Ford EXP Features, Photos and Videos

The Ford EXP is a sports compact coupe that was produced and sold by Ford Motor Company in North America from the 1982 to 1988 model years. The first two-seat Ford since the 1957 Thunderbird, the EXP made its debut at the 1981 Chicago Auto Show. Sharing the dashboard, wheelbase, suspension, and powertrain with the Ford Escort, the EXP was longer, lower, and more aerodynamic than its five-seat counterpart.

In line with the first-generation Escort, the EXP was produced in a version from 1982 to 1985, undergoing a facelift during the 1985 model year. The model was dropped after the 1988 model year. Although not intended to replace the EXP (as it was originally designed to become the 1989 Ford Mustang), the 1989 Ford Probe would become the next front-wheel drive sports coupe sold by Ford. After the EXP, the next two-seat Ford marketed in North America would be the 2002 Ford Thunderbird. Then in 1998 the Escort of the time was marketed as a ZX2, a nod to the EXP and the XR2 from the 1980s. Although EXPs were sports cars, it was common to remove the rear carpeting to put in rear seats as the floor pans are identical between the 3-door Escorts, Escort GTs, and EXPs, however the lower roof line makes rear seating uncomfortable.

From 1982 to 1983, the EXP was sold by Lincoln-Mercury dealers as the Mercury LN7. The LN7 was distinguished largely by its "bubbleback" hatch, large bumper strips across the doors, "black-out" tail lights, and more slits in the nose clip than those of an EXP. The vehicle, however, was dropped after failing to meet sales expectations.

By 1980, Ford Motor Company had entered a period of major transition. Following the termination of Lee Iaccoca (to become CEO of Chrysler), chairman Henry Ford II retired and Ford's chief stylist, Eugene Bordinat, stepped down as well.

During the late 1970s, there had been a push by automobile manufacturers around the world to make small, fuel efficient cars; this was initiated by the OPEC oil embargo of October 17, 1973–1974. This embargo included a 70% increase in oil prices, causing long lines at gasoline filling stations, and skyrocketing prices for gasoline. People wanted, demanded more miles for their gasoline dollars. By the end of the decade, this led auto manufacturers from the United States, Japan, and West Germany to rethink the adage that "bigger is better".

The world would respond with smaller cars. A second energy crisis and a renewed recession followed in 1979-1982. Ford studied a two-seater commuter car called the Super Gnat. It was to have a three-cylinder engine with a wheelbase of just 78 inches. In addition, Ford built the Mustang RSX concept car, exploring a slightly smaller two-seat derivative of the Mustang.

Although Lee Iacocca was fired from the company, the most important part of his career at Ford was the Ford Mustang. In 1964, the Mustang was developed by adapting the underpinnings and powertrain of the mainstream Ford Falcon economy car and repackaging it as the sporty Mustang. During the 1970s, the same product engineering was used in the development of the Ford Granada, Ford Thunderbird/Mercury Cougar, and the entire Lincoln product line.

To replace the aging Ford Pinto, the company began development on the Ford Escort in the late 1970s. While originally intended to be a "world car", the North American version shared little aside from its engine, suspension, and its name in the final design.

The basis for developing the Escort into the EXP stemmed from company marketing research. Ford felt that the growing number of one and two person households, combined with the lifestyle of the younger target audience who desired a small sporty car, led them to the conclusion that Americans wanted a "lively little car that is dependable, efficient, and good-looking". Conversely, if a potential customer wanted the extra room for four or five passengers, they would buy an Escort, Mustang, or Fairmont. Much like a European gran turismo, the EXP would be a personal vehicle for two people with a cargo area in back for emergency transport of anything or anyone else.

As the Falcon became the Mustang and the Maverick became the Granada, Ford restyled the Escort from the beltline up and turned the rear seats into cargo space. The distinguishing feature between the vehicles would be an all-new rear hatchback and front headlights. Mercury received a similar variant of the Lynx named the LN7.

Comparing the EXP to the original Thunderbird, Ford Division, general manager Louis E. Latalf said, "we're introducing another two-seater with the same flair, but the EXP will be a very affordable, very fuel efficient car matched to the lifestyles of the eighties."

Ford EXP and Mercury LN7 development took place in Ford's St Thomas plant in Ontario, the plant that produced the majority of EXPs and LN7s and all of the EXPs and LN7s for the 1982 and 1983 models. Here LN7s and EXPs were continually experimented on and further engineered as more technologies became available. But the plant only produced EXPs from February 16, 1981 to August 5, 1983 and LN7s from February 16, 1981 to June 30, 1983 ending the 1983 model year for both cars leaving the American plants to produce all the 1984 to 1988 EXPs.

According to an article published in Popular Mechanics (March 1981), the letters EXP were supposed to stand for Erika Project Personal, where project cars are designated X. The "Erika" came from the code-name from the European Escort.

But it is more likely the abbreviations "EXP" and "LN7" are just different variations on the models they're derivative of: "Escort" and "Lynx".

The EXP was coming but Ford hadn't marketed it yet or decided what some of its details and options would be. A few EXPs were built just for conceptual design and advertisement. These extremely rare EXPs shared the body style of the EXPs and LN7s to come in 1982 but featured many things that would be available in every EXP or LN7. They were all painted in vibrant colors with black painted across the entire car under the door bumper-lines and had a round silver badge where Ford's blue oval would find itself in 1982. These models particularly stood out as they had dual vents towards the front of the hood instead of the vents to be later seen on the front bumper clips, lacked bumper strips on the doors, and the rear taillights were completely red where all the EXPs produced had black around the reverse lights. An SS package and "bubblebacks" -like that of the LN7 and 2nd gen. EXPs- were optional along with black paint around the door windows later seen on 2nd gen. EXPs, aluminum oval-spoke wheels and "1.6L" badges on the front fenders. At least 10 were made in Canada and were all featured in a rare catalog featuring only those cars and people with them. No sightings have been recorded since.

The first non-concept or prototype EXP (white with red interior) and LN7 (green with grey interior) both rolled off the line on February 16, 1981. The first EXP was driven off the line by Canadian Premier William Davis.

Ford expected to make/sell 200,000 EXPs and 70,000 LN7s in the first model year (1982) but their production numbers only met half that expectation. It is presumed they didn't meet the predicted sales figures either.

The EXP's uni-body rode on the Escort's 94.2inch (2393 mm) wheelbase, with front-wheel drive, and four-wheel independent suspension from 1970s European Fords. At 50 inches tall and 14 feet long, the EXP was longer, lower, and sportier than the North American Escort. The EXP's wheelbase is also close to the "foxbody" Mustang of the same era differing by less than an inch in length.

Performance wasn't the car's strong suit, however, since the EXP weighed about 200 pounds more than a typical 1980s Escort but carried the same small 1.6 L CVH I4 engine rated at 70 hp (52 kW) and a standard 4-speed IB4 manual transaxle. The engine was specifically developed for the North American market of fuel efficiency while the European models of these engines spun faster and made more power. Originally there were to be two available engine options; 1.3-liter CVH and a 1.6-liter CVH, however the choice was made to only use the larger version. Europe ended up with all the CVH variants while North America only saw the 1.6 and later 1.9-liter CVH engines. Also the suspension is that of European Fords from the 1970s, sharing nearly every part with modifications for FWD applications of North American Escorts. Nevertheless, the March 1981 issue of Car and Driver reported that their EXP with a manual transmission reached 44 MPG on the highway, a figure comparable to modern hybrid cars.

Both the Ford EXP and the Mercury LN7 had a sharply sloped windshield, wheel arches with prominent lips, and wide body side moldings not far below the top of the wheel well. The biggest difference was the rear fascia. The EXP was a notchback with a lift-up hatch, while the LN7 used a big "bubbleback" backlite. The EXP's minimalist grille consisted merely of twin horizontal slats on the sloped front panel (the LN7 had ten). The "bubbleback" appearance was used on the larger Mustang-derived sports coupe for Mercury called the Capri. These appearances made the coefficient of drag low for both the EXP (0.37) and LN7 (0.36) and also helped fuel efficiency.

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