2.0 more modern than 2.3
We can well imagine that in the past you could experience stress when choosing a car. Take the Ford Taunus, the predecessor of the Sierra. Which you had as a 1.3, but also as a 2.3 V6 and many engines in between. Completely bald or luxuriously dressed like Ghia. And so on. We go back in time again and step into a Ford Taunus 2.0 Ghia. With a four-cylinder, which was more expensive when new than a copy with a 2.3 V6!
Browsing through the price list of the 1978 Ford Taunus, what is particularly striking is the endless options. The engine range starts with a poor 1.3 with 55 hp and continues to a 2.3 V6. The basic version is called Base and it lives up to its name. Plastic on the floor, no trip meter, no headrests and so on. No, then the Ghia on this page. The top model, in this case with a two-liter engine. And then the salesman could still ask: “Do you want the four- or the six-cylinder?” Now you may think that the V6 was more expensive, but no, the more modern inline four cost more than a thousand guilders more. In fact, for less money than the 2.0 four-cylinder you could even get the 2.3 V6. However, the first Belgian owner of this Taunus did not do that and he spent some extra francs on a sliding roof, an automatic transmission, a radio and metallic paint. The vinyl-covered roof is already standard from the GL, the Ghia supplements this with headlight washers, a tachometer, alloy wheels, velor upholstery and lighting in the luggage compartment.
That interior indeed looks luxurious, with even real wood on the doors and dashboard. That doesn’t change the fact that you have to open the windows yourself, which is what we do. Sliding roof open a bit and the fresh wind blows in. The two-liter produces just under 100 hp and feels quite smooth up to about 90 km/h, when it is already running more than three thousand revolutions. With a manual four-speed gearbox that is probably slightly less. The Taunus bobs amiably over the road surface, the rear sometimes shakes a bit on its rigid axle and in bends the seats offer little lateral support, while the carriage leans happily. It is typical of an average car of that time. The counter has not exceeded 49,000 in 45 years. The condition of the Ford is therefore impeccable.
Technical data
Engine 4-cyl. in line
Engine capacity 1,998 cc
Max. power 72 kW/98 hp at 5,200 rpm
Max. torque 151 Nm at 3,500 rpm
Top speed 165 km/h
0-100 km/h 12.4 s
Consumption avg. 10.9 l/100 km
This copy with only 49,000 kilometers on the clock was for sale in the summer of 2023 for €10,950. A facelifted variant of this generation of Taunus was released in 1979, which is recognizable, among other things, by the larger rear lights.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl