Mercury Tracer |
|---|
|
| Topic Navigation |
|---|
|
Wikipedia: Mercury Tracer
Page Sections History Reference Desk Photographs Documents |
History
The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Mercury Tracer page on 14 December 2016, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The Mercury Tracer is a compact car that was marketed by Mercury from 1987 for the 1988 model year until 1999. The replacement for the Ford Escort-derived Lynx, the first generation of the Tracer was a modified version of the Asia-Pacific market Ford Laser, itself a variant of the Mazda 323. In 1990 for the 1991 model year, the Tracer became the Mercury counterpart of the Ford Escort in North America. All three generations of the Tracer were based on variations of the Mazda 323/Protegé.
The Ford Focus would serve as a common replacement for both the Ford Escort and the Mercury Tracer.
First generation (1988–1989)
The Tracer was introduced in late 1987 as a 1988 model, replacing the Lynx in the United States and Canada. For the first time since the 1978 Capri II, the Mazda 323-based Tracer was a model unique to the Mercury division. Although derived from the Ford Laser sold in Asia and Australia, it was sold without a Ford counterpart in North America. As with its predecessor, the Tracer was sold in three-door and five-door hatchback body styles along with a five-door station wagon. The Tracer hatchback shared its body shell with the Ford Laser; while the station wagon was based loosely on the five-door hatchback, it was a distinct design.
The Mercury Tracer was assembled in a number of production facilities; the location was dependent on the body style and the country to which it was exported. Three-door hatchbacks for the US market were built alongside the Mazda 323 in Hiroshima, Japan, while five-door models were built in Mexico by Hermosillo Stamping & Assembly, where all station wagons were produced. For the Canadian market, both three and five-door hatchback models were built in Taiwan by Ford Lio Ho.
Second generation (1991–1996)
After skipping the 1990 model year, the Tracer returned in early 1990 as a 1991 model. While again based on the Mazda B platform, it now shared a body with the Ford Escort and the Mazda Protegé. The hatchback models were replaced by a four-door sedan; the five-door station wagon was carried over. The Tracer was sold in three trim levels: GS, LS, and LTS. The LTS was discontinued in 1993.
Changes to the Tracer over this generation were relatively few. In 1992, the plastic grille insert was replaced by the light bar grille seen on the Topaz and Sable. In 1993, a driver's side airbag replaced the automatic seatbelts; in 1994, a passenger airbag was added, bringing a redesigned dashboard with it.
The Tracer LTS (which used the more powerful 1.8L Mazda engine shared with the Escort LX-E and Escort GT) was named to Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 1991.
Reference Desk
The Crittenden Automotive Library's "Reference Desk" is a collection of materials that cannot be shared due to copyright restrictions. Information from these resources, however, can be shared. Go to the Reference Desk page for more information.
| Type | Title |
|---|---|
1996  Book | Ford Escort & Mercury Tracer 1991 thru 1996 Automotive Repair Manual by Alan Ahlstrand and John H. Haynes; Haynes |
 |
Photo by IFCAR September 14, 2006 View photo of Mercury Tracer Speedometer - 106KB |
| Date | Document Name & Details | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| classified date 1995 | Remote Accident Investigation 1995 Mercury Tracer National Highway Traffic Safety Administration |  PDF - 17.0MB - 57 pages |
| July 1997 | On-Scene / Vehicle to Vehicle 1997 Mercury Tracer LS National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 747KB - 19 pages |
| January 1998 | SCI/NASS Combination Case Report Vehicle - 1998 Mercury Tracer National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 1,266KB - 12 pages |
| July 1998 | Remote, Redesigned Air Bag Special Study 1998 Mercury Tracer National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 440KB - 10 pages |
| July 1999 | Remote, Redesigned Air Bag Special Study 1998 Ford Ranger & 1999 Mercury Tracer National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 295KB - 11 pages |
| classified date 2000 | Special Crash Investigation Report Case Vehicle: 1998 Mercury Tracer, 4-door coupe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 46.5MB - 113 pages |
| classified date 2006 | Special Crash Investigation Report Case Vehicle: 1998 Mercury Tracer LS, 4-door sedan National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 10.7MB - 137 pages |
| classified date 2002 | Special Crash Investigation Report Case Vehicle: 1999 Mercury Tracer LS, 4-door sedan National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 5.9MB - 110 pages |
| classified date 2000 | Special Crash Investigation Report Case Vehicle: 1999 Mercury Tracer, 4-door sedan National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 41.9MB - 113 pages |
