Ford Explorer

See also Ford Explorer Sport Trac for the spinoff pickup truck version

The Ford Explorer is a midsize sport utility vehicle sold mostly in North America built by the Ford Motor Company since 1990 and still in production as of 2006. It is manufactured in Louisville, Kentucky. It has been the best-selling vehicle midsize SUV in the United States each year since its introduction, and is one of the vehicles instrumental in turning the SUV from a special-interest vehicle into one of the most popular vehicle types on the road. The Explorer has also been involved in controversy, after a spate of fatal rollover accidents involving Explorers fitted with Firestone tires. Both two-door Explorer Sport and four-door models of Explorer have been sold. Part-time four wheel drive is an available option, and since 1995 this has been a 'shift on the fly' system with full protection against being engaged at too high a speed.

A specially modified Special Service Vehicle version is also available from Ford Fleet for law enforcement.

1991

The Ford Explorer was released in March 1990 as a 1991 model, replacing the Bronco II, which was almost exactly identical to the original Explorer. Like its predecessor, it was based on the Ford Ranger compact pickup truck and was equipped with a 4.0L 155hp (116kW) V6 engine and 4-speed automatic transmission. There were both 2-door and 4-door bodystyles with available rear or four wheel drive. Explorers came in 4 trim levels: base XL, XLT, Sport (the two-door version), and the upscale Eddie Bauer. A 5-speed manual transmission was added, for the Sport, for 1992, and the engine lost 10hp (7.5kW). 15hp (11kW) was added for 1993 for a total of 160hp (119kW). The Limited version was also added for 1993. Available only in the 4-door style, it was even more upscale than the Eddie Bauer version. It featured automatic headlights, foglamps, an automatic transmission as standard equipment, an auto-dimming rear view mirror, a center roof console with compass and outside thermometer, special wheels, and a special grille. A variant of the Explorer Sport was sold by Mazda as the Mazda Navajo, which won Motor Trend's Truck of the Year award but was discontinued two years later.