Has it also happened to you that on a cloudy September evening you browsed ads and auctions with the beautiful idea of buying a nice American car ? The problem is, however, that well-preserved ships from the west are as expensive to acquire as they are to operate. So is it possible to indulge in at least a little American comfort for little money? Simply put, yes, you can buy second-hand Ford Scorpios for a decent price these days and their running costs aren't high. I had a 1992 Ford Scorpio with a 2.0 four cylinder engine at my disposal and it was quite an interesting experience. Although the Ford Scorpio is not a pure American car (its origins are European), it is quite similar in style and handling. It was sold in America under the Merkur Scorpio brand, unfortunately the Merkur brand was not very successful in America and Ford decided to discontinue it after a few years .
The first Ford Scorpio was introduced in 1985 in Great Britain (there it was sold under the designation Ford Granada Mk III). It was the direct successor to the Ford Granada , which represented the top of the automaker's range in the upper mid-range car category. The successor received modern shapes and rich equipment in the CL, GL and Ghia versions. A big plus was a wide range of petrol and diesel power units driving the rear wheels. Gasoline engines were equipped with OHC distributions, diesels had OHV distributions and, except for the first two weakest gasoline units, they were equipped with fuel injection. Their content was 1.8, 2.0 (two liters were fitted with a carburettor or injection) for the four-cylinder and 2.8 for the six-cylinder , which was the most powerful engine installed. The diesel version was offered as an atmosphere and with a turbocharger , the engine capacity was the same for both units, namely 2.5 liters. In 1987, versions with all-wheel drive began to be produced, but this was reserved for the most powerful gasoline version.
Between 1990 and 1992, the Scorpio underwent two waves of facelifts , which saw it receive new mirrors, front and rear lights, and work on the ABS system. Changes also took place in the interior and the choice of power units, where a 2.9 Cosworth petrol engine was added. As for driving characteristics, the car I tested had a two-liter engine, which is the lower limit for a ship weighing 1345 kg. Don't expect any sporty driving, the Scorpio is purely about comfort and a slow rocking ride with the feeling of driving a big boat, especially in corners where it leans a lot at higher speeds and the feeling between the wheels and the steering wheel could be better.
The gearbox is a chapter in itself and it is necessary to get used to the classic long American gradation, because the differences between the second and third and fourth and fifth stages are even about 1000 rpm . It's fine for long journeys, but in the city the engine has to rev unnecessarily high. Another possible complication in urban traffic can be the overall dimensions , which, in combination with a narrow multi-story parking lot, pose a risk of wheel rims rubbing against the curb. On the other hand, it is easy to see from the car. In 1993, a station wagon version began to be produced, with which it was also pleasant to reverse. After opening the doors to the spacious interior, we find front and rear seats the size of a living room settee, plenty of storage space and a dashboard with a steering wheel reminiscent of a ship's bridge. The driver had perfect comfort, as the seat was height adjustable and its hardness could also be changed. The 1993 version was fitted with a very high-quality eight-speaker audio system for that time.
The second generation Ford Scorpio premiered in 1994 and at first glance it was a completely new car. Thanks to the interesting shape of the body, first impressions are often full of contradictions and not everyone is interested. I personally really like the processing of the rear part and the shape of the lights. Designers toyed with the idea of front-wheel drive, but ultimately stuck with the original concept of rear-wheel drive. Although the front axle did not receive a drive, it was improved with modernized McPherson struts, new transverse arms and stabilizer, the rear axle was also modernized, but only slightly. A large selection of power units remained, from the basic petrol 2.0 8V and 16V, 2.3 16V to the six-cylinder 2.9 24V from Coswoth, diesel variants were offered in atmospheric and turbocharged versions with the same 2.5 liter capacity. You could choose between two transmissions for these engines, namely a five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic , which had the option of choosing between economic and sports modes.
In the second generation, safety was further worked on, the car received stronger side braces and improved power steering . In the interior, there was no plastic on plastic either, and the entire dashboard got a rounder shape with wooden decor popular especially in the USA. The central tunnel with the shifter, handbrake and storage and box with an armrest remained from the previous model. In 1998, the Scorpio underwent a final facelift , seen in darkened headlights and a less chrome grille. Shortly after that, its production was terminated without naming a successor .
From my introduction to the Ford Scorpio, you might think it was a big, clunky, thirsty car, something you definitely wouldn't buy. But that is a mistake . All we want is an American car at an affordable price , and if the Scorpio didn't have those big seats, giant dimensions, long transmission and didn't rock like a riverboat, it wouldn't be a real American car. And its special features are the reason to buy it. And if it still seems inappropriate, it's not the car, it's the country we're driving it in, because frankly, everything is a little bigger in America.
