A Cardinal Mistake? The Ford Cardinal Compact Car Project Became The Taunus P4

A classic car connaisseur tells the rare story of the Ford Cardinal, an All-American effort at creating a very small car, a car that was positioned even below the Falcon and aimed squarely at the VW Beetle. But after a transatlantic tug of war, it was decided to cancel the project, and send the leftovers to Germany, where the Cardinal was sold as the 1962 Ford Taunus P4.
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[@dimitriosfotopoulos3689]

So, basically Lee Iacocca set America's ability to manufacture a small, efficient, cost effective car back by about 20 years.

[@bob_._.]

He just decided to hold off on it until he moved to Chrysler.

[@patrickradcliffe3837]

Yeah, but no. Economics set back sub-compact cars 20 years. Lee was just giving the public what they wanted.

[@realazduffman]

Not totally. The market was not ready for this car in the early 60s. We did get the Pinto and Vega within 10 more years.

[@buckshot6481]

Ford and GM tried small cars in the early 60's. Chevy II had a four cylinder. Nobody wanted them when gasoline was 0.29 a gallon.

[@deepwood4]

An automobile is a tool. Nothing more. This sort of vehicle design is exactly what America needs right now. Basic, cheap and effective. We are now paying more for our vehicles than we paid for our homes.

[@dewiz9596]

Very impressed with your multilingual sense of humour.

[@johngraves6878]

Yeah, Ed's sense of humor is very refreshing to an American ear.

[@john1703]

Scheisse!

[@Jay-jb2vr]

I'm surprised Americans even know what humor is

[@jeffreywarrensmith581]

Me too - loved it totally. Still smiling.

[@drewjansen7825]

"He already had a hard-on for the Falcon..." I just spit whisky through my nose. I live for these videos, Ed. Hartelijk dank voor je kennis en je humor.

[@sparky6086]

The Taunus was a very successful car in West Germany, when I was stationed there in the 1980's, many American GI's had them, liked them, & found them to be reliable.

[@benjaminrobinson3842]

That makes sense, since they were buying a car that had a lot of American DNA in it.

[@markrossow6303]

and had a V4

[@markrossow6303]

as a U.S. Army kid in West Germany, we had M-B 180A while I was in Kindergarten in a Quonset Hut ... M-B 280S, 190SL, 280SEL 3.5, 300TD + Kharmann Ghia, 912, 924, Passat Drove the last 2 on #Autobahn Gießen to Marburg in a college summer ...

[@skucera8116]

For a car that wasn't officially imported to the US, there were quite a few Taunuses (how do you pluralize that... Taunii?) here in Oregon when I was a kid. I think some G.I.'s brought them back from Germany after being stationed there.

[@markrossow6303]

​@@skucera8116

[@jetsons101]

I bought a very used 63 Ford Falcon that ran on, and on, and on, and on, and on..... The Ford inline six was indestructible to say the least. That old Falcon got me through high school, college and the first year of my first "real" job. Thanks ED for another great watch.

[@stevereimer5254]

Had to drive a '64 Comet with the 200ci 6 and 2 speed auto. It was history by 120k miles, leaked at every seal and low compression on two cylinders. Whoever designed the head/intake manifold should have been sacked. The "ears" that held the outside exhaust studs were prone to break off leading to exhaust leaks. My grandfather had a '62 Falcon with the 170ci version, broke a lifter at 135k. I had to pull the oil pan to remove it. While I was down there I noticed that the rod bearings were nearly gone. Oh and I didn't mention that the voltage regulators tended to regularly burn out the contacts. Old VWs were much more reliable.

[@MrSloika]

@@stevereimer5254 The Falcon was designed to be scrapped 5-10 years after it hit the road or about !00,000 miles, whichever came first.

[@Porsche996driver]

A straight 6 is incredibly balanced. BMW did it best.

[@bobthebrick1988]

Heck man, that ain't too awful much for a vehicle. I can imagine for the time period it's more so, but my grandpa has drove a 2004 silverado for 13 years now. I'm 18. I grew up in that truck and drove myself to high school in it, and we still use it. I know it sounds like it's just in good shape because it's an old person vehicle, but he abuses it. It takes it like a champ.

[@brucewelty7684]

My sister had one that would self shift from 2nd to 3rd and not grind. It was hilarious to watch the stick drop on its own.

[@mikebaginy8731]

I worked at Ford in Cologne for some years as a design engineer. Higher Management from across the pond had zero understanding of the European market and constantly meddled in local projects, preferring large engines and US styling. They still do and are the main cause of Ford being close to death in Germany. I like the photo shown of the Cologne site along the Rhine River, walked along that spot many times.

[@anthonyxuereb792]

It's the American way, take it or leave it and if you don't like it we'll punish you.

[@MyTubeHasTalent]

In 1959 Studebaker came out with the Lark, which tripled sales and the made a profit for the first time in years. It was that success that had Ford come out with the Falcon, as well as other manufacturers do the same.

[@craigwalsh9229]

I'm an American and I want to say your depicton of Americans is impeccable and perfect, if not a little too tame

[@CodewortSchinken]

You forgot the largest legacy of the Cardinal project: the Engine. The Cardinal fit nowhere in Ford Germany's line up but it gave them a desperately needed replacement for their pre war flat head i4 engines that dated back to the model Y. The V4 was complicated to make and quickly replaced by the Pinto a decade later. But it was the perfect base for a six cylinder. With two additional cylinders added it became the eternal Cologne V6.

[@sakshamsharma5429]

Didn't the same V4 found it's way into Saab Sonnet ?

[@1258-Eckhart]

Interestingly, the Americans had already decided on an internal vee-angle of 60°, which seems to anticipate the possibility of a later V6.

[@288gto7]

Completely wrong, in the mid to late 50s they had already made an ohv inline 4 engine that replaced the flathead

[@philipethier9136]

@@sakshamsharma5429 Not just the Sonett. The SAAB 96 sedan and the 95 wagon were switched from the 3-cyl 2-stroke to the Ford V4.

[@lotharrenz4621]

Actually, the V4 was used in P4 as well as it's successor, the P6, the P7, Transit, and Granada up until 1981 in displacements between 1.2 and 1.7 litres. not very powerful, though, but SAAB pushed the 1.7 up to 170HP for racing purposes. All V-engines are "complicated to make" compared to an inline, but there are other advantages. don't dismiss an engine's shape just like that, they all have their purposes.

[@Dewydidit]

You missed a major bit of irony where Iacocca later found himself at Chrysler, the home of large sports and luxury cars that was going bankrupt, and he saved it with the compact, 4 cylinder, front wheel drive K-car.

[@kentesdall308]

And that K-car was a genuine piece of crap.

[@MrEpicface97]

​@@kentesdall308it saved the company!

[@DrOlds7298]

I'd actually say the Minivan was what saved them?

[@Dewydidit]

@ not really. It was new and certainly had some teething problems that took a few years to work out and it was cheaply made, so it didn't stand up to the abuse MOPAR customers were accustomed to putting their Dodge/ Chrysler/ Plymouth thru. A friend I worked over the road with had a "Rampage", basically an El Camino/ Ranchero style based on the K-car frame. He put over 250,000 miles on that car over the years, with LOTS of maintenance. The car and the major components, (Head, block, front end parts, ect) were solid enough, but the bushings, seals, belts and brake pads seemed to be of questionable quality, or we wore them out quicker putting a tiny two seater thru full sized truck duty.

[@monikalenz2559]

After we emigrated to the States from Germany in the 50s, my father fell in love with Ford cars and bought the first Falcon to hit the showroom in our city. We drove it to California on Rt 66 in those iconic years of mass migration. It became my first car in high school. But Dad had to replace its troublesome engine and I ended up with a Mustang under the hood. I remember drag racing some guys from school off a green light. I left them in the dust and at the next red light they jumped out and quickly opened my hood to see what I had. I was the coolest girl in school that day.😂 My next car was a green VW, the first car I drove off a showroom floor. Guess my German blood was still intact 😊

[@Blackadder75]

did they burst into song after that car scene?

[@monikalenz2559]

@Blackadder75 unfortunately the light changed too fast but if they'd had time to break out in a hot tune of that time it would have been a Beachboys song. My favorite was 'Fun Fun Fun' 😉

[@indiekiddrugpatrol3117]

Ford US and Germany were beefing over who can make the best fwd shitbox. Meanwhile Ford GB was putting Lotus engines in a Cortina.

[@CaSuMog]

…. And Lotus was putting Citroen gearboxes in their cars…😅

[@andrewwmacfadyen6958]

​@@CaSuMog No Lotus used Renault 16 Gearbox Citroen gearbox were the basis for the 1950's Colotti racing gearbox used by Cooper and even the very early GT40

[@CaSuMog]

@ Early Esprit had the Citroen SM box, later a Renault GTA one.

[@jeremywestenra4178]

Lotus actually used Ford UK 4 cylinder engines...mainly the Kent series, to produce their masterful high performance twi cam engines. Not the other way round

[@indiekiddrugpatrol3117]

@@jeremywestenra4178 aye and that twin cam was then adapted for the Cortina and MK1 Escort.

[@Pinzpilot101]

This model Taunus was everywhere in West Germany in the early 70's when I was a soldier...the Police had them as patrol cars.........they were everywhere.

[@Vladymir_Putin]

On first sight it looks like british Ford Corsair

[@gerarduspoppel2831]

So it was not just me?

[@janfswedane]

Yeah, headlights are sure Corsair, the rest P3 Taunus aka The Bathtub...

[@stevenlawrie7819]

I thought Corsair also :-)

[@JonosBtheMC]

I was wondering if the V4 was the same V4 that found it's way into the Capri...

[@janfswedane]

@@JonosBtheMC The UK version ended up in the Corsair, Zephyr & Transit. The Cologne V4 which was totally different powered the 12M, 15M & 17M.. Both engines powered the Capri, since it was made in both countries...

[@jergervasi3331]

That banjo music for us Americans was pretty funny.... nice job.

[@Michel-r6m]

Ry Cooder is awesome 😎

[@CarsandCats]

2:36 I was literally eating a hot dog as I watched this! 'MERICA!

[@johannieuwoudt-mz9ih]

episode 69 nice

[@wasditus2408]

Came here for this comment

[@jetsons101]

Ooooooo I'm going to tell mom on you..................

[@LucasOliveira-tt2ll]

I'm surprised that Ed didn't pulled a joke with this one

[@Count_Smackula]

Came to say this

[@MK-of7qw]

two more likes makes this comment 69 as well

[@geraldtrudeau3223]

I love your show. You come up with some fascinating content and you presented in a very humorous way that makes it irresistible to watch. Thank you for giving us all the experience.

[@andrewdouglas3091]

Hey mate. I love your videos. Your research is amazing. I live in Australia and the Falcon was a very popular car here. It was built here until 2016 when finally all Australian Ford production ended. Such a shame. They built some amazing cars. Maybe one day you could do a video on Australian car manufacturing. We had everything ones and now it’s all gone. Holden, Ford, Nissan, Toyota, Chrysler, Volkswagen, BMC/Leyland. What a shame. Now just imports. Shame Australian government you have really let this once great nation down. Hang your heads in shame.

[@KyrosTheWolf]

7:50 I'm pretty amazed to hear Ed, a Dutch man, speak English with a very forced over-the-top German accent XD

[@markmcgwiretype624]

The Cord 810 was the first American car with independent front suspension and front wheel drive... In 1936.

[@MrSloika]

One day in September he stepped out of his Cord Into the street to face a bullet spittin' Ford Now he's jitterbug, just a name in the news Said, "He finally paid the price, he finally paid his dues"

[@locomotivebreath9364]

And before that was Cord l29

[@corrbhan5138]

The 810 was preceded by the 1934 Ctroën Traction Avant, wich, unlike the Cord, was a mass produced car.

[@jamesbosworth4191]

@@corrbhan5138 But it was not an AMERICAN car.

[@anvilsvs]

Ever heard of a Ruxton? I thought not.

[@latitude9.5north54]

Very enlightening. If it were not for SAAB's desperation to replace their two-stroke, the venerable Ford V4 might have died. However, it saved SAAB for a while. The last iteration, tuned by the Swedes was making close to 170hp. Excellent work, thanks!

[@obelic71]

The Ford V4 was also used in the MK1 Ford Transit commercial vehicle. That made Ford Europe to create and build other versions of the 1.2L V4 (1.3 , 1.5 , 1.7 and 2.0L) for the selling as hotcakes Transit modelrange.

[@WOFFY-qc9te]

The V4 was a dog of an engine due to its intrinsic imbalance and fiber timing gear and balance shaft but I do agree that Saab did get it to perform well and propel myself and the trusty Saab through a few Rally's sadly the driver had less talent than the car, planting it straight into a felled tree which neatly stuffed the engine which exited the vehicle as designed leaving a neat hole in the front grill, I was the angry Navigator. The V4 engine was also in the Ford Corsair which is a later version of the Taunus both cars suffered from zero visibility in a snowy night as the lights were very efficient snow collectors. Gearbox was pretty good. I cant say the V6 was much of an improvement other than less vibration as it held too much heat and my 2.8 Granada Ghia X Executive (limited edition) always struggled cooling down after stretch on the motorway. My father had a Corsair for a company car and it had engine problems from the start. After a long journey with frequent stops when the large crescent warning lights came on indicating more oil needed the engine eventually got us to our destination. The local dealer had a look as said it probably needed a new engine which would be a few weeks once cleared by Ford. Dad getting very ticked off with the situation and miles from our home over Christmas sent a Telex message to some chums he knew when he worked for Pressed steel a car body supplier in the UK. They apparently made a few calls to their chums at Ford in the US explaining who the car belonged to and bla bla, This motivated Ford UK to kick arse and two days later and much to the surprise of the local Ford dealer they found a crate containing a new engine with all the ancillaries and another crated gearbox. I remember a smartly dressed chap returning the car cleaned with a full tank and being very apologetic to dad as he handed some flowers to mum. I think my dads chums may have exaggerated his status.. The problem was over lean combustion from the single downdraft carb burning exhaust valves the engine only had a few k on it. The Saab I ran a duel 28/30 Solex which was a great improvement on the standard setup.

[@lenrichardson7349]

@WOFFY-qc9te Saab have a good history of making things work.

[@latitude9.5north54]

@@lenrichardson7349 Amazing think-tank of real engineers!!

[@WOFFY-qc9te]

@ And GM a reputation for not.

[@chicagotypewriter2094]

Totally unrelated to the video but I just saw a Volkswagen Karmann walking home from school! Stopped by at the grocery store to buy soap for carving and there was this beautiful orange one there! The owner must’ve loved it because it seemed near immaculate!

[@AlejandroRamirez-vl8mr]

I saw my first Karmann in person last saturday in my friend's shop I didn't fit 😂

[@21stcenturyozman20]

A car walking home from school - interesting idea! - lol

[@chicagotypewriter2094]

Haha nice one!

[@felipesancho]

Slightly unrelated but the other day I saw a car I thought to be a Kharmann Ghia while at the "mandatory yearly car inspection" (Technical Review in my country) and I went up to the owner and a asked him what it was. It turned out to be a Simca Bertone. It looked pretty nice but sadly it didn't pass the inspection

[@gregorymalchuk272]

​@@felipesanchoWhy did it fail inspection?

[@The.Silenced.Majority]

The UK Cortina gets a quick mugshot but no mention. Big seller and arguably the first British performance car based on a boggo saloon (the Lotus Cortina). Then gradually integrated with the Taunus where the that car appears to be a Cortina Mk3 without the cool coke bottle.. Idea for a video about Ford's amalgamation of European operations through the 1970s perhaps 🤔

[@288gto7]

Coke bottle didnt look good and cortina mk3 didnt have the knudsen nose of Taunus TC1 , it was a worse Taunus

[@Hogger301]

Love your videos!! Highly educational.

[@daveh893]

My family owned several Fords over the years. I had never hear of the Cardinal project so it was good to hear the story.

[@6xsg]

Yay, another episode! 🎉

[@JohnWelch-n8m]

I worked at a V4 street sweeper factory in Bowling Green,Ohio. I had a SAAB V4 propane.

[@michaelpfaff6009]

I love the way Ed presents his videos !! It cracks me up!!

[@WillemSandfort]

Super Bericht, hat mir sehr gefallen. Und dein Deutsch ist super.

[@DSP1968]

Another wonderful story, well told by you, Ed. I had to laugh when you showed that clip of Ford vs. Ferrari, though. I'm quite sure Henry Ford II would NEVER have shut down a production line like that. Doing so, even in the early 1960s, would have cost well over $100K. One of the few really untrue things in that movie. I always liked the Taunus and Cortina. Both great little cars, and I always experience a little thrill when I see one here in the US.

[@phileasfogg1941]

I’ve always loved the European and British cars of the 50s and 60s.

[@sterlinsilver]

Never heard of this one, nice video!

[@pcno2832]

Ford's interest in FWD during this period was an interesting side story. Ford owned the patents on the UPP powertrain configuration which GM ultimately licensed to build the Toronado and Eldorado. The Falcon's front suspension was even designed (by Earl McPherson, no less) so that it could accommodate the half-shafts needed for FWD, if the need arose. It just never did. GM must have lost enough money on the Corvair and the "rope drive" Pontiac Tempest to steer Ford away from any new drivetrain configurations for a while.

[@adrianmonk4440]

Insightful !

[@nanoreaper5002]

Another Episode... but to be fair J. Walter Christie of the United States patented a design for a front-wheel-drive car, the first prototype of which he built in 1904. and Cord L-29 was the first American production front wheel drive car in 1929.

[@paulrobinson3649]

I was about to write the same thing. 👍

[@jfv65]

Correct but FWD was first designed and built in Austria by Gräf & Stift. (1895) I don't know if they had a patent on it. (It was also the car brand in which Franz Ferdinand and his wife were shot. This triggered the start of world war 1.) Front wheel drive was first widely adopted in Europe. Think Citroen 2CV, Citroen Traction Avant (= front traction). Both were pre-WW2 designs although the mass production of the 2CV was only started after the end of WW2

[@CaSuMog]

The Traction came to life in 1934. The 2CV a bit later, just 1938/ 39 but then came the germans. Before the Traction was the DKW Front, but it was not real mass product imho / 750 tsd tractions were made…

[@philipethier9136]

@@CaSuMog Svenska Aeroplan AB (SAAB) actually copied the DKW when they decided to build cars after WWII. They had surveyed Swedish car mechanics to learn what cars were easiest to work on. They took the two-stroke FWD layout and built the body to be aerodynamic. They were, after all, an airplane company. Later, when forecast USA laws made two-strokes a bad bet, went looking for a short 4-stroke they could mate to their in-house transaxle. The Ford Taunis V4 fit the bill.

[@Mr72Dolphins]

Your American is spot-on. Give him immediate citizenship!

[@jesusmacias5470]

Lee Iaccoca didn't hate The Falcon in those days. Remember that it was The father of the 64 and a half Ford Mustang.

[@MrSloika]

It was the basis of the Mustang because Iaccoca had no choice but to use it. Hank the Deuce refused to pay for a clean sheet design.

[@UberLummox]

Those V4s are killer. I used to have mountains of SAAB 96s with that mill.

[@philipethier9136]

Sam ting.

[@UberLummox]

@@philipethier9136 Correct!

[@CB-fn3me]

The Ford Taunus 15M 1.5L V4-engine was an excellent engine. It was a nippy and responsive engine that liked high revs. It had a balance axle which gave it a smooth and vibration free running and it ended it's days powering the SAAB V4 95/96 between 1967 and 1980. I owned three SAAB V4 95/96 back in the 1980s and I liked the engine very much. A well tuned example as the one I had in my beige 1972 SAAB 96 was capable of over 100mph or 160km/h without any problem. The speedometer topped out at 160km/h so it was a little hard to tell how fast the car was going flat out but I estimate 175km/h or so..

[@ewgoforth]

Iacocca eventually built the ultimate expression of McNamara's vision of a car, the Chrysler K car.

[@domv7]

You did it again Ed. 2 thumbs up.

[@CarsandCats]

I think the Ford Falcon should have been called the Canary because it was a warning of things to come.

[@Rumms-Bumms69]

That's a clever one indeed. 👍

[@drstevenrey]

The XK Falcon was brilliant. Could not be killed. Lasted for ever. Had a 1960 model in the 80s and was really happy with it.

[@byronbuck1762]

One of your best.

[@spazzypengin]

69th episode? Nice!

[@_Clem_H_Fandango_]

*noice

[@jerrystaley1563]

Ed, another great video on a car that I remember my dad reading about in a 1960s Mechanix Illustrated magazine as he had recently bought a used 1959 English Ford Consul. Your quality videos reminds me of the great Dutch engineers I used to work with at IBM Austin from 1968 to the last one's return to IBM Amsterdam in the late 1970s. Great guys like Henk Dijksman, Hans Overliese, Fritz van Baar and Hans van der Bijl. Sadly, many of them are gone much like the IBM Amsterdam plant, Austin's manufactring and IBM's greatness.

[@jamesschuck1210]

Great video! Knew about the Cardinal's existence, but now I know the whole story. Reminds me of the later Fiesta story, as who gets to spearhead this project? Thanks again.

[@tonywestvirginia]

Thanks Ed! We enjoy your videos!

[@ukupunkrock3981]

Awesome episode! My first car ever was one third of a 1963 Taunus P4 my 2 buddies and I bought in 1986 to cruise around in. It had a bench seat in the front and a 4 on the tree gear shifter; Only now I get why it felt so american in spite of its puny size. Not a bad car with that funky little V4 engine. Thanks for the reminder, Ed!!

[@CDeBeaulieu]

The Taunus later developed in Europe to share its design with the British Cortina and a big engined variant was developed in Australia in the 1970s. All rear-wheel drive using a two piece prop-shaft with a 'doughnut' flexible coupling. This co-operation between Ford of Britain and Ford of Germany occurred when Ford rationalised European operations with the establishment of Ford of Europe in Brentwood, England taking advantage of the single European market created with the foundation of the EU.

[@2259r3z]

In the early '60s, cars like the Falcon were popular as second cars primarily driven by the housewife/mom, and as the cars aged, first cars for teens. One of my friend's mom drove a '63-ish Falcon, and I rode in it a few times when she dropped us off or picked us up somewhere. A few years later in the '70s, three friends of mine in HS had the Mercury version of the Falcon (Comet) as their first car, and I sometimes got to do some practice driving in them. Two of the three were Comet wagons, and all three were '60s vintage. Between those three cars, I spent quite a bit of time in Falcon/Comets either as a passenger or driver. As a kid or teen, any ride was better than no ride, but I thought they were crude, gutless, and cheap feeling, even for a '60s car. No power anything, no AC (of course), AM radio only. Two of them were automatics, one was a "three on the tree". On the positive side, I remember them as being generally reliable. They and their competitors defined inexpensive, basic transportation in those days. I think that was part of the plan for cars of that class, to make you aspire to move up to something nicer ASAP.

[@markthompson4885]

At one time my dad had 65 comet 4dr. and my mom had 63 Comet convertible. Next car for my Dad was 66 Galaxy 500XL !

[@TS-ef2gv]

@@markthompson4885 That sweet Galaxie was quite a move up from a Comet. 😄 I remembered another one in my family, a Falcon that my older brother had for a short period of time. It was bright red and he put shackles on it for some reason, so the rear end sat high in the air. He never kept a car for long and that Falcon was no exception. It seemed like every time we saw him he had something else. That Falcon, a '59 Electra, '63 Riviera, '65 Grand Prix, etc., and I'm sure I'm forgetting several prior to 1970. Falcons and Comets were so common back then. Pretty much a cheapie car that you sold or traded in as soon as you could afford to get something else.

[@adrianmonk4440]

@2259 // EXACTLY RIGHT !!! Falcon / Comet NOT a VW Bug Fighter; BUT, a bare bones SECOND CAR. The Market Was READY. I WOULD LOVE TO FREAKIN' SAY MY SECOND CAR WAS A PORSCHE BOXER CONVERTABLE. That Is NOT The Case.

[@brunosergioporto8881]

Thank you for this amazing video. I am a German speaker, as a second language, and have to say that your imitation of German pronunciation is very, very, very good and I had to laugh a lot, then it's pretty fun. The Britisch Englisch pronunciation ist also truly convincent. Thank you one more time for your excellent work, greetings and best regards from Santa Catarina State, Southern Brazil.

[@julienthomas1433]

Brillant as usual

[@NicholasTaylor-y4v]

As a Texan I am proud to say you nailed the southern accent in the world car scene!! Good job Brother haha 👏👏

[@nathanahubbard1975]

Yes, except Detroit isn't in Texas.

[@NicholasTaylor-y4v]

@@nathanahubbard1975 keen observation

[@nathanahubbard1975]

@@NicholasTaylor-y4v As a Michigander, you notice these things.

[@1208bug]

Thanks Ed this was a fun video!

[@stevewolfe6096]

The thumbnail was an immediate reminder of my first car - a 1963 Taunus 17M I bought private in 1967 ($250 CAD) I assumed it came to Canada via a returning serviceman as it had a big D decal on it. It was a pain to get parts and had its quirks e. g. Lousy gas mileage likely from running without an air cleaner, 4 on the column, loose tie rod end held in place by a spring, tapped out at about 55 MPH on the highway and the gas line slipped off the carb one day dumping gas over the hot exhaust manifold until the carb ran dry. However, it always started. I believe it also had a collapsible steering wheel.

[@sarah.j_ca]

in 2023, my son bought a 1964 Ford Falcon, neither of us familiar with it but he was excited to have a classic car. Since we started watching your videos, its surprised me how much its been mentioned in various videos, none of them directly having to do with the actual car itself, and how popular it was in Australia.

[@OLDS98]

Ed does it once again. Educational, informative and always funny.

[@tamer1773]

I had a '69 Opel Kadet wagon. It was the most unreliable car I ever owned. The one thing it reminded me of every time I got in was that I should have bought a VW Beetle. After two years I replaced the heater core, the clutch cable - twice and the fuel pump.

[@P_Rund1952]

My Opel Manta (73 or 74, can't remember) was just the opposite, very reliable. Unfortunately, I had to trade it for something bigger when I had family to haul.

[@antonmealy168]

Extra irony occurred when Ford USA decided to sell the imported English Ford Cortina in preference to the Taunus! Though at least the 1970's Pinto, Cortina & Taunus shared more mechanically & suspension wise, if not in body styling.

[@adrianmonk4440]

Ed, your production values, naration, & humor is top rated. Research pretty good. I interned FoMoCo;; Uncle, tool & die man, GM Hydromatic;; Uncle, assembly line;; friends Bill & Rick, Body Engineering;; I knew a GM Test Track guy, Milford (MI) Proving Ground;; Joe's roommate, GM assembly;; I also worked at "Pentastar" (1962 logo) subsidiary facility.shipping. I THINK I KNOW A BIT ABOUT THE THE AUTO INDUSTRY. Dad, took me to Autoshow & Autorama from age 7 to age 15.

[@Romiman1]

Original proposals and conceete models, like Adam W., makes this content way more high quality than almost every other, reporting about vintage cars!

[@justinchetney3902]

What about Nash? They had an on again, off again relationship with making sub compact and compact cars.

[@patrickmckeown3683]

Love your videos brother, keep rockin!

[@martinbalmforth2665]

And Ford came up with the Cortina and smaller Anglia 105 E, which both sold extremely well and made Ford UK a fair bit of cash, even though the Anglia looked like a Pike! The Condul Classic however lost Ford UK a fortune due to the complex rear end styling, the steel panels would rip when being pressed, resulting in lots of scrap steel

[@TooLooze]

Perfect description of the Anglia. Maybe they should have called it the "Angler".

[@maciejszumny6919]

When I was little, my dad drove a 1966 Ford Taunus 12m Super. In the communist Poland it was something really super.

[@stevejarred6484]

Dear Ed - Thank you very much for this episode! It caused so many emotions within me from laughter, shock, disbelief and blind rage towards Ford and Lee Iacocca specifically for killing an automotive program that “could of / would of / should have “ kept Ford (and the US auto industry in general) competitive with the Japanese and European auto industries. If Ford had not scrapped the Cardinal Project, would the American car buying public have to endure the Ford Falcon and the “undercooked” Dodge Dart and Plymouth Variant? Would we here in the States have better “senior compacts from GM? Would the mistakes of the Ford Pinto, AMC Gremlin, Chevy Vega and many other US automotive mistakes be avoided? This video seems to show that while Iacocca later redeemed himself later with the creation of Mustang and the front wheel drive cars of Chrysler, not only does he have blood 🩸 on his hands for destroying the American auto industry, he might as well have drowned in a vat of the stuff’

[@Aygo84]

Really nice story and video, Ed! 👏

[@gregfielder4763]

My first car was a 1964 Falcon that I bought from a buddy for $150. Always been a fan of the Falcon.

[@Mnkskanal]

Ed, thank you for this story. I was always surprised that Ford offered the Tanus P4 a model with front drive and V4, while the P2, P3 and the successors P5... had front engine, rear-wheel drive and inline 4 or V6.

[@jfv65]

Interesting video! I have always wondered why Ford switched to FWD + V4 engine only to later go back to the old fashioned RWD live rear axel layout. But this video explains that Ford Germany was basically forced to do it.

[@DrOlds7298]

As I recall from my time over there the FWD 1962-66 'P4' & the 1966-70 'P6' Taunus 12m & 15m were known for transmission issues (at least among the G.I.'s) where as the RWD 1960-63 'P3',1964-67 'P5',the 1967 'P7a' and the 1968-71 'P7b' didn't have such serious issues? (Note: While over there,I had a '69 P7b 17m in the early '80s) When the 1971 Taunus Mk I (similar to the UK's Cortina Mk III) came out that replaced the P6,those cars were RWD.

[@davidredfearn664]

When I was a kid I thought that the Ford Falcon was a car for poor people. Now I have a 64 model.

[@MrSloika]

The Falcon, Chevy II and Valiant were cars for poor people. GM made some slightly upscale compacts at that time, but generally the American compacts of that time gave off the scent of poor. That's the way the car companies wanted it. They didn't want their basic cars to siphon off sales from their more profitable cars. It's also the main reason why such cars don't exist today. No one wants to be seen in a car that marks them as poor..even if they are poor.

[@monikalenz2559]

It was! But if you wanted a new car it was the cheapest for a young family.

[@joshuaschoonyan3263]

So you're poor.

[@timothykeith1367]

​@MrSloika BMW was impressed at the sales of USA compacts and thought Americans might like an upmarket economy car. When the tinny Japanese cars became popular, BMW began to sell a more expensive little car at entry Buick prices

[@spadaissimo]

It was all about options, if you drove a falcon sprint with a hi-po 289 (I think it was part of the option pkg) and a 4 speed it’d come with nice bright work and wheels…no one would have thought you were poor

[@gratefulot360]

Great video, Ed!

[@robertw.anderson6102]

Lee Iacocca had the Mustang in mind when he heard of the Cardinal. And thank God he won out in the end. Interesting content!

[@TheAutisticOwl]

OMG We are at episode 69! Nice!

[@FabianCrownVic]

"Scheiße/Verdammt!" 😂 Wieder Mal 'ne geile Infotainment-Folge! 👍

[@vanman_bavaria]

My father owned a Taunus P2, it was baby-blue with a white roof and the first car I remember to be in.

[@ProctorsGamble]

Our family had a 1966 Taunus (rhymes with cow-nus) in the late’60s in Germany. It was a very stylish auto in its time.

[@josephpiskac2781]

Your imitation of various language accents is great!

[@petestaint8312]

Wow! Your accents are bang on!!! 👍

[@johnd8892]

Seems some even smaller UK Fords may have been sold in the US , but hard to find information on them. Some 105E Anglias seemed to have made it to the US with either the 1 litre or 1.2 litre Kent engine. Saw one on a J.F Kennedy TV documentary parked outside an Alabama University related to the desegregation upheavals of 62 or 63. Not sure if it was a private import or a local Ford dealer sold one. I would be interested to know more about small Ford US sales that early. Even in the late forties and early fifties the earlier flathead four Anglia was US sold. Many ended up as the bodywork for very high powered drag cars. Was it Jesse James Monster Garage that controversially destroyed a survivor Anglia by trying, unsuccessfully, to make a drag car out of it.

[@johnd8892]

Seems to be a North American 1961 Ford Anglia ad to buy one from Ford dealers : kzbin.info/www/bejne/onLdeX6gZa2jj6Msi=chDKa1FmATVoBq7V

[@johnd8892]

More on the US Anglia sales starting in 1959 : kzbin.infoD3UaqVw9xio?si=mCQhXfA9v58PPm5S

[@MultiMusicbuff]

I remember the Taunus back in Germany.I didn't care for its look which reminded me of a bathtub on wheels and was a direct competitor to the Opel Rekord.My dad was an Opel guy while his close friend was a Ford guy.

[@BDUBZ49]

...and that's how Ed opened up a new career as a voice actor. This guy is talented.

[@61rampy65]

I can't believe that I guessed Ford Cardinal for Ed's teaser pic posted in the Community section the other day! Especially since I've never seen that original prototype before. I did know about the Cardinal becoming the Ford Taunus, tho. Great video, Ed! Love the humor!

[@channingwalmsley9738]

Another fun fact, the rights to the V4 engine were also licensed to SAAB who used it in many of their passenger cars as well as the sonnet II and III. SAAB being SAAB mounted them reversed through weird Swedish shenanigans. A Sonnet III is on my bucket list

[@joshaulis8326]

Guy in my town restored a sonnet 3. It was red with a brown interior. Very unique car.

[@craigparslow8249]

Ford in the US was not the only American automaker working on a sub-compact family car at the time. Harold Churchill at Studebaker was working on a 100" WB car smaller than the 108" wheelbase Lark. It was to be powered by a water-cooled 139 cubic inch, horizonally-opposed flat 4-cylinder engine, with conventional RWD layout. In-house, it was code-named 'B-61' and 'B-62', and unofficially called 'Sparrow' by outsiders. Like McNamera at Ford, Harold Churchill got ousted by Studebaker's Board of Directors, along with his 'sub-Lark' small vehicle project. Admittedly, both the Cardinal from Ford, and the Studebaker 'Sparrow' would have both suffered from a cheap 'built-down-to-a-price' appearance, with not enough chrome trim on the outside and very spartan interiors.

[@gustavofraga7738]

En Argentina a partir de 1974 comenzó a fabricarse y venderse el Ford Taunus y fue hasta fines de la decada de los 80's un verdadero éxito. Tuvo 2 generaciones siempre inspirados en los modelos europeos.

[@jkk244]

The Taunus V4 engine went on to power the later versions of the Saab 96 (and Saab 95 wagon and Saab Sonnet).

[@jeffkeen3641]

Final product reminds me of an Anadol, Turkeys first passenger car. As always, great video Ed!! 😊

[@adrianmonk4440]

Forget Bug this & Bug that. What did VW replace the Bug with ?? The sharp edged Golf (an Econ- box), and a entirely new category, The Hot Hatch, "GTI" (Golf Touring Injection).

[@hendo337]

Europeans always mock us for buying so many giant trucks. The reason for that is not just because we all larp as cowboys. People don't like to spend a fortune on a vehicle that is created to be disposable, weak, difficult to maintain and repair. Large, heavy, engines and transmissions ran to a big strong solid rear axle have the potential to run for 20-30 years which means you might be spending a little more for fuel but, you arent living with a never ending car payment. You spend a little more upfront, car for the vehicle and it can last half a century of service or more. There are still tons of trucks from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s that can be started up, run and drive with an original unopened engine and transmission. As long as rust or a wreck doesnt befall them, they can be kept on the road almost forever. Even if the drivetrain wears out a rebuild or swap is relatively easy. Just keep the rubber, brakes, fluids, suspension maintained and the thing will function. It is the same for body on frame rwd cars. I realize it us unfathomable to people in Europe that we want this kinf of transprtation but, we do. I still drive an F250 from 1994, it has a 351 Windsor stroked to 393ci, a ZF5 transmission and a Sterling 10.25" axle. It is lucky to get 10-18mpg but, it just runs and runs. It replaced a nearly identical '97 F250 that was totalled when a jerk came over the double lines on a curve and hit me head on, before that I drove an '03 Silverado 2500 that I sold to my friend with 322,000 miles, the 6.0L V8 still ran great, unopened, the original transmission lost reverse but still had 1-4th gear unopened. Small vehicles are throwaways, I have leased a small electric car in the past for very cheap, I wouldn't pay a fraction if MSRP because the batteries are guarranteed to brick the car and cost more than its worth to repair or replace. I might consider used early EV for under $4000 that is still in good health as a run around for errands, I would never pay $35,000+ for one. There are 500Es and Leafs for $2,000 or less that still function that nobody wants. I want to figure out how to put an engine in back to drive the rear wheels and have a crazy hybrid. We have no inspection or emissions testing where I live so one can do whatever they want.

[@marcusnolte7476]

I know this one as the Ford 12m, my parents first car, i was driven around in as a toddler ...

[@DaveNarn]

I had an English Ford Cortina station wagon. A great little 4 cylinder car and like my Datsun 510, I wish I would have kept it.

[@PeterEmery]

The Falcon went on to bigger and better things in Australia, finally being discontinued in late 2016.

[@anlo88]

Yep! Nein! Yep! Nein! I love your humour, mate! 😂 👋 🇨🇦

[@johnruschmeyer5769]

I just have to say that I'm amused and intrigued by the idea of an alternate universe where a line of cars had ecclesiastical names.

[@TooLooze]

Now I'll be renaming cars for the rest of the day, thanks a lot.

[@gwheregwhizz]

Today, Ford produces 'world cars'. Unfortunately, that means compromises on what Americans and Europeans want. BMW and Audi in 2024 outsold Ford in the UK, with Mercedes very close behind. That would have been considered impossible not that long ago. Escort, Fiesta, and Cortina were for Europe and perfect for the market.

[@Rocketsong]

My 1996 Ford Contour was, for all intents and purposes, a Ford of Germany Mondeo with US spec turn signals. First car I ever had with symbols on the buttons instead of words. But it was definitely tuned more towards German preferences than US, with a very quiet interior, and stiff (for a compact) suspension.

[@sgtalstrafficticketblog2452]

Ed I love your interpretations of English speaking dialects, especially when you decided to give the Americans a southern drawl, when Ford HQ is the Glasshouse in Michigan. Nicely done! ;) I’m from NYC. Michiganders would call it “the Big Aepple!”

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

Great vid 👍👍

[@stanwbaker]

9:42 Point of clarification. The old Edsel factory referenced here was known as Fern Valley Assembly. (Today Louisville Assembly, home of the Escape, et al.) Somewhere on the chain of research, it was mentioned that the Cardinal was scheduled for "Louisville" while failing to understand Ford operated Fern Valley but also Louisville West End Assembly. West End was scheduled to close following the opening of Fern Valley in 1955, but the demand for F-100 trucks kept the facility operating through the '50s. Yes, Fern Valley was where all the Edsel-specific bits were made. Cardinal was scheduled for West End, not Fern Valley or "the old Edsel factory".

[@bishopcorva]

Ep. 69 Nice. Ed you missed the easiest joke right off the bat, but no worries man. This series is absolutely fantastic.