named after the Taunus mountain range in Germany and was first made in 1939 and continued through several versions until 1994.
In 1970 a new Taunus, the Taunus Cortina (TC), was introduced, as a two- or four-door sedan, station wagon (or Turnier) and coupé. This model also formed the basis of the UK-only Cortina Mk.III, but with different door skins and rear wing pressings to lose the "coke-bottle" styling of the Cortina. Also, the Taunus was available as a coupe, a bodystyle that the Cortina was never made in.
Both cars were developed under the auspices of Ford of Europe, and most major components including key parts of the bodyshell were identical. From 1976 Taunus and Cortina models were identical in all but name, 'Taunus' being the name used in left hand drive (LHD) markets, and 'Cortina' in right hand drive ones, although the Cortina name was used in LHD Greece, South Korea, Philippines and Taiwan. The Mk III was also sold in Scandinavia, alongside the Taunus.
The Ford Taunus TC series was conceived in the late 1960s to be a "world car" alongside its technical sibling the Cortina Mk III, with construction and design work taking place on both sides of the Atlantic. As with the design of the first generation, it was done under the supervision of Semon "Bunkie" Knudsen, of former General Motors fame. The car is often nicknamed "Barock 2" (pointing back to the Taunus P2 series of the late 1950s, commonly known as the "Barock-Taunus") or "The Knudsen Nose" by its German owners because of the pointy hood scoop that, as the legend has it, was put there on direct order from Knudsen. Otherwise the major design work is rumoured to have been done by German car designer Luigi Colani, who also did design concepts for BMW's motorcycle division in the late 1970s.


Technical data:
- engine: 6 cylinders
- capacity: 2600 cc
- horsepower: 125 HP
- gearbox: 4+1
- top speed: 180 km/h