The Ford Taunus is a family car manufactured and marketed by Ford Germany throughout Europe. It also was occasionally sold in North America. Models from 1970 on were manufactured using the same basic construction as the Ford Cortina MkIII in the United Kingdom, and later on, the two car models were rebadged variants of each other, differing primarily in their steering wheel placement.
Introduced in 1939, and marketed over numerous generations through model year 1994, the model line was named after the Taunus mountain range in Germany.
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Taunus G93A (1939–1942) / G73A (1948–1952)
thumb|1949 Ford Taunus
The Ford Taunus G93A was a development of the Ford Eifel, and used the same 1172 cc four cylinder engine, but in a longer chassis and a streamlined body. It was the first German Ford to have hydraulic brakes. First introduced in 1939, production was halted in 1942 due to the war. Production recommenced in November 1948 after the British Occupation had ended. In total, 7,128 pre-war Taunuses (G93A) were made, including estate cars and light vans, followed by 76,590 post-war models (G73A).
Taunus M-series (1952–1968)
From 1952 to 1968, all German Fords were called the Taunus, using the model names 12M, 15M, 17M, 20M, and 26M (on some Scandinavian markets, for a short while the branding 10M was used on a slightly better-equipped export version of the early Taunus, which is said to be the precursor of later uses). The "M" is said to stand for "Meisterstück", in English "Masterpiece", but that word was found to be already registered by another German automaker. Taunus was also sometimes adopted as the brand name in export markets, particularly where British and North American Fords were also available.
The 12M, 15M, and 17M models had an engine, which in the first 12M was a carryover of the sidevalve (flathead) engine from the first Taunus series, and beginning with the 15M, it was replaced by an overhead-valve design similar to the British Ford Consul engine. With the introduction of the new 12M line (internal code P4) for 1962 came the V4 engine, which starting in late 1964 with the larger 17M/20M became the base engine for the Taunus M-series. The 20M and 26M models had the Ford Cologne V6 engine, which is basically the same engine design with two extra cylinders added. The 12, 15, 17, etc. numbers refer to the engine displacement; 1200, 1500, 1700 cc, etc. However, a few exceptions from that rule were made, such as 17M 1800, which was powered by the V6 in its smallest displacement and the 20M 2300S (in the later P7 series), which used a 2.3-litre version of the same engine.
From 1962 to 1970, the smaller models 12M (P4) and its successor 12M/15M (P6) had front wheel drive. All other models had rear wheel drive.
These models were offered:
Smaller line: 12M, 15M
First generation 12M (G13; 1952–1959), 15M (1955–1959)
thumb|Ford Taunus 12M 1952–1955
The Taunus 12M presented in 1952 was the first new German Ford after World War II. It featured ponton styling, similar in style to British Ford Zephyr.
Something else the new Ford Taunus 12M had in common with British Fords was the retention of an old side-valve engine at a time when competitors were increasingly moving over to overhead-valve units. The Taunus 15M used a new and more powerful engine:
- 12M: 1172 cc, ,
- 15M: 1498 cc, ,
Body styles were two-door sedan, two-door station wagon, and sedan delivery.
Second generation (12M; 1959–1962)
thumb|Ford Taunus 12M 1959–1962
The second generation 12M was not a new car, but a reworking of the 1952 model. All cars were called 12M, though both engines were continued. The car with the bigger engine was called Taunus 12M 1.5-litre.
Body styles were the same as in the 1952 model.
Third generation 12M (P4; 1962–1966)
thumb|Ford Taunus 12M P4
The new Ford Taunus 12M P4 was similar in size, but a completely new car based on the Ford Cardinal project: New body, new V4 engine, and front-wheel drive. It was the first Ford car with front-wheel drive (second was the Ford Corcel, third was the Ford Fiesta). Engines available included:
- 1.2-litre: 1183 cc, ,
- 1.5-litre: 1498 cc, ,
Body styles were two-door sedan, four-door sedan, two-door coupé, two-door station wagon, and sedan delivery.
Fourth generation 12M and 15M (P6; 1966–1970)
thumb|Ford Taunus 12M P6
The Ford Taunus P6 came with new bodies, whilst engines and platform were continued. The car with the bigger engine was now called 15M again. Engines available included:
- 12M 1.2-litre: 1183 cc, ,
- 12M 1.3-litre: 1305 cc, ,
- 15M 1.5-litre: 1498 cc, ,
- 15M 1.7-litre: 1699 cc, ,
thumb|left|Ford Taunus 15M P6
Body styles were unchanged from the P4.
In 1970, the P6 was replaced by the Taunus TC.
Bigger line: 17M, 20M, 26M
First generation 17M (P2; 1957–1960)
thumb|Ford Taunus 17M P2
Growing prosperity in postwar Germany encouraged Ford to offer a line of bigger and more expensive cars. The Ford Taunus 17M of 1957 was as long as (though significantly narrower than) the British Consul Mk2, but a different car. It presented a style similar to American 1955 Fords, featuring substantial (at least by European standards) tailfins. The transatlantic flamboyance of the car's styling gained it the sobriquet "Baroque Taunus", showing styling influences from the North American Mercury Monterey of the same time period. Unusually for middle-class German cars of this period, it was available with either two or four doors. The competition noticed, and from 1959, the Opel Rekord also became available with four doors.
The P2 used an overhead-valve (OHV) engine with 1698 cc and . A maximum speed of was quoted. A road test of the time commended the smoothness of the three-speed, all-synchromesh manual transmission system. At a time when competitors boasted that all four corners of the vehicles were visible from the driver's seat, the new Taunus instead offered a streamlined form. However, in Germany the concept of streamlining in cars was associated with narrow passenger cabins reminiscent of the 1930s and of the still popular Volkswagen Beetle.