Ford Crown Victoria

The Ford Crown Victoria is a fullsize car produced by the Ford Motor Company in the 1950s, and then again in the 1970s. While the Crown Victoria only has mediocre sales to the general public, the Crown Victoria is very popular among fleets, with its twin, the Mercury Grand Marquis being the exact opposite. The Grand Marquis is almost never used by fleets other than rental car companies, while it is very popular among the general public. While it shares components with the Lincoln Town Car, it shares almost no exterior sheetmetal or interior parts.

Description

The Ford Crown Victoria is a fullsize sedan manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. The Crown Victoria, or "Crown Vic" as it is often referred, represents the top-of-the-line sedan in the Ford lineup. Much like its predecessor, the Ford LTD, the Ford Crown Victoria is also commonly used as a taxi cab, fleet vehicle and police car, a segment in which Crown Victorias make up the vast majority of vehicles used.

The Crown Victoria is manufactured in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, rides on the 1979-vintage Ford Panther platform and utilizes the universal 4.6 L SOHC SEFI V8. As of 2005, prices range from US$25,000 for the base model to $32,000 for the high-end LX Sport trim.

1955

The first "Crown Victoria" appeared in 1955; it was a 2-door 6-seater hardtop coupe, part of the Ford Fairlane range, that differed from the regular Victoria model (named after a type of carriage) by having a stainless steel band that 'crowned' the roofline, passing right over the car, as an extension of the B-pillar line. The model was produced in 1955 and 1956.

1980

In 1980, Ford brought back the name on a deluxe version of the LTD fullsize car line on the Ford Panther platform. It replaced the previous year's LTD Landau model, and used a stainless steel band over the roof at the B-pillar to evoke the 1950s model.

1992-1997

In 1992, along with dropping the LTD designation, the sedan body (production of the station wagon having ceased in 1991) was completely redesigned to the round, six-window shape (which shared many details with its contemporary, the newly refreshed 1992 Taurus), and there was a new 4.6L modular engine. There was a further facelift in 1998 and chassis modifications for 2003.