When it was launched, at the moment’s Good Worth or No Cube Merkur was the incorrect automotive on the incorrect time. Now, it’s a uncommon and funky piece of automotive historical past. Let’s see if that and its price ticket make all of it proper.
The observe of 1 automotive producer taking a product from one other and easily slapping a brand on it to promote it as its personal is named “badge engineering.” One of many first and most blatant examples of this was the 1957-58 “Packardbakers,” which had been redesigned Studebaker Presidents handed off as Packards. A more moderen instance is the 1991 Dodge Stealth R/T we started the week with yesterday. The first engineering for that massive coupe had been undertaken by Mitsubishi and the automotive was a Dodge solely by the use of its badging and a few styling cues. That wonder-twinning didn’t appear to impress sufficient of you to think about our Stealth’s $23,500 asking value, which doomed the in any other case enticing automotive to a 68 % No Cube loss.
I’m not fairly positive we will name at the moment’s 1987 Merkur XR4Ti an analogous instance of badge engineering, because the automotive from which it was derived was a full-blooded Ford, the European Sierra. FoMoCo’s massive wheels and bean counters introduced the automotive to the U.S., rebadged it as a Merkur (German for Mercury), and dropped it on Mercury sellers that had been ill-equipped to promote the import subsequent to competing merchandise just like the Capri and Cougar. Heck, one of many greatest hurdles the nascent model confronted was that Mercury salespeople didn’t even know the proper pronunciation of the brand new marque’s title.
An more and more unfriendly change price between the U.S. Greenback and the German Deutschmark additional doomed Merkur’s probabilities at success, and the entire model closed its doorways on the finish of 1989.
That’s too dangerous as a result of, as this XR4Ti proves, these had been extraordinarily enjoyable and funky vehicles. The companion Scorpio saloon wasn’t fairly as funky, but it surely did additionally bravely boast a hatchback physique in a market that shunned such kinds and V6 energy.
For the XR4Ti, Ford went again to the effectively from which sprung the turbocharged 2.3-liter “Pinto” 4. Through the Nineteen Eighties, Ford adopted two tracks for its American efficiency engines. The extra conventional was the 5.0 V8, which was employed to nice success within the Mustang and others. The opposite was the Brazilian-built turbocharged SOHC 2.3 four-cylinder, which additionally discovered a house within the Mustang, with the SVO being its final type. The engine additionally gave rise to the Thunderbird Turbo Coupe and the XR4Ti. Ford’s small entry, the Escort, additionally obtained a turbo 4 in its GT mannequin, however that didn’t earn the ardor that the bigger Pinto mill loved.
Within the Merkur, the quantity of energy the two.3 turbo 4 provides is transmission-dependent. If optioned with the automated, energy was restricted to 145 horses. Go for the guide, nevertheless, and you bought larger enhance, engendering 30 extra ponies.
This XR4Ti has the stick and, therefore, the total 175 horses. Additionally, being an ’87 reasonably than a later mannequin, it nonetheless has the uber-cool bi-plane spoiler on the rear hatch. All fashions got here with the oddly endearing three-window greenhouse and catfish nostril.
This one is painted in merlot crimson metallic over grey plastic on the bumpers and decrease trim. It stays an iconic and well-balanced fashion to this very day. Our automotive additionally has manufacturing unit alloys and a few promoting on the facet that any new proprietor will put the elimination of on the highest of their to-do record.
The cabin is upholstered in fabric reasonably than the seemingly extra frequent and much much less sturdy leather-based. All of it seems to be in fairly good form, solely affected by a crappy steering wheel cowl and a few Velcro pads on the sprint, little question to safe a carpet cap. One little bit of ’80s gee-wizardry is the quartet of cassette tape trays holding court docket within the middle stack above the shifter.
In accordance with the vendor, the automotive has a clear title and 100,300 miles on the odometer. It has greater than that in whole, however that was the mileage when the barrels stopped turning. Apparently, a few of the different gauges aren’t studying reliably, both. On the plus facet, it has a contemporary stereo and audio system, so no less than that’s working.
Different benefits of this automotive embody a rust- and damage-free physique, a clear title, and the advert’s declare that it “Runs and drives very effectively and enjoyable to drive.” The value tag is $6,450.
When it was first launched, Ford imagined the XR4Ti would steal gross sales from BMW’s 3 Sequence. That didn’t turn into the case, and at the moment, the vehicles don’t have the rabid following that BMW’s iconic E30 enjoys. Nonetheless, for a Ford fan, this could possibly be a superb addition to a set or simply an fascinating collectible in its personal proper.
What’s your tackle that concept and the $6,450 value of fulfilling it? Does that appear truthful, contemplating the automotive’s situation and historical past? Or is that an excessive amount of to be remained day by day of one in every of Ford’s failures?
You resolve!
Denver, Colorado, Craigslist, or go right here if the advert disappears.
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