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The second-generation Ford Taurus is an
automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with Wheel, wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, pe ...
that was produced by
Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...
from 1991 to 1995, which served as the second out of six generations of the
Ford Taurus The Ford Taurus is an automobile that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States from the 1986 to 2019 model years. Introduced in late 1985 for the 1986 model year, six generations were produced over 34 years; a brief hiat ...
. The second-generation Taurus shared all of its mechanical parts with the
first-generation Ford Taurus The first-generation Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable are automobiles produced by Ford as the first of six generations of the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable. Launched on December 26, 1985, as a 1986 model, the front-wheel-drive Taurus was a very inf ...
, yet its exterior and interior were nearly completely redesigned. However, its exterior still strongly resembled that of the first-generation Taurus, leading many to believe that the second-generation was simply a facelift of the first-generation Taurus. However, this is partially true because the wagon model, from the B-pillar to the rear of the car, was a carryover from the first generation. The second generation of Taurus proved to be very popular, selling 410,000 units in its first year, becoming the best-selling car in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. It would hold this title until 1995, when it was discontinued and replaced with the third-generation Ford Taurus.


Overview


Exterior

The exterior of the second generation was completely redesigned from the first generation. Its length was increased by a few inches, and it was a couple of hundred pounds heavier, and had a more rounded roofline. Every body panel, save for the doors, was redesigned. However, many of the redesigned components closely resembled that of the previous generation, leading many to falsely believe that this generation is just a face-lift of the previous generation. The front nose was redesigned with slimmer
headlight A headlamp is a lamp (electrical component), lamp attached to the front of a vehicle to illuminate the road ahead. Headlamps are also often called headlights, but in the most precise usage (language), usage, ''headlamp'' is the term for the ...
s, while retaining the first generation's "bottom breather" nose, albeit in a more aerodynamically efficient design that flowed into the front bumper. In the rear, it received new taillights that closely resembled those of the previous generation, as well as an entirely new rear clip. The trunk was also redesigned, with a
spoiler Spoiler is a security vulnerability on modern computer central processing units that use speculative execution. It exploits side-effects of speculative execution to improve the efficiency of Rowhammer and other related memory and cache attacks. Ac ...
being integrated into the trunk lid's design to make the car more aerodynamically efficient. Also with this generation, each model of Taurus received different exterior trim. The lowest level Taurus L had light grey plastic mirrors and window trim, while the bumpers and side trim were also light grey. The GL, the mid priced model, got chrome window trim and body color mirrors, while still retaining the grey bumpers and side trim. The top-of-the-line LX model had its bumpers color keyed, as well as having the grey side trim replaced with color keyed body cladding. 1992 L and GL models (and the Mercury Sable GS) could also be ordered with a two-tone paint job, in which instead of being grey, the bumpers and side trim were painted a slightly darker shade of the vehicle's body color. To cut costs, this was discontinued for the 1993 model year, as all models received color-matched trim and bumpers from that year onward.


Interior

The interior was also completely redesigned for 1992. The Taurus received a new dashboard that, like the previous generation, was designed to be user friendly. Like the previous generation, it had all of the vehicle's main controls located near the left side of the dash, to be within the easy reach of the driver. Also like the previous generation, all of the controls were designed to be recognizable by touch, and to be operated by the driver without taking their eyes off the road. The new dash also contained three buttons to the right of the gauge cluster that allowed the driver to operate the radio without taking their eyes off the road. The radio was also redesigned, while the rest of the lower dash was carried over from the previous generation, as was the steering wheel. The new dash was also designed to contain a passenger's side airbag, a first of its kind. It was optional in 1991 in 1992 models, and became standard in 1993, making the Taurus the first car of its kind to have dual front airbags. The seats and door panels were also redesigned. The new door panels contained integrated armrests, with the controls for the power windows and locks mounted flat on its frontal part, allowing the driver to operate them without moving their arm. These switches, along with all of the main controls, would become illuminated when the headlights were turned on, allowing the driver to easily see them at night. Unlike the first generation, the interior was not as customizable in the second generation, and many options that were previously available were cut for 1992. The second generation now used only a single seat design shared with all models (the first generation LX got its own unique seat design), and was only available in two configurations; with a front bench seat and a column mounted shifter, or with front bucket seats and a center console with a floor mounted shifter. The console was a carryover from the first generation, although it was redesigned for 1993. The station wagon variant included dual fold-down rear-facing seats in the back


Production Figures


Models and engines

For 1992, the Taurus was available in three models; L, GL, and LX. As with the first generation, the L was the basic model, the GL was the mid-priced value model, and the LX was the luxury model. Due to disappointing sales, the L was dropped after 1992, leaving the GL as the entry-level model. For the 1995 model year, a new SE model was added, intended to be a budget version of the
SHO Sho, Shō or SHO may refer to: Music * ''Shō'' (instrument) (笙), a Japanese wind instrument * ''Kane'' (instrument) (鉦), a Japanese percussion instrument * Sho?, a Dubai rock band People * Shō (given name), including ''Sho'' * Shō (su ...
. It was a step above the entry-level GL, a step below the top of the line LX, and came standard with front bucket seats and a center console with a floor-mounted shifter, as well as a rear spoiler borrowed from the SHO. The SE was never available as a wagon. The second generation also came in a modified
police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...
version. A police Taurus was a GL trim with the 3.8 liter Essex V6 engine that was slightly different from the regular Essex engine. Output of the police Essex version was greater than the standard due to the addition of a dual
exhaust Exhaust, exhaustive, or exhaustion may refer to: Law *Exhaustion of intellectual property rights, limits to intellectual property rights in patent and copyright law **Exhaustion doctrine, in patent law ** Exhaustion doctrine under U.S. law, in p ...
muffler system, similar to that standard on the SHO; a Y-pipe was added after the resonator, which allowed for the split to both sides of the rear of the vehicle. Other changes included a larger
fuel tank A fuel tank (also called a petrol tank or gas tank) is a safe container for flammable fluids. Though any storage tank for fuel may be so called, the term is typically applied to part of an engine system in which the fuel is stored and propel ...
, stainless steel brake lines, standard four-wheel disc
brake A brake is a mechanical device that inhibits motion by absorbing energy from a moving system. It is used for slowing or stopping a moving vehicle, wheel, axle, or to prevent its motion, most often accomplished by means of friction. Background ...
s with ABS, a modified front grille fascia that had a slit to allow for increased airflow to the radiator, and a certified calibration
speedometer A speedometer or speed meter is a gauge that measures and displays the instantaneous speed of a vehicle. Now universally fitted to motor vehicles, they started to be available as options in the early 20th century, and as standard equipment f ...
. Some were bought for
speed limit enforcement Speed limits are enforced on most public roadways by authorities, with the purpose to improve driver compliance with speed limits. Methods used include roadside speed traps set up and operated by the police and automated roadside 'speed camera' ...
, with the anonymity of the car aiding in the role. The Taurus police package didn't prove to be very popular, and it was often strongly outsold by Ford's own
Crown Victoria The Ford Crown Victoria ("Crown Vic") is a full-size sedan that was marketed and manufactured by Ford. The successor to the Ford LTD Crown Victoria, two generations of the model line were produced from the 1992 to 2012 model years. The Ford ...
. When the 2.5 L HSC
four-cylinder The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categorize ...
was dropped in early 1991, along with the three-speed
ATX ATX (Advanced Technology eXtended) is a motherboard and power supply configuration specification developed by Intel in 1995 to improve on previous de facto standards like the AT design. It was the first major change in desktop computer enclo ...
automatic transmission An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving c ...
, all following second-generation Taurus models came standard with the 140 horsepower (104 kW) 3.0 L
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V6, except for the LX wagon that came with a 3.8 L
Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
V6. The Essex was optional on all other Taurus models. Every engine in this generation used the four-speed AXOD-E automatic transmission, until 1993, when it was replaced by the four-speed AX4S transmission, which was used for the rest of this generation's production run in most models. Some 1994–1995 3.0 L came with the AX4N transaxle. This generation Taurus was exported to Japan in limited numbers, and sold at Japanese auto dealerships called Autorama (a joint venture with
Mazda , commonly referred to as simply Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Fuchū, Hiroshima, Japan. In 2015, Mazda produced 1.5 million vehicles for global sales, the majority of which (nearly one m ...
), where the Taurus SHO was the only model available in both sedan and wagon versions with left-hand driving positions until 1995. To Japanese buyers, it was regarded as a luxury vehicle as the exterior dimensions and engine displacement exceeded Japanese government
regulations Regulation is the management of complex systems according to a set of rules and trends. In systems theory, these types of rules exist in various fields of biology and society, but the term has slightly different meanings according to context. For ...
, and buyers in Japan were liable for additional taxes.


Variants


Mercury Sable

A redesigned Mercury Sable, a sister model to the Taurus aimed at a more upscale audience, went on sale alongside the Taurus in 1991. Like the first generation, the Sable shared all of the Taurus' mechanical components but had a unique body and interior. Similar to the Taurus, the second-generation Sable's design closely resembled the first-generation model, though the body and interior were almost completely redesigned and the new model was shorter than its predecessor; while the first generation Sable had an extended wheelbase, the redesigned model had the same wheelbase as the Taurus. The new model was still offered in GS and LS models in sedan and wagon bodies, a top-of-the-line LTS trim was offered on the sedan during the 1995 model year. Powertrains and most options were the same as the Taurus, though no counterpart of the Taurus SHO was offered. The Sable was produced concurrently alongside the Taurus through the 1995 model year. In 1993, Ford Canada hand-built 40 Mercury Sables powered by SHO V6 engines as part of their AIV (Aluminum Intensive Vehicle) program and released 20 to the public. Using aluminum suspension elements and aluminum body panels, held together with a spot welding process and adhesive joining process developed specifically for this vehicle, the end result was a car that was 400 pounds lighter than a SHO Taurus. In 1995,
Multimatic Motorsports Multimatic Motorsports is the competition arm of Multimatic Special Vehicle Operations. Founded in 1992, the team has competed in the Firestone Firehawk Series, Motorola Cup, IMSA GT Championship, American Le Mans Series, Grand-Am Cup, Rolex Sport ...
entered one of these vehicles in the
One Lap of America The Brock Yates' One Lap of America is an annual motorsports event in the United States that has been held since 1984. It is the successor to the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, an underground auto race of the 1970s. T ...
event, finishing 15th overall and 1st in the Mid-Priced Sedan class.


Ford Taurus SHO

The second-generation Ford Taurus SHO was launched in the fall of 1991, along with the Taurus. Unlike the first generation, this SHO contained less aggressive body cladding, as well as a unique front end using parts largely borrowed from the Mercury Sable. Like the Taurus and Sable, the SHO's drivetrain was carried over from the first generation. The only major change came on 1993s, when an automatic transmission became optional. Automatic equipped cars got a slightly bigger engine with equal horsepower due to less aggressive camshafts.


References and notes


External links


Taurus Car Club of America
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford Taurus (Second Generation) 2nd generation Mid-size cars Sedans Station wagons Front-wheel-drive vehicles Cars introduced in 1991