Ford set to produce last Taurus

[cobram at juno.com]

 <larrycleung at gmail.com> writes:

> The first Taurus/Sable came out in 1986. The type 44 came out in 
> 1984.
> 
> At the time Ford said that they had the shortest turn around from 
> concept to
> production, 38 months.
> 
> So, do you think it's truly a copy, or does the cold unemotional 
> reality of science dictate techno-(for the time) mobiles?

I took the liberty of putting the correct subject line in, instead of the
digest number, I guess it doesn't bother anybody else...

Your statement proves the opposite.  The Germans didn't have a magic wand
they could wave and bring a car from concept to production in 2 weeks. 
The US auto press was given a type 44 to test in early 1982, I have an
article or two around somewhere, this 1982 model had very few differences
from the type 44 offered for sale in 1983 in the US market.

If you look at the first Taurus off the assembly line (it's at the Ford
Museum),  change the grill and some other Mickey Mouse trim parts and
you've got an early type 44.  

Take a WILD guess where Ford recruited most of the engineers who worked
on the Taurus project at the time.....it's not that hard to explain such
a short turnaround time between concept to production when someone else 
has already done most of your R & D.  
 
BCNU,
http://www.geocities.com/cobramsri/
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