Ford Telstar

The Ford Telstar was an automobile sold by the Ford Motor Company in Asia, Australasia and Africa, comparable in size to the European Ford Sierra and the American Ford Tempo. It has been progressively replaced by the Ford Mondeo.

Like the smaller Ford Laser, the Telstar was in fact, based on a model produced by Mazda in Japan. It shared its platform with the Mazda Capella/626, the differences being confined to some styling, engine sizes, and specification. The first model (also known as the AR) was launched in 1983, replacing the Ford Cortina. Unlike the Cortina, or its Sierra successor, the Telstar was usually only available as a sedan or hatchback (known as the TX5). However, after 1988, a Telstar version of the 626 wagon was sold in Japan and New Zealand.

Japan

In Japan, the Telstar was introduced in 1983 on the new front wheel drive Mazda GC platform. This model was replaced in 1987 with a refreshed version on the Mazda GD platform. A station wagon appeared in 1990 on the old GD-based GV platform, while the sedan was updated the next year with the newer GE platform. From 1994 through 1996, a special Telstar II was produced alongside the Japan-only Mazda Capella on the CG platform.

The last Telstar, based on the GF platform, was released in 1997, but was only sold in Japan, as Ford was now marketing the Mondeo in the Asian-Pacific region. The Telstar was dropped by Ford of Japan in 1999, as the company sought to differentiate itself from Mazda by concentrating on European and American Ford models. Telstars were briefly available with Mazda's four-wheel steering.

Australia

In Australia, the Telstar filled the gap in Ford Australia's product line-up, left by the Cortina in 1981. The Telstar was Wheels magazine's Car of the Year for 1983.

Local assembly of the Telstar was short-lived, and for a while the model was almost replaced by the Ford Corsair, which was simply a facelifted version of the Nissan Pintara, as the two companies were sharing models under the Button Plan.