Mercury Tracer
Encyclopedia
The Mercury Tracer is a compact car
that was sold by the Mercury
division of Ford Motor Company
. It was based on the platform of the Mazda 323, replacing the European-derived Mercury Lynx
. The 1991 and newer car is the Mercury
version of the Ford Escort.
The Tracer was introduced in 1987 for the 1988 model year. It was a rebadged
version of the Ford Laser
model already sold in Asia
and Australia
, which was itself a restyled Mazda 323. The 5-door hatchback
s were built in Hermosillo
, Mexico
, and the 3-door hatchbacks were assembled (along with the Mazda 323) in Hiroshima
, Japan
. This was the only generation of the Mercury Tracer sold in Canada
.
, based on the Mazda 323's B platform
. The Tracer LTS (which used the more powerful 1.8L Mazda engine) was on Car and Driver
magazine's Ten Best list
for 1991.
Wagon
The Tracer and Escort were updated in 1997 with a redesigned exterior and interior, and a new engine. The platform remained the same as before.
The Tracer wagon largely retained the same body style, gaining only the new interior, front end & fascia, side-view mirrors, door handles, badging, and slightly restyled taillamps & reflectors.
All Tracer models were discontinued in 1999 along with the Escort wagon. Mercury sold 23,146 Tracers in its last model year.
Trim levels were base (sometimes called GS) and LS, and there was also a Trio appearance package as well (as with the 91-96 model), sold between 1998 and 1999. The LS was the luxury model, offering some options not common in a compact model such as leather interior, key-less entry, power windows/door locks, etc. LS models also had tachometers, alloy wheels, etc. that were not on the base model.
Wagon
Compact car
A compact car , or small family car , is a classification of cars which are larger than a supermini but smaller than or equal to a mid-size car...
that was sold by the 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...
division of 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...
. It was based on the platform of the Mazda 323, replacing the European-derived Mercury Lynx
Mercury Lynx
The Mercury Lynx was a compact car produced by the Ford Motor Company for its Mercury division from 1981 to 1987. It was a rebadged version of the Ford Escort. In 1987, the Lynx was dropped after slumping sales . In 1988, Mercury launched the Tracer as the Lynx's replacement...
. The 1991 and newer car is the 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...
version of the Ford Escort.
1987–1989
Badge engineering
Badge engineering is an ironic term that describes the rebadging of one product as another...
version of the 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...
model already sold 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...
and 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...
, which was itself a restyled Mazda 323. The 5-door 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...
s were built in Hermosillo
Hermosillo
Hermosillo is a city and municipality located centrally in the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora. It is the capital and main economic center for the state and region. It contains almost all of the state's manufacturing and has thirty percent of its population...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, and the 3-door hatchbacks were assembled (along with the Mazda 323) in Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
, 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...
. This was the only generation of the Mercury Tracer sold in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Engines
- 1.6 L B6 I4Straight-4The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, 82 hp/92 ft·lbf (124.7 N·m)
1991–1996
Ford replaced the hatchback-only Tracer in 1991 with a twin of the Ford EscortFord Escort (North American)
The Ford Escort is a compact car that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. The North American Escort adopted both the badge and the general design of a redesigned European model, and the name has been applied to several different designs in North America since its introduction as Ford's...
, based on the Mazda 323's B platform
Mazda B platform
The Mazda B platform is an automobile platform for compact cars. It has been used by a number of vehicles from Mazda and Ford Motor Company in Japan and abroad.-BD:...
. The Tracer LTS (which used the more powerful 1.8L Mazda engine) was on Car and Driver
Car and Driver
Car and Driver is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. Its total circulation is 1.31 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011...
magazine's Ten Best list
Car and Driver Ten Best
Car and Driver magazine annually nominates a list of what it considers the Ten Best cars and Five Best trucks.All production vehicles for sale in that calendar year are considered with these restrictions:# The vehicle must be on sale by January...
for 1991.
Engines
- 1.9 L (1,859 cc) CVHFord CVH engineThe letters CVH denote a particular type of 4-cylinder internal combustion engine produced by the Ford Motor Company during the 1980s and 1990s....
I4Straight-4The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, 88 hp (66 kW) 108 ft·lbf (146 N·m) - 1.8 L (1,839 cc) BP I4Straight-4The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, 127 hp (95 kW) 114 ft·lbf (154 N·m) LTS
Trim levels
Sedan- base • 1991–1996
- LTS • 1991–1994
Wagon
- base • 1991–1996
1997–1999
The Tracer wagon largely retained the same body style, gaining only the new interior, front end & fascia, side-view mirrors, door handles, badging, and slightly restyled taillamps & reflectors.
All Tracer models were discontinued in 1999 along with the Escort wagon. Mercury sold 23,146 Tracers in its last model year.
Trim levels were base (sometimes called GS) and LS, and there was also a Trio appearance package as well (as with the 91-96 model), sold between 1998 and 1999. The LS was the luxury model, offering some options not common in a compact model such as leather interior, key-less entry, power windows/door locks, etc. LS models also had tachometers, alloy wheels, etc. that were not on the base model.
Trim levels
Sedan- GS • 1997–1999
- LS • 1997–1999
Wagon
- LS • 1997–1999
Engines
- 2.0 LLitér- External links :*...
(1986 cc) SPI 2000Ford CVH engineThe letters CVH denote a particular type of 4-cylinder internal combustion engine produced by the Ford Motor Company during the 1980s and 1990s....
I4Straight-4The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, 110 hpHorsepowerHorsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...