The Ford Pampa is a
coupe utility manufactured by
Ford do Brasil
Ford Brasil is the Brazilian subsidiary of American automaker Ford Motor Company, founded on April 24, 1919. The operation started out importing the Ford Model T cars and the Ford Model TT trucks in kit form from the United States for assembly ...
between 1982 and 1997. It was derived from the
Ford Corcel
The Ford Corcel ("stallion" in Portuguese) is a car which was sold by Ford do Brasil in Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and Venezuela. It was also assembled in Venezuela (along with the Del Rey). The French-influenced styling of the Corcel was ...
and
Ford Del Rey, and was the best-selling coupe utility in Brazil for several years.
The Ford Pampa was replaced by the
Fiesta-based
Ford Courier
Ford Courier is a model nameplate used by Ford since the early 1950s. First used in North America for a sedan delivery, the Courier nameplate has seen use worldwide for multiple types of vehicles. The Courier nameplate was also used by Ford for ...
in the small pickup market of South America.
The launch
In 1982, Ford do Brasil launched the pickup based on the Ford Corcel II. It was the second such vehicle in the segment, then after the Fiat Fiorino (known at the time as the City), pickup derived from the
Fiat 147
The Fiat 147 was a three-door hatchback subcompact car produced by Fiat in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais from autumn 1976 until 1987, when it was replaced by the Fiat Uno. It was the Brazilian variant of the Fiat 127. Some were also built ...
. The name Pampa alludes to a horse that has the body all threshed. The Pampa had the comfort of a car in the cabin, but the robustness of a utility vehicle with a more superior load capacity than its smaller competitor. It had the front of a Corcel II and a loading bay inspired by the much larger US-style
F-100 F-100 or F100 may refer to:
Aerospace and defense
* North American F-100 Super Sabre, a fighter aircraft formerly in the service of the United States Air Force
* Fokker 100, a regional jet
* Pratt & Whitney F100, afterburning turbofan engine
* ' ...
pickup of the time. The difference between the Fiat pickup and the Ford is that the former used the same independent back suspension of Fiat 147, whereas the Ford had a rigid rear axle and adopted semielliptical springs in place of coil springs, more suitable for carrying heavy loads. Due to its success, other brands soon followed suit in launching their own derivatives, Volkswagen with the
Saveiro (appearing in the same year, it was derived from the
Volkswagen Gol
The Volkswagen Gol is a subcompact car that has been manufactured by Volkswagen do Brasil since 1980 as Volkswagen's entry-level car in the Latin American market—where it succeeded the Volkswagen Type 1 (Fusca) and the VW Brasilia. Sev ...
hatchback) and Chevrolet with
Chevy 500 (derived from the Chevette) in 1983.
Technical specifications
Using the same 1.6-liter engine and a four- or five-speed manual gearbox from the Corcel, came with the differential of Corcel 1:4 to better use to advantage the force of the engine. It also had the front suspension of the Corcel, with stiffer springs and shock absorbers to support bigger loads. Thus, the Pampa was perfect for the transport of loads up to . With regard to the Corcel, the
wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels. For road vehicles with more than two axles (e.g. some trucks), the wheelbase is the distance between the steering (front ...
was also increased. The fuel tank in the Pampa was soon moved to behind the cabin, and its doors were made smaller - identical to the ones of the four-door Ford Del Rey. With the 1.6 engine, the Pampa developed , perfect for the transport of the most varied loads and with the model which ran on alcohol. The Pampa pickup had very good general performance. Its maximum speed was of and its fuel tank had a 76-liter capacity. The Pampa’s options included a digital clock, air conditioning, adjustable head restraints, radio, and inertia reel seat belts. Many of these items were found in the luxurious Del Rey.
1984-model revisions
Revisions for the 1984 model year included the Pampa receiving the CHT engine which was more powerful and economical. The 1.6-liter CHT engine developed in alcohol form and the petrol version , giving the Pampa a maximum speed of , respectively. Also for the 1984 model year, a 4x4 version was launched, which would be only Brazilian pickup derived from a two-wheel drive car to be offered with four-wheel drive. Externally, the 4x4 Pampa had few differences compared with the 4x2 version; the 4x4 had squared-off grating in the grille, off-road tires, free-wheeling wheel hubs, and over-riders on the bumpers.
1986-model revisions
In 1986, L and GL models were introduced and Pampa models received the front from the 4x4 version. For the 1987 model year, the Pampa got the new front from the Del the Rey and the Ghia version was added to the range with the luxury equipment of the Del Rey Ghia, including electric windows. However, air conditioning was only an optional extra. For the Pampa in 1989, the larger VW AP-1800 engine became available for the L, GL, and Ghia versions, although the 1.6-liter CHT engine remained in the L and GL 4x4 versions. For 1991, the S version arrived, with the same 1.8-liter motor as the Gol GTS and Escort XR3. This was more powerful and quicker, enabling a top speed of . Standard equipment included side rubbing strakes, a dipping rear view mirror, optional hydraulic power-assisted steering, alloy wheels, front spoiler with integral fog lights and items which were standard on the Ghia version.
1992-model revisions and final production
In 1992, the Pampa received another new front, identical to the Del Rey, which had been discontinued in 1991. In 1994, it received an electronically controlled carburettor (2E CE) in the 1.8-liter versions, following the alterations to the VW AP-1800 unit. In 1995, the Ghia and 1.6 L GL 4x4 were discontinued, leaving the 1.6- and 1.8-liter L, 1.8-liter GL, and 1.8-liter S. For the 1997 model year, the 1.8-liter engines were equipped with single-point electronic fuel injection. By the end of production in 1997, in excess of 350,000 units had been sold. Its replacement, the Ford Courier, never achieved the same sales success.
References
{{Ford vehicles
Pampa
The Pampas (from the qu, pampa, meaning "plain") are fertile South American low grasslands that cover more than and include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, and Córdoba; all of Uruguay; and Brazil ...
Coupé utilities