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The Ford Crown Victoria is the current model nameplate for the Rear-wheel Drive Full-size Car first produced by the Ford Motor Company in the mid-1950s. The name was used again when the full-size LTD line was shrunk to compete with the downsized Chevrolet Caprice . AMC was first, followed by Chrysler to drop out of the full size market. The Crown Victoria became the sole player for this kind of automobile after General Motors discontinued the Chevrolet Caprice but the rear-drive Chrysler LX platform and the upcoming rear-drive Chevrolet Impala represent new challenges to this market segment. The Crown Victoria is a mid-priced full-sized sedan in the Ford lineup. The 5,424 Crown Victorias sold in January 2007 far exceeded the 3,526 of the newer Ford Five Hundred which is a more technically advanced full size car with similar passenger space and better fuel economy. But while newer front-wheel drive platforms may have been popular among consumers, they have not challenged the Crown Victoria's dominance as a Taxi Cab , fleet vehicle and Police Car where durability, cost and performance rather than efficiency are top requirements. A longer wheelbase version is available for taxi use. As of the 2008 model year, the Crown Victoria has been limited to fleet sales, which constituted 91.3% of its total sales in 2007. Despite this, the Crown Victoria's twin, the Mercury Grand Marquis will continue to be available to retail consumers. 50% of its 2007 customers were retail. {Link without Title} As the latest evolution of the full-sized Ford, it is the end of the longest succession of automobiles starting with the Model T . The "Crown Vic" is popular due to its conventional rear-wheel drive, V8 power, popular with police driving techniques. As one of the few remaining passenger cars with Body-on-frame construction, it is rugged, and enables repairs after minor accidents without the need to straighten the Chassis - an important benefit for a car frequently used by police forces for PIT Maneuver s; ramming a car to spin it out. The Crown Victoria is also one of the few remaining automobiles which retains the traditional 2-bench 6 passenger seating layout, which has otherwise largely been replaced by the two front-bucket layout popularized by imports. While the Crown Victoria shares its platform and components with the Lincoln Town Car , it shares almost no exterior sheet metal or interior parts. The current model has had a number of upgrades. Since the exit of General Motors from rear-drive full-size cars with the Chevrolet Caprice, it has held a near-monopoly as a pursuit vehicle in North America, despite front wheel drive offerings such as the Chevrolet Impala . Only the new Dodge Charger is being seriously evaluated as a replacement at this time by police departments. PRODUCTION The Crown Victoria is manufactured in St. Thomas, Ontario , Canada , rides on the 1979-vintage Ford Panther Platform and utilizes the universal 4.6 L Modular V8 . As of 2005, prices range from US$25,000 for the base model to $32,000 for the high-end LX Sport trim. 1955–1956 See also 1955 Ford The first "Crown Victoria" appeared in 1955; it was a 2-door 6-seater hardtop Coupe , part of the Ford Fairlane range, that differed from the regular Victoria model (named after a type of Carriage ) by having a stainless steel band that 'crowned' the roofline, passing right over the car, as an extension of the B-pillar line. The model was produced in 1955 and 1956. One version called Ford Crown Victoria Skyliner had the front part of the roof, in front of the steel band, in Acrylic Glass . This made the car difficult to sell, especially in the southern states in USA. Thus few Skyliners were made. Most of them ended up in Sweden, possibly because the climate was more suitable for an acrylic glass roof. ''LTD'' CROWN VICTORIA See Also: Ford LTD Crown Victoria 1979–1980 Downsized two years after its main rival, the Chevrolet Impala , the new 1979 LTD was seven inches shorter than the old one, and four inches shorter than the LTD II . The platform was named the Panther . The interior remained just as large as the previous LTD though, and the whole design became more efficient; the reduced width, size, and bulk all led to improved road manners and maneuverability, which had been major drawbacks in the previous LTD. Ride quality improved as well with the new car, as did fuel economy. Originally, the LTD was offered with the 302 and 351 in³ V8s. The deluxe version of the LTD was the LTD Landau, as in previous years. In 1980 the LTD Landau was renamed '''LTD Crown Victoria'''. It replaced the previous year's Landau model, and used a stainless steel band over the roof at the B-pillar (the "crown") to evoke the 1950s model. Crown Victoria had been a decor package for the Landau models since 1975. For 1981 and 1982, Ford offered a 255 in³ V8. 1983–1991 When the LTD was based on a rebodied Ford Fairmont , all full-size LTDs were badged as LTD Crown Victorias, and the mid-sized version became the LTD. The mid-size LTD was a lesser-known model, as the name is easily confused with its full-size LTD Crown Victoria brother. It shared the same Fox Platform with the 1979 to 1993 Ford Mustang , so certain components are easily interchangeable with the more popular " Pony Car ". Perhaps the highlight of mid-size LTD production began in 1984 when the Bondurant racing school, which favored Ford Mustang GTs, transplanted the Mustang's 5.0L V8 and T-5 five-speed manual transmission into an LTD for use at the school. One result of this was Ford's introduction in mid 1984 of an option package called the LTD LX. Known by some as essentially a four-door Mustang, this car had a centrally fuel-injected 5.0L V8 engine paired with Ford's AOD four-speed automatic transmission, and included details such as blacked-out exterior trim, a floor shifter, and a tachometer. Police models received the same drivetrain (AOD shifter was colum-mounted), 140 mph speedometer, dog-dish hubcaps, and standard exterior trim. Interiors generally featured vinyl seating and rubber floormats, and many examples were equipped with special push bumpers on the front. The mid-size LTD was discontinued after the 1986 model year to make room for the then-new front-wheel drive Taurus . Various other changes were made during these years. The full-size Crown Victoria , along with its cousin, the Mercury Grand Marquis , received exterior facelifts for the 1988 model year, along with updated model-name lettering, followed by an all-new dash in 1990. 1983 saw the introduction of Central Fuel Injection (CFI) on the 302-cubic-inch models (identifiable by a fender badge reading "Electronic Fuel Injection"), which was replaced with Sequential Electronic Fuel Injection (SEFI) in 1986 (accompanied by the deletion of said fender badge). Many mechanical changes were made during this time as well, but most importantly it should be noted that all 302/5.0L engines from 1985-on were equipped with a hydraulic roller valvetrain that allowed the use of improved camshaft profiles across the production line. Incidentally, the Panther Platform has attracted a small but dedicated group of performance enthusiasts, the majority of whom own vehicles from the 1983-1991 time period. It is primarily these "Box body" enthusiasts who frequent online gathering-places, though the later "aero Vic" has attracted a noteworthy following as well. 1992–1997 (''AERO'' VICS)
In 1992, along with dropping the LTD designation, the Crown Victoria sedan (production of the Station Wagon having ceased in 1991) was completely redesigned to the round, six-window shape (which shared many design cues with its contemporary, the newly redesigned 1992 Taurus ), and there was a new 4.6 L Modular Engine . Critics weren't fond of the 1992 model's Taurus-like front-end, therefore it was given a front grille for the 1993 model year. Also added this year was a reflector strip between the taillights. Another minor restyle followed suit in 1995, with a new grille and taillights. To accommodate the design of the 1995's new taillights, the rear license plate was moved from the bumper to the trunklid, fitted between the taillights. The restyle was better received than General Motor's more radical restyle of the Chevrolet Caprice which may have contributed to its exit and Ford's ultimate dominance of this segment. 1998–PRESENT
In 1998, the Crown Victoria's exterior styling, rear suspension, and ignition system were updated. The 1998 to 2002 "Crown Vics" had a revised 4-link rear suspension with a Watt's Linkage . The general road handling manners have improved, but towing capacity has been reduced. The Crown Victoria also uses a coil-on-plug ignition design rather than traditional spark plug wires. This design, already being used on the 1996 to 1999 Ford Taurus SHO's 3.4 L V8 engine, was later implemented on other vehicles that used the Modular V8 , including the 1999-onwards Mustang GT , and many F-Series Trucks . The Crown Victoria also features a 114.7 in wheelbase and its body now used the more formal Mercury Grand Marquis roofline and side window styling. Police Interceptor See Also: Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor Starting with the 1999 model year, the police version of the Crown Victoria, previously named ''Crown Victoria P71'', was changed to ''Police Interceptor'' and new rear badging was assigned instead of the civilian Crown Victoria badge. Though, to date, the Crown Victoria badge is still affixed to Police Interceptors equipped with the ''Street Appearance'' package for vehicles that require civilian styling (office/city motor pool, fire departments, etc). Police Interceptor models come with a black honeycomb-styled front grille and a black rear fascia on the trunk lid, with black trim under the tail lights. They also have several "heavier-duty" mechanical upgrades and newer models have additional safety features to deal with Fuel Tank Safety Concerns . Change of Canadian availability In Canada , 1999 was the last year the Crown Victoria was individually available to civilians from Ford dealerships. Since 2000, the Crown Victoria has only been available in Canada as a ''Police Interceptor'' for law enforcement, or as a Taxi or ''Special Service Vehicle'' for commercial fleets. The civilian Crown Victoria is only available when ordered as a fleet directly from Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited and is not available through Ford dealerships. Civilians can, however, purchase used 2000 & up civilian Crown Victorias that are available at dealerships every so often, or used Police Interceptors or Special Service Vehicles from various auctions. The Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car , which also use the Ford Panther Platform , however, are still available at Ford & Lincoln dealerships in Canada. According to the article of the Mercury Grand Marquis in the Canadian book ''Le guide de l'auto 2006'' (''The 2006 Auto-Guide''), Ford is rumoured to be considering bringing back the Crown Victoria to the Canadian civilian market, replacing the Grand Marquis. Although Ford hasn't made any official statement to this effect, many consider this to make sense since the Mercury brand was officially phased out in Canada in 1999 and despite the Grand Marquis' ''Mercury'' badging, it's officially sold as a Ford in all Canadian sales literature. Middle East Market Large American sedans have always been part of the landscape in the Middle East . Since the Chevrolet Caprice was discontinued in 1996, the Crown Victoria and its twin, the Mercury Grand Marquis have been the car of choice for large American car buyers in the region. Even after General Motors realized their loss of market share and introduced the Australian Holden Statesman in Left Hand Drive form as a Chevrolet Caprice , sales of the Ford Panther Platform remain strong, especially in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia . The Australian Caprice , however, has certainly brought some serious, tough competition for what used to be a niche market. Vehicles destined for the Middle East are referred to as "GCC Spec" vehicles, and the Crown Victoria is available in five different trim levels in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries; Standard (P72 VIN designation) Sport (P73), Standard Long-Wheelbase (P70), LX (P74) and LX Sport (P74). While options and standard features vary from country to country in the region, the following is listed as standard equipment on present models:
A driver's side spotlight assembly is optional on Standard and Standard Long-Wheelbase models, whilst a monochromatic paint job is optional on Sport, LX and LX Sport models. Choice of colors on monochromatic paint jobs include Dark Toreador Red, Silver Birch, Tungsten and Black. A Mercury Marauder rear spoiler is standard equipment on Sport and LX Sport models, being an option on the LX and Standard trim. LX and LX Sport models also come with power 8-way driver and front passenger seats. Worthy of note, the American Handling and Performance Package (HPP) has been changed to "Export Handling Package" for the Middle East . The only differences between the two is that GCC Spec models have a 2.73 rear axle ratio (as opposed to 3.27) and as a true dual exhaust system is standard equipment, it does not come as part of the package. Vehicles equipped with this package also come with a monochromatic paint job. The Export Handling Packages (EHP) comes with a tuned rear air suspension, revised coil springs, handling shock absorbers and an upsized rear stabilizer bar. EHP is standard on Sport and LX Sport models and is only an option on the LX trim. It is not available on Standard and Standard Long-Wheelbase models. 2007 and newer models now come with an available DVD entertainment system (marketed as “Export DVD Entertainment System”). This has been made optional on Sport, LX and LX Sport models. The Crown Vic comes with a 5 year/200,000 kilometer (125,000 mile) warranty – whichever comes first. As far as the market in Kuwait is concerned, where Grand Marquis sales exceed that of the Crown Victoria, only the Standard and Standard Long-Wheelbase models are available. Other models have not been imported as of the year 2000, and 1999 was the last year for the LX trim level. This was part of the authorized dealer/importer's decision to focus on the Grand Marquis. Long-wheelbase commercial version In 2002, Ford introduced a long-wheelbase version of the Crown Victoria, available only to commercial fleets (mostly used by taxi companies). This version gives 6 extra inches of wheelbase length, made possible by a new frame and extended body. This version is not available to the general public, nor is there a stretched version of the Police Interceptor , due to its targeted use mostly in the taxi and livery market. In the Middle East , long-wheelbase versions of both the Mercury Grand Marquis and Crown Victoria are available to the general public. 2003–present For the 2003 model year, the chassis was again redesigned with Hydroformed steel. The front and rear suspension were also completely overhauled. New inverted monotube shocks were now used (replacing the old twin-tube shocks that had been used since the 1960s). In the front, new aluminum control arms, and Rack And Pinion steering (replacing the Recirculating Ball units) have been implemented. The rear suspension was redesigned for durability in police-duty applications and the rear shocks were moved outboard of the frame rails for better handling and ease of maintenance. As a result, the road-handling manners of the Panther Platform Cars had improved significantly. The engine output increased due to the addition of a knock sensor for more aggressive timing. The Crown Victoria retained the same exterior styling, but 2005 models received a rear whip radio antenna rather than an integrated rear defroster antenna. 2005 models also received a new steering wheel. The rear whip antenna has been removed from the 2006 models in favor of the integrated rear defroster antenna. 2006 models also received a redesigned instrument cluster featuring a 120 mph speedometer (civilian models) and a tachometer. Even with the latest 2007 Crown Victoria, the overall design remains relatively unchanged from the 1979 design. It still uses a front Independent Suspension with a rear Live Axle on a Body On Frame design, using a traditional Rear-wheel Drive drivetrain. The design has been popular with police departments and cab companies to the same extent as the Chevrolet Caprice in the 1980s and early 1990s, especially in New York City where they make up the majority of the taxi and New York City Police Department fleets, as well among the general populace. The Crown Victoria has often been characterized as an "older person's car", but this is a misconception considering nearly all vehicles in this class tend to have an older client base (because most older drivers were accustomed to driving larger cars). It is considerably more durable than modern Front-wheel Drive cars that rely on Constant Velocity Joint s for transmission of power to the steering wheels. It also offers more interior space and slightly better fuel economy than many SUVs of similar weight. As of the 2008 model year, the Crown Victoria will only be sold to fleet buyers, according to Ford. As of June 21, 2007, the Crown Victoria was removed from Ford's website, most likely to promote the 2008 Ford Taurus . Engines (2007 stats):
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Transportation_in_New_York_City" class="copylinks">New York City taxi, the long-wheelbase Crown Victoria |
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Ford Crown Victoria (USA):
| "http://wwwfordvehiclescom/cars/crownvictoria/" class="copylinks" target="_blank">Civilian Police Interceptor Commercial Version (includes long-wheelbase version) |
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