I know it is a rebadged and imported Ford Sierra. In looking over my collection.. it spans from italy to Sweden.. with the glaring exceptions of France and the UK.
While I do not want a french car, I always liked the XR4Ti.. so would that count as the english car in my collection?
The XR4Ti was made in Koln Germany. I always considered mine a german car.
Engineered by Ford of UK. Do a Sierra bumper swap and there you go!
ditchdigger wrote: The XR4Ti was made in Koln Germany. I always considered mine a german car.
Me too.
My friend's XR leaks oil like a sieve, lost reverse, and has all sorts of funny electrical problems. Sounds British enough for me.
(It does these things 'casue he beats on it, not because it's a bad car. In fact, I'd like to rescue it from him.)
They're expensive enough to be British and have bad enough electrics to show their German heritage. One of the cars that disappointed me (in US Spec anyways).
P71 wrote: They're expensive enough to be British and have bad enough electrics to show their German heritage. One of the cars that disappointed me (in US Spec anyways).
That's because they "dumbed it down" for Americans. Could you imagine how well it would have done with the V6 or Cosworth engines in it? I recall feeling very dissapointed..I was all stoked that the US was finally getting the Sierra, and Ford berkeleyed it up.
I liked my '89 XR4Ti but always wished we had gotten something a bit more. The TVR 280i had the same V6 as the Sierra did and since somebody was able to get the wedges sold in the USA I figured Ford should've been able to do so as well. I remember rumors of mules with the 5.0 installed but the plug was pulled on the XR when it became obvious that sales were tanking and it wasn't worth the time to fit passive restraints as required in 1990. Pity.
The Sierra is German too.
The English made the German Ford fast.
I might just build a locost.. at least I can say it is an english car
If the Sierra, being British owned and German built, is considered German, would you then consider MINIs British or German? BMW owned but built in Oxford, England.
For that matter what about Brazilian built VW or Mexican and Canadian built GMs?
Just curious.
C'mon...the Merkur is German.
IMO...you can dance around parts bins and make it any car you want...but the name is german, it's built like a german car (and in Germany, no less). Nothing wrong with a german car, obviously, but don't try to make it something it's not.
This all comes from a guy without much desire to own any brittish car except maybe a sunbeam (with a small block ford in it 
)
What I do wish about the XR4Ti is that they had not been a luxury car. If they'd have been more like a typical sporty compact hatch without all the silly luxo features, they'd be exactly what most of the XR4Tis are by now (that is...folks keep them running but delete a lot of the luxo schtuff).
Clem
friedgreencorrado wrote: That's because they "dumbed it down" for Americans. Could you imagine how well it would have done with the V6 or Cosworth engines in it?
I've got to disagree - it wasn't dumbed down, at least not when it came to horsepower. Wasn't the V6 the same 2.8 they had in early Fox body Mustangs? After tweaking that motor to pass US smog requirements, it was a total dog. Even the Euro-spec version wasn't as powerful as the stick shift version of the XR4Ti.
The Cosworth version was pretty cool, but didn't they introduce that as a response to complaints that the Americans had a more powerful engine than any sold in the UK?
MadScientistMatt wrote:friedgreencorrado wrote: That's because they "dumbed it down" for Americans. Could you imagine how well it would have done with the V6 or Cosworth engines in it?I've got to disagree - it wasn't dumbed down, at least not when it came to horsepower. Wasn't the V6 the same 2.8 they had in early Fox body Mustangs? After tweaking that motor to pass US smog requirements, it was a total dog. Even the Euro-spec version wasn't as powerful as the stick shift version of the XR4Ti. The Cosworth version was pretty cool, but didn't they introduce that as a response to complaints that the Americans had a more powerful engine than any sold in the UK?
I looked up the V6. You're right about that one. I'd been under the impression that Europe added emmision controls in the 80s, rather than the 90s. Looks like they dropped the V6 in Europe when it wouldn't clean up over there.
I had always thought the Cossi was added because of the Rally program.
Cosworth has a remarkable history and could the the subject of a documentary.
http://www.cosworth.com/Default.aspx?id=1089555
The US version has not such heritage I am afraid. The Sierras were awesome in the Australian Touring Car Championship until Godzilla came along and crushed all before it.
the XR4Ti did pretty well in trans am. Not that that reflects on the car in any way.
aussiesmg wrote: Cosworth has a remarkable history and could the the subject of a documentary. http://www.cosworth.com/Default.aspx?id=1089555
Wow, you're right! I went googling for a minute, and found one book..
http://www.amazon.com/Cosworth-Search-Power-Graham-Robson/dp/1844250156
I'm hoping that's a pretty comprehensive history, since there doesn't seem to be much else..
aussiesmg wrote: The US version has not such heritage I am afraid. The Sierras were awesome in the Australian Touring Car Championship until Godzilla came along and crushed all before it.
Even though I was a BMW owner back then (and cheering for the E30 M3s to beat the Cossie Sierras overseas ), I recall being very upset that Ford had screwed up the Sierra's importation to the US so badly. It wasn't just the engine options...it was the usual suspension downgrades and luxury interior "upgrades".
I wanted to punch a hole through the wall as Ford made the same mistake years later, when they finally brought the Mondeo over here. And I'm not even a Ford fan!
maroon92 wrote: the XR4Ti did pretty well in trans am. Not that that reflects on the car in any way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej7kUTsk_98
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