The Ford Taurus is an automobile that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States from the 1986 to 2019 model years. Introduced in late 1985 for the 1986 model year, six generations were produced over 34 years; a brief hiatus was undertaken between 2006 and 2007. From the 1986 to 2009 model years, the Taurus was sold alongside its near-twin, the Mercury Sable; four generations of the high-performance Ford Taurus SHO were produced. The Taurus also served as the basis for the first-ever front-wheel-drive Lincoln Continental (1988–2002).
Vauxhall Motors Limited is a British car company headquartered in Chalton, Bedfordshire, England. Vauxhall became a subsidiary of Stellantis in January 2021.
The Ford Sierra is a mid-size car or large family car manufactured and marketed by Ford Europe from 1982–1993, designed by Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick le Quément — and noted for its aerodynamic styling producing a drag coefficient of 0.34, a significant improvement over its predecessors.
The Vauxhall Astra is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) that has been sold by Vauxhall since 1980. Over its eight generations, it has been made at several GM/Opel/Stellantis plants around Europe - however most versions have been sourced from Vauxhall's plant at Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England.
The Ford Focus is a compact car manufactured by Ford Motor Company since 1999. It was created under Alexander Trotman's Ford 2000 plan, which aimed to globalize model development and sell one compact vehicle worldwide. The original Focus was primarily designed by Ford of Europe's German and British teams. Production of the fourth generation Focus began in 2018 in Germany and China.
The Vauxhall Cavalier is a large family car that was sold primarily in the United Kingdom by Vauxhall from 1975 to 1995. It was based on a succession of Opel designs throughout its production life, during which it was built in three incarnations. The first generation of Cavalier, launched in 1975 and produced until 1981, was Vauxhall's version of the General Motors 'U-Car' - essentially an Opel Ascona B/ Opel Manta with a few minor visual differences.
The Jaguar X-Type is a car built by British marque Jaguar from 2001 to 2009. Considered a large family car in Europe and a compact car in the US, the X-Type has either a four-door saloon or a five-door estate body style and was sold in the compact-executive market segment. Given the internal designation X400, its engine is in the front and there are front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive variants. In addition to offering Jaguar's first estate car in series production, the X-Type would ultimately introduce its first diesel engine, four-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive configuration.
The fifth generation of the BMW 3 Series range of compact executive cars is designated under the model codes E90 (saloon), E91, E92 (coupé) and E93 (convertible). The model was introduced in December 2004, and produced by BMW until October 2013 and is often collectively referred to as the E90 or E9x.
The Ford Galaxy is a seven-seater car produced by Ford of Europe from June 1995 to April 2023. Considered in the motor industry to be a large multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), it was the first Ford-brand MPV produced and marketed outside of North America, the model line is currently in its third generation. Sharing its platform architecture with the Ford Mondeo, the Galaxy was developed alongside the Ford S-Max; the model line is slotted between the Connect and Custom variants of the Ford Tourneo/Transit model family.
The Ford Escort is a small family car that was manufactured by Ford of Europe from 1968 until 2000. In total there were six generations, spread across three basic platforms: the original, rear-wheel-drive Mk.1/Mk.2 (1968–1980), the "Erika" front-wheel-drive Mk.3/Mk.4 (1980–1992), and the final CE-14 Mk.5/Mk.6 (1990–2002) version. Its successor, the Ford Focus, was released in 1998, but the final generation of Escort was phased out gradually, with the panel van version ending production in 2002 in favour of the Ford Transit Connect.
The Ford Fusion is a mid-size car that was manufactured and marketed by the Ford Motor Company. From the 2006 through 2020 model years, two generations of the Fusion have been produced in gasoline, gas/electric hybrid, and gas/plug-in electric hybrid variants. The Fusion was manufactured at Ford's Hermosillo Stamping and Assembly plant in Sonora, Mexico, alongside the Lincoln MKZ, and formerly the Mercury Milan, both of which share its CD3 platform.
Andrew Rouse is a British racing driver, most notably in the British Saloon Car Championship. He won the BSCC in 1975, 1983, 1984 and 1985.
Ford of Europe GmbH is a subsidiary company of Ford Motor Company founded in 1967 in Cork, Ireland, with headquarters in Cologne, Germany.
The 1995 Auto Trader RAC British Touring Car Championship was won by John Cleland in a Vauxhall Cavalier. The Independents' title was won by Matt Neal in his Team Dynamics Ford Mondeo with fourteen class wins.
The Opel Insignia is a large family car developed and produced by the German car manufacturer Opel from 2008 to 2022. Taking its name from a 2003 concept car, the model line serves as the flagship model, slotted above the Astra and Corsa in size. The Insignia serves as the successor to both the Signum and Vectra model lines, replacing both vehicles under a single nameplate. Currently in its second generation, the model line is offered in four-door sedan/saloon body styles, five-door liftback, and as a five-door station wagon/estate.
The Ford Focus Mk 2 is the second generation of Ford Focus, a range of small family cars produced by Ford Motor Company from 2005 to 2010. It was launched at the Paris Motor Show on September 25, 2004, as a three and five-door hatchback and an estate, although the new car was previewed, in 4-door saloon form, as the 'Focus Concept' developed by Ford Europe at the Beijing Motor Show in mid-2005.
The Ford Mondeo I (first generation) is a mid-size car that was produced by Ford, beginning on 23 November 1992, with sales beginning on 22 March 1993. It is also known as the Mk I Mondeo; the 1996 facelift versions are usually designated Mk II. Available as a four-door saloon, a five-door hatchback, and a five-door estate, all models for the European market were produced at Ford's plant in the Belgian city of Genk. In December 1992, Autocar published a section on the Mondeo, and how it would conquer rivals.
The Ford Mondeo Mk3 (second generation) model was launched by Ford in October 2000. This Mondeo was considerably larger than its predecessor, and although Ford abandoned its New Edge design theme for the second generation, it was their first vehicle to fully benefit from the Prodigy concept car. This gave it an overall effect which many critics felt was more restrained and mature, if much less distinctive. Two of the old car's biggest weaknesses, the modest rear legroom, and uncompetitive diesel version were addressed by a 50 mm (2.0 in) longer wheelbase and the new Duratorq diesel engine. The basic chassis and suspension design was carried over from the previous generation, which meant that the car continued its predecessor's reputation for class leading handling and ride. This Mondeo came to Mexico, replacing the North American built Ford Contour, and was sold from 2001 to 2007, when the Ford Fusion replaced it. The North American market Fusion and Ford Five Hundred/Taurus sported very similar styling, inside and out.
The Ford Mondeo Mk IV (third generation), codenamed CD345 was officially unveiled in five-door production form by Ford in late 2006. Based on the EUCD platform developed with Volvo, the platform was the same as that used in the new large MPVs Galaxy and S-MAX, but not the North American Ford Fusion or the Mazda Atenza in Japan. It was also used for several Volvos starting with the Volvo S80 II.
The fourth generation of the Ford Mondeo, is a range of mid-size cars produced by Ford from 2013 to 2022. Developed under the model code CD391, it is a rebadged variant of the American-market Fusion sold in Europe, Latin America, China and Australia. Revealed at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, the Mondeo is based on a new iteration of Ford's C/D platform, which it shares with the Galaxy and S-Max large MPVs. The Fusion had started production in 2012, which was about one year before the Mondeo had. At its launch, it served as the flagship model for Ford's lineup in China, and was tested on Chinese roads in 2013.
