| Ford Aerostar |
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| CATEGORIES ABOUT FORD AEROSTAR | |
| ford vehicles | |
| aerostar | |
| minivans | |
| all wheel drive vehicles | |
| rear wheel drive vehicles | |
| 1980s automobiles | |
| 1990s automobiles | |
| 1986 introductions | |
The Ford Aerostar was Ford 's first attempt at building a Minivan , and was introduced as a 1986 model in mid- 1985 . It was the first Ford program to use the automaker's present alphanumeric pre-production code name system, and was designated VN01. Early models were available with Ford's "Lima" 2.3 L I4 engine, which at 88 hp was grossly underpowered for a van that could carry up to seven passengers and luggage. Available as an upgrade initially was Ford's also-underpowered 2.9 L V6 ; later models came with either the corporate 3.0 L V6 found in the Taurus and Ranger or the Explorer's 4.0 L V6. The Aerostar was '' Motor Trend '' magazine's Truck Of The Year for 1990 {Link without Title} . The Aerostar was distinguished by using a modified Pickup Truck chassis integral to its unibody construction. This design was developed because the designers in the truck office were unfamiliar and uncomfortable with unibody construction, and essentially designed a frame into the unibody (this construction was also used on the Chevrolet / GMC G-Series vans and the second generation Jeep Cherokee ). The Aerodynamic styling was similar to the Ford Taurus , which was introduced at the same time. A commercial ad stated that the Aerostar's front nose resembled the NASA Space Shuttle ; Ford often compared the Aerostar to the Space Shuttle in its advertising. The Aerostar was a Rear Wheel Drive vehicle, unlike the pioneering Chrysler Minivans . This compromised interior space somewhat but provided superior towing ability. Since the Aerostar used truck parts (the brake rotors, axle bearings et.al. interchanged with the Ford Ranger , Bronco II , and Explorer ), essentially any interchangeable truck option for power and suspension was available. For example, the Eddie Bauer (Luxury) version was available with Four Wheel Drive . One noted difference is that the Aerostar had a 4-link coil spring rear suspension with a live axle, similar to the Ford Crown Victoria and Fox-body Mustang . The Aerostar received no major styling changes until 1992 , when flush-mounted headlamps were fitted, and a new dashboard incorporated a driver's side airbag and a column-mounted gearshift, finally replacing the floor-mounted shifter that blocked access to the rear seats from the front. The Aerostar was produced at Ford's St. Louis , Missouri assembly plant. Ford eventually replaced the Aerostar with the Ford Windstar in 1995 . The Aerostar was sold until 1997 , after overlapping for 3 years. |
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