Mercury Topaz

Mercury Topaz
Mercury
Successor	Mercury Mystique
Production	1984-1994
Class	Compact
Body Style	2 Door Coupe 4 Door Sedan
Length	176.7 COUPE 177.0 SEDAN
Width	68.3 Inches
Height	52.9 Inches
Wheelbase	100.0 Inches
Weight	3,200 LBS
Transmission	3 Speed Automatic 4 Speed Manual 5 Speed Manual
Engine	2.3L HSC I4 2.3L HSO I4 3.0L Vulcan V6
Power	I4 96HP V6 130HP
Similar	Ford Tempo
Designer	Jack Telnack

The Mercury Topaz was the replacement for Mercury's boxy old Zephyr. The Topaz was introduced in mid-1983 as a 1984 model. as an upscale twin to the Ford Tempo. The compact Topaz and Tempo were early examples of the design philosopy that would bring about the revolutionary 1986 Mercury Sable. The development program was codenamed Topaz. The body structure was heavily borrowed from the Ford Escort, but due to the larger design of the Topaz there were few common componets. In 1986 the Topaz was facelifted with new flush-mounted headlights and a "lightbar" from the new Sable unlike the Sable though, the Topaz had a cooling slot. The new Topaz also got Mercury's new "Waterfall" M Logo. The Topaz received a major redesign in 1988. The car had an improved interior and a more upscale exterior which was very similar to the Sable. The Topaz was differentiated from the Tempo by wearing a more formal Mercury Cougar style rear window, chrome waterfall grille, more upscale wheels, solid red taillamps, and a bigger trunk. New this year were the sporty XR5 Coupe and LTS "Luxury Touring Sedan" models. The Topaz received a facelift in 1992 the chrome grill was replaced with a new "lightbar" and the Sable's Vulcan V6 was now available, bringing with it a new 5 speed manual transmission. But due to slow sales in 1992, the XR5 and LTS models were discontinued. In March, 1994 the last Mercury Topaz rolled off the line as a 1994 model and was replaced with the all-new 1995 Mercury Mystique.

First Generation

The first generation Topaz, released in 1983, was a stark contrast from the Fairmont that it replaced. Both the front windshield and rear window were set at 60° angles, with the trunk of the car being placed higher than the side windows to allow for greater fuel efficiency and air flow. On the Topaz was a more formal C-pillar arrangement minus the window. The front of the car featured a set of two sealed-beam halogen headlamps recessed in chrome "buckets" and the grille in between the headlights featured four horizontally thin rails each swept back to allow for greater air flow into the engine compartment and over the hood. Standard on the first generation Tempo was a new 2.3 L HSC inline four-cylinder gasoline engine with a one-barrel carburetor, with an optional Mazda-built four-cylinder diesel engine. Mated to either of these engines were the choice of a four-speed IB4 or five-speed MTX-III manual transmission (which was the standard, and only option for the diesel engine variant), or the standard 3-speed FLC automatic with a floor-mounted shift lever. The instrument panel featured a new, easier to read gauge layout, with all switches and controls placed within easy reach of the driver. In 1985, the Topaz became the first production sedan to feature a driver's side airbag.

In 1986, the Topaz and the Ford Tempo saw several moderate design changes which coincided with the release of the then-new and revolutionary 1986 Taurus. While generally the same car, the front and rear end styling was where the changes were most evident. The standard rectangular sealed-beam halogen headlamps were replaced with a new, plastic composite design which only required replacement of the bulb itself.The Topaz received a pseudo-lightbar grille styled after the Sable. For the rear end, the trunk and taillights were slightly restyled, giving the car a more sharper look. Replacing the carburetor on the 2.3 L four-cylinder engine was a new Central Fuel Injection (CFI) system (the carbureted version was still available in Canada until 1987). New was an optional "LS" luxury trim, and a sportier XR5, which was a performance-geared version featuring a performance-tuned HSO variant of the existing 2.3 L engine and a 5-speed MTX-III manual transmission. The XR5 also featured a more defined ground effects package over the previous GS offering. Other changes and improvements included the addition of automatically-retracting front seatbelt shoulder straps, and the addition of a new all-wheel drive model. The Topaz AWD included special badging, interior badges and (most notable) a three-inch-wide chrome strip running from front wheel to rear wheel, that read Topaz AWD (with 'All Wheel Drive' under the larger AWD writing).

Second Generation

1992 Mercury Topaz

The second generation Topaz, released in 1988, saw several major design changes which brought out an even more similar look to the Sable. On the front end of the car, a completely restyled grille. with two stylish composite flush-mounted rectangular headlamps with restyled front turn signal housings on either side. For the rear, the taillights received a major rework, and were now completely flush-mounted. A restyled rear quarter window was designed to match and blend evenly with the completely restyled rear door trim. The interior of both cars saw a brand new instrument panel design, with a central gauge cluster, and more ergonomic driver controls. Headlight and windshield wiper controls were now mounted on rotary-style switches on either side of the instrument panel, and the heater controls received a new push-button control layout. Other changes included reworked interior door panels. The second generation saw the Topaz AWD discontinued in 1991, and in 1992, the cancellation of the XR5 and LTS. There was a very rare option available with a vinyl roof called the "Premier Edition" offered on 1992 GS models and came with power locks and windows, air conditioning, tilt wheel, cassette player, luggage racks, and mudguards. Other rare options were the all leather interior option on the LTS (1985) and the (1984/1985) vinyl sun roof. Also in 1992, to coincide with the release of the second generation Sable (which received its first major facelift since 1986), the Topaz sported new design features. Those features were a new, thinner monochrome side body trim, matching monochrome bumper covers, a new one-piece panel-style grille similar to the Taurus, and a restyled taillight assembly. In 1992, the 3.0 L Vulcan V6 engine was made an option (was standard on some GS and GS sport models), and models with that engine were equipped with "V6" badging. It was available with the FLC automatic or the MTX-IV five-speed manual. In 1993, there were no major changes to the Topaz, as talks of canceling the name began that year.

End Of the Line

In 1993, officials within Ford Motor Company began talking about killing off the Topaz and Tempo. While highly innovative in their early years, and even though it was a strong seller for nearly its entire lifetime, by the early 1990s the Tempo and the Topaz were seen as an aging platform. It was also to be the last year for the 2.3 L HSC engine, which was built by Ford specifically for the Tempo (its replacement was the 2.0 L Zetec engine). Also, it was to be the last year for the FLC automatic transaxle, which had spent its entire production life with the Tempo and Mercury Topaz, and was then seen as being severely outdated as 5-and-6 speed automatic transmissions were being developed. With all of these factors, Ford pulled the plug on the Topaz and Tempo, and in March 1994, the last one rolled off the assembly line.

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