Ford Panther platform

The Ford Panther platform was an automobile platform that was used by Ford Motor Company from the 1979 to 2012 model years. Following the downsizing of the General Motors B-bodies and C-bodies by two years, the Panther platform marked the end of production of full-sized American sedans. Originally slated for discontinuation during the early 1980s, the Panther architecture was used for 33 model years, making it one of the longest-produced platforms in North American automotive history.
Developed as a successor to the 1969 Ford chassis, the rear-wheel-drive, body-on-frame Panther platform was used by the Ford and Lincoln-Mercury brands. While produced exclusively as four-door sedans from 1992 to 2012, prior to its first update, the chassis underpinned two-door sedans and five-door station wagons. Throughout its entire production life, all Panther-platform vehicles were equipped with a V8 engine; the Modular V8 engine introduced in 1991 was the first overhead-cam V8 engine used in a mass-produced American vehicle.
Initially developed in response to the implementation of CAFE by the U.S. federal government, the Panther platform outlived its closest rival by 15 years, with the 2012 Ford Crown Victoria becoming the final mass-produced passenger car designed with a separate frame. While body-on-frame construction is retained by pickup trucks and larger SUVs, unibody construction sees nearly universal use in passenger cars.
From 1978 to 1985, Ford and Mercury versions of the Panther platform were assembled in Hazelwood, Missouri. For the 1986 model year, production shifted to Talbotville, Ontario, Canada. Lincoln versions were sourced from Wixom, Michigan, until its 2007 closure; from 2008 to 2011, the Lincoln Town Car was assembled by St. Thomas Assembly. After a short production run of 2012 vehicles for export, St. Thomas Assembly produced the final Ford Crown Victoria on 15 September 2011, the final vehicle produced by the facility and the final vehicle of the Panther platform.

Design overview

The Panther platform utilized the body-on-frame construction with live rear-axle suspension. While commonplace during its late-1970s introduction, it is a design found almost exclusively in large SUVs and pickup trucks today. The durability resulting from the body-on-frame construction and their relatively simple design make the Panther cars appealing as fleet vehicles, including police cars and taxicabs. The Lincoln Town Car appealed largely to livery services, and was the most commonly used limousine in North America, as it could easily be "stretched" by lengthening the frame without compromising chassis strength.
Although introduced in 1978, the Panther platform underwent major changes along the way. Across its design life, it was produced in three distinct generations:

First generation : This generation was the only one to be produced in three body styles: four-door sedan, two-door coupe, and five-door station wagon. This was the only generation to use the Windsor V8 engine.
Second generation : Extensive redesigns of exterior and interior; introduction of Modular V8 engine; and four-door sedan was only body style.
Third generation : Frame and suspension redesigns and upgrades to improve handling. 2011 was the last model year for the North American market and for Lincoln-Mercury models. A limited number of 2012 Crown Victorias were built for the overseas market.
First generation (1978–1991)

For 1979, Ford introduced the Panther platform, downsizing the Ford LTD and Mercury Marquis model ranges. Along with an extensive reduction in exterior footprint and weight, the Panther platform saw several other changes. For the first time, the LTD and Marquis shared a common wheelbase; with the exception of grilles and taillights, the two model lines shared nearly identical bodywork. As before, two-door, four-door, and station wagon bodies were offered.
For 1980, federal fuel-economy regulations forced the Lincoln Continental to adopt the Panther platform. While built on its own wheelbase and using its own bodywork, the Continental, Town Car, and Continental Mark VI used the same powertrain as the LTD and Marquis.
Following the introduction of the Panther platform, Ford underwent an extensive revision of both its full-size and mid-size model ranges in the early 1980s. For 1981, Lincoln made the Town Car and four-door Continental Mark VI its full-size model line to reduce its model overlap, with the Continental later becoming a mid-size sedan ; the two-door version of the Mark VI was replaced in 1984 by the Mark VII coupe. For 1983, the Ford LTD and Mercury Marquis became mid-size sedans, replacing the Ford Granada and Mercury Cougar while the LTD Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis became distinct model lines, in an effort to move full-size model ranges upward in prestige.
The first generation of the Panther platform is the sole generation produced in multiple body styles. 1981 was the sole year for the Town Car coupe with the two-door version of the Mark VI ending production after 1983. After 1987, two-door Ford and Mercury sedans were discontinued due to low demand. After 1991, the Ford LTD Country Squire and Mercury Colony Park station wagons were discontinued.
;Changes
Outside of the shift of nameplates in the early 1980s, few fundamental changes were made to first-generation Panther-platform vehicles from 1979 to 1991. For 1980, Lincoln introduced the AOD 4-speed overdrive automatic transmission and fuel injection for the 5.0L V8, becoming available for Ford and Mercury in 1981.
For 1988, the LTD Crown Victoria and Grand Marquis underwent a minor revision to improve exterior aerodynamics. For 1990, the Panther platform received its first addition of SRS airbags. The Town Car was designed with dual airbags; the LTD Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, and station wagons were fitted with driver-side airbags.
The first-generation Panther was also:

The last American car with functional vent windows
The last American-brand car available with a carbureted engine
Second generation (1990–2002)

The American automotive landscape had changed significantly throughout the 1980s, although Ford had left the Panther platform essentially unchanged. A combination of changing consumer tastes as well as increasingly more stringent fuel economy standards forced Ford to make significant changes to the Panther cars in order to keep them in production. Bucking industry trends of the time, Ford chose not to downsize it any further or to replace it entirely with a front-wheel-drive platform, opting instead for more aerodynamic bodystyling and an all-new powertrain. As a result of changing market trends towards minivans and sport utility vehicles, one casualty of the redesign was the Country Squire and Colony Park station wagons; at the time, their de facto replacement was the Ford Aerostar.
In October 1989, Lincoln introduced the second-generation Town Car. In early 1991, the Crown Victoria and Grand Marquis received total redesigns of their bodies for 1992. The Ford was restyled to have more of a family resemblance to the Ford Taurus, while the Mercury was styled as a more contemporary version of its predecessor.
;4.6-liter "Modular" V8
In 1991, the 4.6L SOHC Modular V8 debuted under the hood of the Lincoln Town Car. It was the replacement for both the 302 and 351 cubic-inch Windsor V8 engines; in 1992, it became available in the Crown Victoria and Grand Marquis. Although the torque peak for the Modular V8 was 1,200 rpm higher than for the 302 V8, the 4.6L was available with up to 60 more horsepower.
;1998 upgrades
In 1997, Ford significantly upgraded the exterior designs of all three Panther platform cars. The Town Car received the most extensive changes with its entire body being restyled. To increase parts commonality between the two, the Crown Victoria was redesigned to share the rear roofline with the Grand Marquis, which saw minor cosmetic changes itself. On the underpinning chassis, a Watt's linkage replaced the triangulated rear control arm setup used on the live rear axle suspension in an effort to improve handling.

Third generation (2003–2011)

For 2003, Ford Chassis Engineer Trever Skilnick completely redesigned the frame of the Panther platform using a hydroformed steel frame and a bolt-in cast aluminum stressed member that held the powertrain. The front and rear suspension were also completely overhauled in an effort to improve handling; rack-and-pinion steering replaced the recirculating-ball design. While the sheetmetal of the Crown Victoria carried over, the Grand Marquis and Town Car both received updates to the exterior and interior in an effort to bring them in line with the rest of their respective product lineups. The "Cast Aluminum #2" frame crossmember won Casting of The Year for Tier 1 supplier CMI, and the new chassis was reviewed favorably by journalist Dan Neil of The Wall Street Journal.
For 2003, Mercury introduced the Marauder, a high-performance variant of the Grand Marquis. Designed in a similar fashion as the 1994–1996 Chevrolet Impala SS, it featured the engine of the Ford Mustang Mach 1. The Marauder sold poorly; it was dropped after 2004 after just over 11,000 were built.

Models

In total, twelve vehicle nameplates were produced under the Panther platform, with the Ford LTD Crown Victoria, Ford Crown Victoria, Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, Lincoln Town Car, and Continental Mark VI produced exclusively on the architecture.

Model Name	Model Years	Body Styles	Notes
Ford LTD Ford LTD Crown Victoria	LTD: 1979–1982 LTD Crown Victoria: 1983–1991	2-door sedan 4-door sedan 5-door station wagon	LTD LTD Crown Victoria
Ford Crown Victoria	1992–2012	4-door sedan	Dropped LTD prefix as part of 1992 redesign. Only Panther variant produced as a 2012 model; all were GCC export models.
Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor/P71	1993–2011	4-door sedan	Prior to 1993, Panther-based Ford police cars used the same model codes as fleet/taxi models. From 2010–2011, P7B replaced P71 as the Police Interceptor VIN code. Equipped with a heavier-duty suspension and brakes than the "civilian" model of the Crown Victoria; all police cars were equipped with dual exhaust engines.
Ford LTD Country Squire Mercury Colony Park	1979–1991	5-door station wagon	LTD Country Squire Colony Park
Mercury Marquis	1979–1982	2-door sedan 4-door sedan 5-door station wagon	Base-trim version sold as Mercury Marquis Meteor in Canada from 1979–1981. Grand Marquis sold as highest-trim model.
Mercury Grand Marquis	1983–2011	2-door sedan 4-door sedan 5-door station wagon	Grand Marquis station wagon sold only as a 1983 model; subsequent station wagons are all woodgrained Colony Park versions. Two-door sedan discontinued after 1987 model year.
Mercury Marauder	2003–2004	4-door sedan	High-performance variant of the Grand Marquis. Monochromatic trim styled similar to 1994–1996 Chevrolet Impala SS. Only 11,052 sold; it is the second-rarest Panther variant.
Continental Mark VI	1980–1983	2-door sedan 4-door sedan	Mark VI four-door was based upon Continental/Town Car, with unique front and rear bodywork. Using the shorter wheelbase of the LTD/Marquis sedan, the Mark VI two-door shared its front and rear body panels with the four-door, but used its own roofline and doors. The Mark VI is the last Lincoln to use concealed headlights and oval opera windows.
Lincoln Continental Lincoln Town Car	Continental: 1980 Town Car: 1981–2011	2-door sedan 4-door sedan	Continental Sold only for 1980, as full-size Continental range was consolidated into Mark VI and Town Car nameplates for 1981. Sold with both fuel-injected 5.0L and carbureted 5.8L V8 engines. Town Car Town Car replaced Continental as Lincoln full-size range for 1981; the Continental prefix was dropped. Town Car two-door only produced for 1981; it is the rarest and shortest-produced Panther variant. *Town Car is the only four-door Panther to be produced in a long-wheelbase variant in North America besides the Crown Victoria P70.

Ford Panther platform

Design overview

First generation (1978–1991)

Second generation (1990–2002)

Third generation (2003–2011)

Models