More than 450 hours of testing resulted in over 950 different design changes. Wind tunnel testing on the Tempo began in December 1978. Switching to front-wheel drive freed up interior space that would have otherwise been lost to accommodate a driveshaft and rear differential. There were few common components due to the Tempo and Topaz's larger size. The Tempo and Topaz chassis shared some parts with the front-wheel-drive platform used on the first North American Ford Escort, but with a wheelbase stretched by 5.7 in (145 mm) and distinctive new bodies. Ford's chief development engineer for the new car was Ed Cascardo. This new compact was expected to compete in the marketplace with General Motors' X-Body, but wound up more similar to GM's J-cars. In the late 1970s Ford began planning to replace their compact rear wheel drive Ford Fairmont and Mercury Zephyr models with a new smaller front wheel drive (FWD) car. For the 1995 model year, the Tempo four-door sedan were replaced by the Ford Contour (and Mercury Mystique), developed from the Ford Mondeo the two-door Tempo was not directly replaced. Produced across multiple facilities in North America, the Tempo/Topaz was produced in both a single generation (for two-doors) and two generations (for four-doors). The model line was produced as a two-door coupe and a four-door sedan through its production.ĭeriving its chassis underpinnings and powertrain from the Ford Escort, the Tempo/Topaz were the first aerodynamically-styled sedans introduced by Ford, preceded by the 1982 Ford Sierra hatchbacks (Ford of Europe) and the 1983 Ford Thunderbird they were followed by the 1986 Ford Taurus. Mercury marketed the model line under the Mercury Topaz nameplate (no Lincoln version was sold). Along with transitioning to front-wheel drive, the Tempo marked significant downsizing over its predecessor.

The replacement for the Ford Fairmont, the Tempo was the fourth generation of compact sedans sold by Ford in North America.

The Ford Tempo is a compact car that was produced by Ford from the 1984 to 1994 model years. Mexico: Cuautitlán Izcalli ( Cuautitlán Assembly).Canada: Oakville, Ontario ( Oakville Assembly).

United States: Claycomo, Missouri ( Kansas City Assembly).

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