Ford Telstar
Encyclopedia
The Ford Telstar is an automobile
that was sold by the Ford Motor Company
in Asia
, Australasia
and Africa
, comparable in size to the Europe
an Ford Sierra
and the American Ford Tempo
. It has been progressively replaced by the Ford Mondeo
.
Like the smaller Ford Laser
, the Telstar was based on a model produced by Mazda
in Japan
. It shared its platform
with the Mazda Capella
/626
, the differences being confined to some styling, engine sizes, and specification. The first model (also known as the AR) was launched in 1983, replacing the Ford Cortina
. Unlike the Cortina, or its Sierra successor, the Telstar was usually only available as a sedan or hatchback
(known as the TX5). However, after 1988, a Telstar version of the 626 wagon was sold in Japan and New Zealand
.
In Taiwan
, the Telstar was locally assembled by Ford Lio Ho
, the local Ford joint venture, in left hand drive, and remained in production in Malaysia until the early 2000s. It was also sold in Hong Kong
, Singapore
, Indonesia
, Cyprus
and the Philippines
.
Mazda GC platform, in sedan and hatchback forms.
In Australia, the Telstar filled the gap in Ford Australia
's product line-up, left by the Cortina
in 1981. The Australian produced AR Telstar began production in May 1983. There was only one engine on offer—a 70 kW 2.0 litre carburetor. The car boasted many distinctive features, such as push-button adjustable suspension (which it shared with its 626 sister car), and a digital instrument cluster (which it did not), and was Wheels
magazine’s Car of the Year
for 1983.
In New Zealand
, the Telstar, like the Laser, was assembled locally from 1983 (replacing the highly successful Cortina range) at Ford's original Seaview plant near Lower Hutt and later at the Ford/Mazda joint venture plant in Wiri
, Auckland
, called Vehicle Assemblers of New Zealand (VANZ). The mechanically identical European specification Mazda 626
and Mazda 323 were initially assembled separately by Motor Holdings in Otahuhu but later joined the Telstar and Laser at VANZ. The first generation Telstar was available in New Zealand in both sedan and TX5 hatchback forms, using Mazda 1.6L and 2.0L four cylinder engines. However, the absence of a station wagon
version, in a market where there was strong demand for such vehicles, prompted Ford New Zealand
to introduce a locally-assembled Sierra wagon in 1984. As a result of this, New Zealand was the only major market in the world where the Telstar and Sierra were sold alongside one another.
A facelifted model (the AS) arrived in late 1985.
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The original generation Telstar was replaced in 1987 with a refreshed version (the AT) on the Mazda GD platform. A station wagon was also available, built on the GD-based GV platform, which was unique to Japan
and New Zealand
, the engines and drivetrain configurations mirroring those of the hatchback
and sedan versions.
Fuel-injection was now standard on the Telstar (AT) in Australia, although local assembly was short-lived, and for a while the model was almost replaced by the Ford Corsair
in 1989.
The Corsair was simply a facelifted version of the Nissan Pintara
(U12), as the two companies were sharing models under the Button plan. The two were instead sold side-by-side in the Ford range until the third generation Telstar was introduced in 1992. Between 1989 and 1992, the Telstar was only available as the high-performance TX5 hatchback in Australia
.
In New Zealand
, however, the range remained unchanged. The Nissan Pintara
was unavailable there, but it was rebadged as Nissan Bluebird
for the New Zealand
market. It was technically not in continuity
with the main line of Nissan Bluebird
models.
_ghia_01.jpg)
Following the introduction of the GE platform Mazda 626, Ford introduced its Telstar version, the AX.
When Nissan ended Nissan Pintara
manufacturing in Australia during 1992, Ford's Corsair was dropped and the Telstar (AX), fully imported from Japan, once again became Ford's offering in the mid-size segment of the market. This model was voted as Wheels
magazine's Car of the Year
for 1992. Trim levels were LX, GLX, Ghia and GT. The GT model was also available as a special edition
1991-1992. Four-wheel steering was offered in the top-of-the-range Telstar. The Telstar was replaced in Australia by the Mondeo in 1995.
New Zealand, like Australia received the AX Telstar in 1992. NZ versions were sold in sedan and hatchback forms, using 1.8L and 2.0L fours, and a 2.5L V6. The wagon version of the previous generation Telstar, continued in local production (as did the Mazda 626) while the previous generation sedan was offered as an entry-level model called Telstar Orion. When the first Mondeos
were sold abroad, Ford New Zealand offered a Telstar Contour and a Telstar Mystique (named after the U.S. Ford and Mercury
versions of the Mondeo respectively). A high performance V6 version, known as the Telstar Radisich after the New Zealand racing driver Paul Radisich
, was also sold locally. Local assembly of the Telstar ceased in 1997, when VANZ's Auckland
plant closed, and was replaced in all forms by the Belgian
-built Mondeo
range. The Telstar was always a popular seller for Ford New Zealand
, and they are still common today in all generations on New Zealand's roads.
In South Africa
, the Telstar replaced the Ford Sierra
in 1993, being assembled by Samcor
alongside the Mazda 626. As in New Zealand, a Telstar Contour and Telstar Mystique were offered. In 1998, the Telstar was replaced by the Mondeo, which was later fully imported.
From 1994 through 1996, a special Telstar II was produced alongside the Japan-only Mazda Capella
on the CG platform.
The last Telstar, based on the GF platform, was released in 1997, but was only sold in Japan, as Ford was now marketing the Mondeo in the Asian-Pacific region. The Telstar was dropped by Ford of Japan in 1999, as the company sought to differentiate itself from Mazda by concentrating on Europe
an and American Ford models. Telstars were briefly available with Mazda's four-wheel steering.
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
that was sold by the Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, comparable in size to the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an Ford Sierra
Ford Sierra
The Ford Sierra is a large family car that was built by Ford Europe from 1982 until 1993. It was designed by Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick le Quément. The code used during development was "Project Toni"....
and the American Ford Tempo
Ford Tempo
The Ford Tempo is a coupe/sedan car model that was produced by Ford Motor Company for model years 1984 to 1994. It was a downsized successor to the boxy Ford Fairmont that introduced "jellybean" styling, which would later be shown on the larger 1986 Ford Taurus. and was replaced in 1994 by the...
. It has been progressively replaced by the Ford Mondeo
Ford Mondeo
The Mondeo was launched on 8 January 1993, and sales began on 22 March 1993. Available as a four-door saloon, a five-door hatchback, and a five-door estate, all models for the European market were produced at Ford's plant in the Belgian city of Genk...
.
Like the smaller Ford Laser
Ford Laser
The 1985 KC Laser/GC Meteor was the model's first major redesign. All body styles were carried over, with the addition of a station wagon from 1986. A new "TX3" variant, which was half-way between "GL" & "Ghia" in specification level, replaced the "Sport" variant from the KB series. Unlike the...
, the Telstar was based on a model produced by Mazda
Mazda
is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It shared its platform
Automobile platform
An automobile platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of automobiles, often from different, but related marques...
with the Mazda Capella
Mazda Capella
The second generation rear-wheel drive Capella was available between 1978 and 1982, in both sedan and coupe forms. It was known on export markets as the Mazda 626, with the exception of the United Kingdom, where it was called the Mazda Montrose, the name was changed to honour the local Mazda...
/626
Mazda 626
The Mazda 626 is an automobile that was produced by Mazda for the export market. It was based on the Japan-market Mazda Capella. The 626 replaced the 616/618 and RX-2 in 1979 and was sold through 2002, when the new Mazda6 took over as Mazda's large family car...
, the differences being confined to some styling, engine sizes, and specification. The first model (also known as the AR) was launched in 1983, replacing the Ford Cortina
Ford Cortina
As the 1960s dawned, BMC were revelling in the success of their new Mini – the first successful true minicar to be built in Britain in the postwar era...
. Unlike the Cortina, or its Sierra successor, the Telstar was usually only available as a sedan or hatchback
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
(known as the TX5). However, after 1988, a Telstar version of the 626 wagon was sold in Japan and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
In Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, the Telstar was locally assembled by Ford Lio Ho
Ford Lio Ho
Ford Lio Ho is an automaker based in Taiwan. It is 70% owned by Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford Motor Company. Its current passenger car range includes the Fiesta , the Focus, and the Mondeo , as well as the i-MAX and the Escape. Its commercial vehicle range consists of the Ranger and the...
, the local Ford joint venture, in left hand drive, and remained in production in Malaysia until the early 2000s. It was also sold in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
First generation (AR, AS; 1982–1987)
Ford introduced the Telstar (AR) to the Japanese market in 1982 on the new front-wheel driveFront-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
Mazda GC platform, in sedan and hatchback forms.
In Australia, the Telstar filled the gap in Ford Australia
Ford Australia
Ford Australia is the Australian subsidiary of Ford Motor Company and was founded in Geelong, Victoria, in 1925 as an outpost of Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited. At that time, Ford Canada was a separate company from Ford USA...
's product line-up, left by the Cortina
Ford Cortina
As the 1960s dawned, BMC were revelling in the success of their new Mini – the first successful true minicar to be built in Britain in the postwar era...
in 1981. The Australian produced AR Telstar began production in May 1983. There was only one engine on offer—a 70 kW 2.0 litre carburetor. The car boasted many distinctive features, such as push-button adjustable suspension (which it shared with its 626 sister car), and a digital instrument cluster (which it did not), and was Wheels
Wheels magazine
Wheels is an Australian automotive magazine published monthly by ACP Magazines. The publication is well-renowned by Australian car enthusiasts...
magazine’s Car of the Year
Car of the Year
Car of the Year is a phrase usually considered to have been invented by Motor Trend magazine in the 1950s for their annual award for best American automobile...
for 1983.
In New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, the Telstar, like the Laser, was assembled locally from 1983 (replacing the highly successful Cortina range) at Ford's original Seaview plant near Lower Hutt and later at the Ford/Mazda joint venture plant in Wiri
Wiri
Wiri is a mostly industrial-commercial focused suburb in Manukau City, located to the southwest of the city.As of 2009, Ports of Auckland is building an inland port / rail siding in Wiri, to connect road freight to the port facilities on the Waitemata Harbour further north...
, Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, called Vehicle Assemblers of New Zealand (VANZ). The mechanically identical European specification Mazda 626
Mazda 626
The Mazda 626 is an automobile that was produced by Mazda for the export market. It was based on the Japan-market Mazda Capella. The 626 replaced the 616/618 and RX-2 in 1979 and was sold through 2002, when the new Mazda6 took over as Mazda's large family car...
and Mazda 323 were initially assembled separately by Motor Holdings in Otahuhu but later joined the Telstar and Laser at VANZ. The first generation Telstar was available in New Zealand in both sedan and TX5 hatchback forms, using Mazda 1.6L and 2.0L four cylinder engines. However, the absence of a station wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
version, in a market where there was strong demand for such vehicles, prompted Ford New Zealand
Ford New Zealand
Ford New Zealand is the New Zealand subsidiary of Ford Motor Company. It began in 1936. Since the closure of its assembly plant in Wiri, Auckland in 1997, all of its product offerings are fully imported, from Australia, Japan and increasingly, Europe...
to introduce a locally-assembled Sierra wagon in 1984. As a result of this, New Zealand was the only major market in the world where the Telstar and Sierra were sold alongside one another.
A facelifted model (the AS) arrived in late 1985.
Second generation (AT, AV; 1987–1992)
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, the engines and drivetrain configurations mirroring those of the hatchback
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
and sedan versions.
Fuel-injection was now standard on the Telstar (AT) in Australia, although local assembly was short-lived, and for a while the model was almost replaced by the Ford Corsair
Ford Corsair
The Ford Consul Corsair, manufactured by Ford Motor Company in the United Kingdom, was a midsize car introduced at the London Motor Show in October 1963 and available as either a saloon or estate from 1964 until 1970...
in 1989.
The Corsair was simply a facelifted version of the Nissan Pintara
Nissan Pintara
The Nissan Pintara is a mid-sized automobile that was manufactured by Nissan Australia from 1986 until 1992.- First generation :...
(U12), as the two companies were sharing models under the Button plan. The two were instead sold side-by-side in the Ford range until the third generation Telstar was introduced in 1992. Between 1989 and 1992, the Telstar was only available as the high-performance TX5 hatchback in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
In New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, however, the range remained unchanged. The Nissan Pintara
Nissan Pintara
The Nissan Pintara is a mid-sized automobile that was manufactured by Nissan Australia from 1986 until 1992.- First generation :...
was unavailable there, but it was rebadged as Nissan Bluebird
Nissan Bluebird
Although Nissan's own materials indicate that the Bluebird name emerged in 1959, some records show that the name first adorned a 988 cc, four-door sedan in 1957, which was part of the company's 210 series...
for the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
market. It was technically not in continuity
Continuity
Continuity may refer to:In mathematics:* The opposing concept to discreteness; common examples include:** Continuous probability distribution or random variable in probability and statistics...
with the main line of Nissan Bluebird
Nissan Bluebird
Although Nissan's own materials indicate that the Bluebird name emerged in 1959, some records show that the name first adorned a 988 cc, four-door sedan in 1957, which was part of the company's 210 series...
models.
Third generation (AX, AY; 1991–1995)
When Nissan ended Nissan Pintara
Nissan Pintara
The Nissan Pintara is a mid-sized automobile that was manufactured by Nissan Australia from 1986 until 1992.- First generation :...
manufacturing in Australia during 1992, Ford's Corsair was dropped and the Telstar (AX), fully imported from Japan, once again became Ford's offering in the mid-size segment of the market. This model was voted as Wheels
Wheels magazine
Wheels is an Australian automotive magazine published monthly by ACP Magazines. The publication is well-renowned by Australian car enthusiasts...
magazine's Car of the Year
Car of the Year
Car of the Year is a phrase usually considered to have been invented by Motor Trend magazine in the 1950s for their annual award for best American automobile...
for 1992. Trim levels were LX, GLX, Ghia and GT. The GT model was also available as a special edition
Special edition
The terms special edition, limited edition and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition and others, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints or recorded music and films, but now including...
1991-1992. Four-wheel steering was offered in the top-of-the-range Telstar. The Telstar was replaced in Australia by the Mondeo in 1995.
New Zealand, like Australia received the AX Telstar in 1992. NZ versions were sold in sedan and hatchback forms, using 1.8L and 2.0L fours, and a 2.5L V6. The wagon version of the previous generation Telstar, continued in local production (as did the Mazda 626) while the previous generation sedan was offered as an entry-level model called Telstar Orion. When the first Mondeos
Ford Mondeo
The Mondeo was launched on 8 January 1993, and sales began on 22 March 1993. Available as a four-door saloon, a five-door hatchback, and a five-door estate, all models for the European market were produced at Ford's plant in the Belgian city of Genk...
were sold abroad, Ford New Zealand offered a Telstar Contour and a Telstar Mystique (named after the U.S. Ford and Mercury
Mercury (automobile)
Mercury was an automobile marque of the Ford Motor Company launched in 1938 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level luxury cars slotted between Ford-branded regular models and Lincoln-branded luxury vehicles, similar to General Motors' Buick brand, and Chrysler's namesake brand...
versions of the Mondeo respectively). A high performance V6 version, known as the Telstar Radisich after the New Zealand racing driver Paul Radisich
Paul Radisich
Paul Radisich is a New Zealand racing driver of Croat origin. He has competed in saloon cars for many years - both European-style tourers and the V8 Supercars of Australia and New Zealand.-Early years:...
, was also sold locally. Local assembly of the Telstar ceased in 1997, when VANZ's Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
plant closed, and was replaced in all forms by the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
-built Mondeo
Ford Mondeo
The Mondeo was launched on 8 January 1993, and sales began on 22 March 1993. Available as a four-door saloon, a five-door hatchback, and a five-door estate, all models for the European market were produced at Ford's plant in the Belgian city of Genk...
range. The Telstar was always a popular seller for Ford New Zealand
Ford New Zealand
Ford New Zealand is the New Zealand subsidiary of Ford Motor Company. It began in 1936. Since the closure of its assembly plant in Wiri, Auckland in 1997, all of its product offerings are fully imported, from Australia, Japan and increasingly, Europe...
, and they are still common today in all generations on New Zealand's roads.
In South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, the Telstar replaced the Ford Sierra
Ford Sierra
The Ford Sierra is a large family car that was built by Ford Europe from 1982 until 1993. It was designed by Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick le Quément. The code used during development was "Project Toni"....
in 1993, being assembled by Samcor
Samcor
The South African Motor Corporation, known more commonly as Samcor, was a South African car manufacturer created in 1985 through the merger of Ford's South African subsidiary and Anglo-American Motor Corporation, which produced Mazdas for the local market...
alongside the Mazda 626. As in New Zealand, a Telstar Contour and Telstar Mystique were offered. In 1998, the Telstar was replaced by the Mondeo, which was later fully imported.
Fourth generation (1994–1997)
Mazda Capella
The second generation rear-wheel drive Capella was available between 1978 and 1982, in both sedan and coupe forms. It was known on export markets as the Mazda 626, with the exception of the United Kingdom, where it was called the Mazda Montrose, the name was changed to honour the local Mazda...
on the CG platform.
Fifth generation (1997–1999)
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an and American Ford models. Telstars were briefly available with Mazda's four-wheel steering.