Ford Sierra

Ford Sierra
Ford Sierra
Overview
Manufacturer	Ford Europe
Also called	Merkur XR4Ti (North America, 1985–1989); Ford Sapphire (sedan, South Africa, 1990–1993)
Production	1982–1993
Assembly	Argentina: General Pacheco; Belgium: Genk; England: Dagenham; Ireland: Cork; New Zealand: Lower Hutt; South Africa: Port Elizabeth; South Africa: Silverton, Pretoria (SAMCOR); Venezuela: Valencia (1985–1994);
Designer	Uwe Bahnsen; Bob Lutz; Patrick le Quément
Body and chassis
Class	Mid-size car/Large family car (D)
Body style	3/5-door liftback; 4-door saloon; 5-door estate; 5-door car derived van;
Layout	Front-engine, rear-wheel drive / four-wheel drive
Related	Ford Scorpio; Ford P100; Merkur XR4Ti
Powertrain
Engine	Petrol:; 1294 cc Pinto I4; 1593 cc Pinto I4; 1598 cc CVH I4; 1769 cc CVH I4; 1796 cc Pinto I4; 1993 cc Pinto I4; 1993 cc Cosworth turbo DOHC 16V I4; 1998 cc N8/N9 DOHC I4; 1999 cc Cologne OHV V6; 2293 cc Cologne OHV V6; 2792 cc Cologne OHV V6; 2935 cc Cologne OHV V6; 2993 cc Essex OHV V6 (ZA); 4942 cc 5.0 H.O. OHV V8 (ZA); Diesel:; 1753 cc Lynx TD I4; 2304 cc Indenor OHV I4;
Transmission	3-speed automatic; 4-speed automatic; 4-speed manual; 5-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,609 mm (102.7 in)
Length	4,531 mm (178.4 in)
Width	1,727 mm (68.0 in)
Height	1,367 mm (53.8 in)
Chronology
Predecessor	Ford Cortina Mark V; Ford Taunus TC3
Successor	Ford Mondeo

The Ford Sierra is a mid-size/large family car manufactured and marketed by Ford of Europe from 1982–1993. It was designed by Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick Le Quément, and was noted for its aerodynamic styling. It has a drag coefficient of 0.34, a significant improvement over its predecessors.

The Sierra debuted at the 1982 British International Motor Show in Birmingham, then appeared at the 1982 Paris Salon de l'Automobile. Sales began on 15 October 1982, replacing the Ford Taunus TC3 and Ford Cortina Mark V. The Sierra's aerodynamic styling and the initial absence of a saloon alienated many conservative buyers, including company car drivers. A saloon was added in 1987 with the introduction of the facelifted Sierra.

Developed under the internal code name "Project Toni", the Sierra name is derived from the Spanish word for a mountain range. Most cars were manufactured in Belgium and the United Kingdom, although Sierras were also assembled in Cork, Ireland, Argentina, Venezuela, South Africa, and New Zealand.