Mercury Grand Marquis (2nd gen) 1991-1997

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The Mercury Grand Marquis is an automobile that was sold by Mercury from 1975 to 2011. Introduced as the flagship sub-model of the Mercury Marquis, the Grand Marquis became a stand-alone model line for 1983, serving as the largest Mercury sedan. Subsequently, the model line would serve as the sedan counterpart of the Mercury Colony Park station wagon; it would later serve as the basis of the revived Mercury Marauder.

From 1979 until 2011, the Grand Marquis shared the rear-wheel drive Panther platform with the Ford LTD Crown Victoria (Ford Crown Victoria after 1992), and from 1980, the Lincoln Town Car. For over three decades, the two model lines were functionally identical, with two of the three generations of the model line sharing a common roofline. Offered nearly exclusively as a four-door sedan, a two-door sedan was offered from 1975 to 1987.

The best-selling Mercury line (after the Cougar), 2.7 million examples of the Grand Marquis were sold; at 36 years, the Grand Marquis was the longest-running Mercury nameplate (the Cougar, 34 years). During its production, Ford manufactured the Grand Marquis at two facilities alongside the Mercury Marquis, Mercury Marauder, Ford (LTD) Crown Victoria sedans, and (later) the Lincoln Town Car: the St. Louis Assembly Plant in Hazelwood, Missouri (1979-1985) and the St. Thomas Assembly Plant in Southwold, Ontario, Canada (1986-2011). Though Ford announced the retirement of the Mercury brand during 2010, a limited run of 2011 model year vehicles was produced. On January 4, 2011, the final Grand Marquis was produced at St. Thomas Assembly, becoming the final Mercury branded vehicle ever produced.

Second generation (1991-1997)
Unveiled on November 28, 1990, for the 1992 model year, both Ford and Mercury Panther-platform cars underwent their most extensive changes since their introduction for 1979. While the chassis was retained, the body was all-new from the ground up. After thirteen years on the market, the full-size sedans from Mercury and Ford were struggling against far more modern competition. Additionally, as an unintentional consequence of years of badge engineering, the Grand Marquis and its LTD Crown Victoria counterpart were left as virtual identical twins. In a significant break from precedent, the Grand Marquis and Ford Crown Victoria (no longer an LTD model) were allowed completely different bodies; the only visually shared body parts were the front doors and the windshield. Development began in early 1987, with a design approval in 1988, January 14, 1991, start of production, and March 21, 1991, introduction.

In line with the rest of Ford Motor Company vehicles sold in North America, aerodynamics and fuel economy played a large role in the design of the new Grand Marquis. Unlike the Crown Victoria, which followed the design themes of the Ford Taurus, the Grand Marquis would combine contemporary design with traditional styling features seen in full-size sedans such as full-width taillights, a formal roofline, and a chrome waterfall grille. In various forms, the chrome waterfall grille became a signature styling feature across the Mercury product line from the late 1990s onward.

As part of the redesign, Ford sought a new type of buyer for its full-size Mercury sedan; instead of the older buyers who traditionally bought them, the 1992 Grand Marquis was marketed to younger buyers in need of a larger car than a Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable. As such, the opera lamps and padded vinyl top were discontinued (the latter becoming a dealer-installed option), and the imitation wire wheel covers were replaced by aluminum alloy wheels. Revisions to the suspension and steering were made to improve both ride and handling. To improve stopping, four-wheel disc brakes replaced the rear drum brakes, with optional ABS; traction control was available as an option.

As with the 1988-1991 models, the Grand Marquis was available in base-trim GS and deluxe-trim LS models. LS models are distinguished by front cornering lamps. From 1992 onward, the Grand Marquis was produced solely as a four-door sedan, as the Colony Park station wagon was discontinued. Ford's Keyless Entry System became optional on lower-trim packages, and standard on upper trim packages.

Source: Wikipedia

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Year-to-year changes
1992: Second-generation Grand Marquis introduced at the North American International Auto Show on January 11, 1991, after the November 28, 1990 unveiling. It launched on March 21, 1991, as an early 1992 model. All models come with driver's-side airbag standard with an optional passenger-side airbag. Partway through the model year, the AOD transmission was replaced by the AOD-E, which brought with it a different bellhousing pattern.

1993: Dual airbags become standard equipment on all models. Radios are redesigned with a new control layout.

1994: Increased side door impact protection. A/C refrigerant changed from R-12 to R-134a.

1995: Mid-cycle redesign. Exterior trim features increased use of body-color trim and less chrome. On the front, a larger, rounder grille is better integrated to the body, while all lights on the front are changed to clear lenses. The license plate is now centered in between the taillamps. On the trunk lid, the Mercury and Grand Marquis lettering is italicized and reduced in size. Inside, much of the interior receives an update, with new seats, door panels, and the entire dashboard is redesigned with attention paid to ergonomics. Switching locations with the climate controls, a Double-DIN radio featured large buttons and knobs; on models without automatic climate controls, rotary knobs replaced sliding controls. The power seat controls, if specified, were now located on the door panels along with enlarged buttons for the power windows and door locks. The outdated horizontal speedometer was replaced by the instrument cluster used in the Crown Victoria (adding a voltmeter and oil-pressure gauge); a digital instrument panel with the trip computer was still an option.

1996: No major changes. Inside, the Ford "brick" airbag wheel in use since 1990 was replaced with a new design shared with many Ford and Lincoln-Mercury cars, integrating the horn into a smaller steering wheel hub.

1997: Last year for the second-generation Grand Marquis. The Mercury emblems are removed from the C-pillars. Following the discontinuation of the Chevrolet Caprice and Buick Roadmaster by General Motors, 1997 Grand Marquis sales would rise over 20% in comparison to 1996.

Source: Wikipedia

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Powertrain
While the Panther platform was carried over from 1991, an all-new engine would be used for the 1992 Grand Marquis. The replacement for the OHV 5.0 L and 5.8 L Windsor V8s, the 4.6 L SOHC Modular V8 engine was the first (and as of 2014, the only) overhead-cam V8 to appear in an American-market full-size sedan. Producing 190 hp, it was more powerful and more fuel-efficient than either of its predecessors. An optional handling package, including a heavy-duty suspension, 3.27 rear-axle (instead of 2.73), and a dual-exhaust system that raised engine output to 210 hp was an option. It was largely the counterpart to the Ford Crown Victoria Touring Sedan.

All models of the Grand Marquis were coupled to a 4-speed automatic transmission. For 1993, the hydraulically controlled AOD transmission was replaced by the electronically controlled AOD-E transmission. In 1995, the AOD-E was replaced the heavier-duty 4R70W transmission; it was shared with the Lincoln Mark VIII and Town Car.

Production
While the redesigned 1992 Grand Marquis/Crown Victoria would prove more fuel-efficient than their predecessors, a loophole in CAFE regulations allowed Ford Motor Company to sell both full-size cars and improve the average economy of all of its cars. CAFE regulations require vehicles with fewer than 75% domestic parts content to be counted as part of an automaker's imported fleet rather than a domestic one. During the 1991 retooling for production of 1992 models at its St. Thomas, Ontario facility, Ford switched a number of its parts suppliers from Canada and the United States to suppliers outside North America, bringing the domestic parts content of the Grand Marquis and Crown Victoria below 75%.[23] As such, the Grand Marquis was now part of a fleet consisting primarily of the far more fuel-efficient Ford Festiva rather than other V8-engined cars such as the Cougar and Ford Mustang.

After 1996, General Motors ended production of its B-platform sedans, discontinuing the Buick Roadmaster and Chevrolet Caprice; without its closest direct competitors, Ford and Lincoln-Mercury were left with a highly profitable market niche essentially to themselves; however, several competitors began to introduce competitive vehicles in the segment. Replacing the outdated Imperial and Fifth Avenue, the 1994 Chrysler New Yorker (bench seat) and LHS (bucket seats) were the first Chrysler sedans to match the interior dimensions of the Grand Marquis since the 1970s. For 1995, the Toyota Avalon was the first Japanese-brand sedan sold with six-passenger seating (although assembled in the United States); an extended-wheelbase version of the Camry, the Avalon was considered a full-size sedan on the basis of its interior space.

Source: Wikipedia

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Mercury Grand Marquis (2nd gen) #4