Ford Crown Victoria
Encyclopedia : F : FO : FOR : Ford Crown Victoria
- For the Police Interceptor version used by law enforcement, see Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor.
- For the 1983–1991 version known as the LTD Crown Victoria, see Ford LTD Crown Victoria.
Description
The Ford Crown Victoria is a full-size sedan manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. The Crown Victoria, or "Crown Vic" as it is often referred, represents the top-of-the-line sedan in the Ford lineup. Much like its predecessor, the Ford LTD, the Ford Crown Victoria is also commonly used as a taxi cab, fleet vehicle and police car, a segment in which Crown Victorias make up the vast majority of vehicles used.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 SOHC SEFI 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
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 plexiglass. This made the car difcult to sell, especially in the southern states in USA. Thus few Skyliners was made. Most of them ended up in Sweden, possibly because the climate was more suitable for a plexiglass roof.
1979
In 1979, Ford brought back the name on a deluxe version of the LTD full-size car line on the Ford Panther platform as the Ford LTD Crown Victoria. It replaced the previous year's LTD Landau model, and used a stainless steel band over the roof at the B-pillar to evoke the 1950s model.
1983
- See main article: Ford LTD Crown Victoria
1992-1997
In 1992, along with dropping the LTD designation, the sedan body (production of the station wagon having ceased in 1991) was completely redesigned to the round, six-window shape (which shared many details with its contemporary, the newly refreshed 1992 Taurus), and there was a new 4.6 L modular engine. Critics weren't fond of the 1992'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 rear tail lights. Another minor front & rear-end redesign followed suit in 1995, with a new different styled grille and new tail lights. To accommodate the design of the 1995's new tail lights, the rear license plate was moved from the bumper to the trunk lid, fitted between the tail lights.
1998-2002
In 1998, the Crown Victoria's exterior styling, rear suspension, and ignition system were updated. The 1998-2002 "Crown Vics" have a revised 4-link rear suspension with a Watts 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 1996-1999 Ford Taurus SHO 3.4L V8 engine, was later implemented on other users of the Modular V8, including the 1999-up Mustang GT, and many F/E-series trucks. The Crown Victoria also features a 114.7" wheelbase and its body now uses the more formal Mercury Grand Marquis roofline and side window styling.
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 French book Le guide de l'auto 2006 (The 2006 Auto-Guide), Ford is rumoured to 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.
2003-present
In 2003, the chassis was again redone with hydroformed steel. The front and rear suspension was also completely overhauled. New inverted monotube shocks are now used (replacing the old twin-tube shocks that had been around 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 redone 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 have 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.
Even with the latest 2006 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 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 joints 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.
Engines (MY2005 stats):
- 220hp @ 4750 rpm/265lb.ft. @ 4000 rpm/9.4:1 compression 4.6L V-8 (Fleet only.)
- 224hp @ 4750 rpm/265lb.ft. @ 4000 rpm/9.4:1 compression 4.6L V-8 (Base civilian package.)
- 239hp @ 4750 rpm/276lb.ft. @ 4000 rpm/9.4:1 compression 4.6L V-8 (Perf. & Handling Pkg.-equipped only; includes Sport)
- 250hp @ 4900 rpm/287lb.ft. @ 4100 rpm/9.6:1 compression 4.6L V-8 (Police Interceptor package only.)
Police Interceptor
- See main article: Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor.
Fuel tank safety concerns
| The [Neutral point of view>neutrality] of this article is [NPOV disputedisputed]. Please see the discussion on the [1990s over the car's gas tank leaking after certain types of high energy impacts, specifically when being hit at a certain angle offset in the rear at speeds greater than 85 mph (137 km/h). These impacts did cause fuel tank failures in the Crown Victoria. However, the impacts also caused similar failures (and at higher rates) in other popular law enforcement models such as the Chevrolet Impala and Chrysler 300. For comparison, the survival rate for these type of collisions was higher for the Crown Victoria than any other current mid-sized sedan, which perform worse due to their much lighter construction, lower weight, and shorter distance for a crumple zone. The incorrect reports that the Crown Victoria is more prone to fires during a rear collision is a simple combination of four things. First, most law enforcement agencies rely heavily on the Vic as their primary vehicle, meaning that ANY police-related auto accident is very likely to involve a Crown Victoria. Second, the accidents occured as the result of the officers intentinoally parking their vehicles close to active traffic to "shield" a stopped motorist - something most civilians would never do. Third, the impacting vehicle was often traveling at, or above, the posted legal limit (70-75 mph in most jurisdictions). Fourth, it made a good story. Officers were dying in their cars, never mind that the circumstances, conditions, and vehicles speeds involved were well in excess of what any vehicle can be resonably expected to absorb and still remain intact. It sold advertising and air time, and was a windfall for aggressive reporters with more zeal than journalistic integrity. Even when concrete proof was provided showing the Crown Victoria to be safe, zealots in the media continued to run intentionally erroneous stories. The condition was exacerbated by police equipment installers drilling over the package tray in the luggage compartment. Due to the gas tank's orientation, drilling through the package tray may result in drilling into the gas tank. Installers also used screws set directly into the bulkhead and facing the fuel tank. In the event of a high-energy collision these screws could be forced into the tank, both rupturing the tank and possibly being a spark source. Long bolts for mounting heavier equipment were also directly suspect. Further, many investigations, both performed by federal/state agencies, and the police department themselves, have found that removeable items in the trunk were improperly stowed. These items became tank-piercing projectiles during the rear-collision scenarios. Ford's solution came in the form of a recall kit including pattern to mark unsafe areas (to drill) in the luggage compartment. Also included were rubberized kevlar and hard ballistic nylon shields for the differential cover lower shock bolts. They also included a kevlar-based trunk liner. Ford used similar kits on early 80's model passenger vehicles. For 2005 and newer models, Ford offers the first-ever, on-board fire-suppression system for the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor units, which effectively choke any fire on-board when detected. The problem, for all intents and purposes, ceases to exist when the vehicles are struck at ordinary speeds and in conditions most motorists face. The following article shows fire related police fatalities are no higher in the Crown Victoria than in the Chevrolet Caprice. http://www.thecarconnection.com/Auto_News/Auto_News/Numbers_Dont_Damn_Crown_Vic.S175.A6797.html Numbers Don’t Damn Crown Vic]. Despite numerous court cases charging Ford with partial liability for fires caused in accidents, the company has always been exonerated and the "average Joe" safe nature of the Vic reconfirmed. An attempted class-action suit in Belvidere, Illinois in 2004 failed as well. Body on frameThe Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, and the Lincoln Town Car are the only mass-produced passenger cars with body-on-frame construction in the United States. This construction style is opposed to the now more commonly used unibody construction style where the body panels are load-bearing members. Mercury introduced a performance version called the Mercury Marauder but sales were slow. The Marauder was not a market success and the model was retired after just two years of production. Long wheelbase fleet models
 Starting in the 2002 model year a long-wheelbase Crown Victoria was made available that featured a six-inch wheelbase stretch made possible by a new frame and extended body. The stretched Crown Vic was not offered to the general public, but instead was intended for service in New York City's taxicab fleets, for instance, and the livery market. FutureFord was rumored to be considering replacing the aging Panther platform with the front or all-wheel drive platform based on the D3 architecture, something Ford has denied. Another rumor going around at Ford is that the Crown Victoria will eventually be replaced by one of two vehicles:
See also
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