This is one of those cars that I find enormously cool, but would struggle to justify the restoration of. But when you see it sitting here, covered in dust but also preserved to a degree that they rarely appear in, it’s difficult to deny the appeal. This 1985 Merkur XR4Ti listed here on Facebook Marketplace was supposedly parked in 2001 and hasn’t turned a wheel since. The seller points out that, as an early model, it sports the desirable “bi-plane” style rear wing, which is a take-it-or-leave-it affair in terms of the appeal factor. This one is an automatic, which likely played a role in its preservation. The seller is asking $3,500.
The XR4Ti should have been a smash hit, with automotive icon Bob Lutz behind its introduction to the U.S. market. Lutz was always a step ahead of most of his peers in the industry, nothing trends that told him a lot about where the American consumer was leaning interest-wise. Seeing BMW and Mercedes-Benz grabbing increasing market share with sporty, entry-level luxury models convinced him that the successful Sierra model made by Ford’s European wing should be introduced to the U.S. market. However, a series of missteps all but guaranteed its failure.
The turbocharged engine had already met with high praise in the U.S. under the hood of the Mustang SVO, and road test editors loved the XR4Ti for both its power delivery and handling (especially with a 5-speed manual.) The trouble was Ford marketed them through its Lincoln-Mercury dealers, not realizing that its luxury automotive buyers were not the same people as the ones stopping by the BMW showroom. The traditional customer at Lincoln-Mercury still expected a floaty, comfortable sedan, and paid little attention to the winged wonder from Europe.
In addition to robbing drivers of a good time, the 3-speed automatic also sapped power from the turbocharged drivetrain. In the manual version, the Merkur produced 175 b.h.p. and 200 lb.-ft. of torque. In the automatic cars like this one, output dropped to 145 b.h.p. and 180 lb.-ft. of torque, representing a significant loss in performance. The seller notes that while the engine still turns over, there are no keys and that it should be properly serviced before regular use. While I love oddball finds like these, the seller will likely struggle to get his asking price.
An XR4Ti with an auto is like buying a Miata with one,
unless you are unable to drive a stick.
I test drove one of these in Chico,CA.,& was impressed
with the driveability of it.I offered them $1600,& they turned it down.
Not desirable when new, Not interesting now
leave it and the mold where its sitting.
I had two of those back in the day, one stick, one slushbox. Awesome cars. Also had a Scorpio. Totally bought the euro-ford kool-aid. Every once in a while think about picking one up but then I sober up.
1985 was the middle of the eta low-powered era and I was new-car shopping. the Saab turbo was at a nearby dealer but we had been impressed with a Hertz rental in europe, a Ford Sierra so the Merkur went to the top of the list. Ford put a few “haps,” like adding a water-cooled jacket to the turbo, but more mishaps. The turbo of the day performed in kinda digital manner, came on with a major whoompf and the back end would try and take the lead on a freeway ramp. Fun. But the killer was that 5 speed from the Ford parts bin. The 4 speed was used in the Capri and a 5th gear tacked on the back like an overdrive. It would not stay in gear either and popped out with throttle lift-off. A local dealer tried to rebuild it and I ended up using a bungee around the shift lever before giving up and installing a T5 offered as a kit from Rapido Motors.
When I sold it I met the buyer at his house, took it down the driveway and parked to change seats so he could test drive. He stopped me, said he did not know how to drive a stick, but bought it anyway!
So: not this specimen unless the T5 kit with bell housing is available for an upgrade.
This is a carbon copy of the ’85 I owned, except I would never own one with an auto trans – what a dog!
BimmerDude is spot on – weak point is the manual trans. I went through 2 units and 2 rebuilds each of those units.
Bought it when it was only 2 years old with low miles. Most expensive $6500 car I ever owned.
I traded it for a new Eclipse, and was lucky the trans hadn’t melted down on the way there. It was making that tell-tale whining sound.
What most people don’t know is the underpins of this XR4Ti are the same basic structure that made up the winningest race car in history, the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth. Granted, much of the body shell and drivetrain were different in the Cossie then in the Merkur but the fact remains… the Pinto powered Ford Sierra RS Cosworth won 85% of the races it ever entered making it, officially, the winningest race car ever made.
I remember seeing years ago that the sport Sierra in England was supposed to have a triple wing, one more near the roof line that would have significantly increased the downforce on the rear of the car and increase its handling.
An auto restorer replicated the triple wing and said it truly changed the cars handling.
I drove its German brother the Sierra. The Cologne 3.0 would haul xxx down the autobahn at well over 150 KPH (90+ MPH)