The very first Ford Taunus appeared a long time ago, more precisely in 1939. The name Taunus refers to the German mountain range near Frankfurt am Main . The car was based on the Eifel type (another German mountain range), took over the four-cylinder 1.2 from it, but had a more aerodynamic body with a longer wheelbase. It was produced not only in Cologne , Germany, but also in Riga , Latvia. Although the factory was bombed during the war, its production was nevertheless resumed in 1947. In addition to the classic four-door sedan, a version with a longer wheelbase for taxi drivers, a station wagon and a utility pickup was produced. In 1950, the car was modernized, but its production was discontinued two years later. Approximately 74 thousand of these cars were produced.
The Taunus was the first Ford type to receive a post-war successor. It was named 12M , when the number indicated the volume of the engine and the letter, in turn, the German word Meisterstück , i.e. masterpiece. It was one of the first cars with a self-supporting pontoon body , with a small globe in the middle of the front fascia as a typical feature. The power of the pre-war four- cylinder increased to 28 kW. Even so, the 840-kilogram car was able to accelerate up to 110 km/h. Estate and cabriolet versions were soon derived from the car.
The 1955 Frankfurt Motor Show was the scene of the premiere of the Taunus 15M with a more powerful engine. With the 15th engine, the output increased to 40 kW and the maximum speed to 128 km/h. At first glance, the car seemed more presentable, the two-tone paintwork and the white sidewalls of the tires helped him in this. And this model was also available as a convertible. A new feature that penetrated even the lower 12M series was a fully synchronized transmission . In 1959, an extensive modernization took place, which affected both models. And even later, the models received a new fork four-cylinder with volumes of 1.2 and 1.5.
In 1957, the larger Taunus 17M model with a larger body reminiscent of American luxury cars came on the market. It was wearing a lot of chrome accessories and the headlights were fitted with an elegant hood. In the De Luxe version, the car was available in a two-tone body design. And there was also a station wagon with horizontally split rear doors. Under the hood was a four-cylinder 1.7 OHV with an output of 44 kW, thanks to which the car reached up to 125 km/h. And at the same time he drove for less than 10 liters per 100 kilometers. The transmission was either three- or four-speed.
However, a radical change was brought by the 1960s, when new engines got into new bodies. In addition to the two- and four-door bodies, a coupe was also put into production. Production took place for four years in Cologne , Germany, Amsterdam , Netherlands and Genk , Belgium. And the larger 17M model also saw a second generation. It had a completely different round body and was called a bathtub . A typical element was the front oval headlights. In addition to the sedan, there was also a cabriolet on offer. Under the hood were engines 1.5, 1.7 and 1.8, which drove up to 154 km/h.
In 1964, the third generation of the 17M model, referred to as P5, came to the market. The car was much longer, but otherwise very similar in shape to the previous P3. This car was presented with a completely new radiator grille and a different shape of the headlights. Sedans were two- and four-door, Turnier station wagons three- and five-door. The 17M differed from its smaller siblings in its rear-wheel drive . The novelty was the 20M model with a two-liter six-cylinder engine . The top engine was available with 85 or 90 horsepower.
But then the older small models on guard were replaced by a new series known as the P6 , which was first seen by the public in 1966. For the first time, the 12M and 15M versions differed in appearance, specifically in the shape of the headlights. However, the proven four-cylinder 1.5 and 1.7 were still beating under the hood. A year later, the P7 series for the 17M and 20M models was introduced in Bonn . The cars were much larger than their predecessors. The most powerful version was the 20M RS type with 125 hp. However, the customers were impressed by the return of the typical curved bumpers during the next modernization. In Frankfurt 1969, Ford then presented the Taunus 26M with a new 2.6 forked six-cylinder engine with an output of 92 kW and an automatic transmission . Standard equipment was a vinyl roof and halogen headlights.
From 1970, however, the Taunus coincided with the third generation of the Ford Cortina , from which the new code name TC was derived. Although matched is not the right word, there would be plenty of differences. The sides were less prominent, the blinkers were completely different. The range of engines was also different from the Cortina – you had a choice of 1.3 and 1.6 in -line four-cylinders and 2.0 and 2.3 six-cylinder forks. Further modernization took place in 1973, when the Taunus received a new interior and improved driving characteristics . Another change took place in 1976, when the appearance of the Taunus completely matched the Cortina model. The Taunus was last modernized in 1979, when the radiator grille and blinkers were changed . Production ran until 1982, but then the Taunus was discontinued and the more modern Sierra was introduced.
Photo: AutoWP
