The Panther platform utilized the
body-on-frame construction with live rear-axle suspension. While commonplace during its late-1970s introduction, it is a design found almost exclusively in large
SUVs and
pickup trucks today. The durability resulting from the body-on-frame construction (which allows easier repair after minor collisions) and their relatively simple design make the Panther cars appealing as
fleet vehicles, including
police cars and
taxicabs. The Lincoln Town Car appealed largely to
livery services, and was the most commonly used limousine in North America, as it could easily be "stretched" by lengthening the frame without compromising chassis strength. For 1990, the Panther platform received its first addition of SRS airbags. The Town Car (shifting to the second generation) was designed with dual airbags; the LTD Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, and station wagons were fitted with driver-side airbags. The first-generation Panther was also: • The last American car with functional vent windows (option on 1989 Ford/Mercury) • The last American-brand car available with a carbureted engine (351 cubic-inch V8; option on Grand Marquis, Crown Victoria wagon/police car through 1991)
Second generation (1990–2002) The American automotive landscape had changed significantly throughout the 1980s, although Ford had left the Panther platform essentially unchanged. A combination of changing consumer tastes as well as increasingly more stringent fuel economy standards forced Ford to make significant changes to the Panther cars in order to keep them in production. Bucking industry trends of the time, Ford chose not to downsize it any further or to replace it entirely with a front-wheel-drive platform, opting instead for more aerodynamic bodystyling (which had been popularized by the smaller Taurus) and an all-new powertrain. As a result of changing market trends towards
minivans and
sport utility vehicles, one casualty of the redesign was the Country Squire and Colony Park station wagons; at the time, their de facto replacement was the
Ford Aerostar. In October 1989, Lincoln introduced the second-generation Town Car. In early 1991, the Crown Victoria (the LTD prefix disappeared) and Grand Marquis received total redesigns of their bodies for 1992. The Ford was restyled to have more of a family resemblance to the
Ford Taurus, while the Mercury was styled as a more contemporary version of its predecessor (a formal family sedan). ;4.6-liter "Modular" V8 In 1991, the 4.6L SOHC
Modular V8 debuted under the hood of the Lincoln Town Car. It was the replacement for both the 302 and 351 cubic-inch
Windsor V8 engines; in 1992, it became available in the Crown Victoria and Grand Marquis. Although the torque peak for the Modular V8 was 1,200 rpm higher than for the
302 V8, the 4.6L was available with up to 60 more horsepower (with optional dual exhaust). ;1998 upgrades In 1997, Ford significantly upgraded the exterior designs of all three Panther platform cars. The Town Car received the most extensive changes with its entire body being restyled. To increase parts commonality between the two, the Crown Victoria was redesigned to share the rear roofline (and much of the exterior sheetmetal) with the Grand Marquis, which saw minor cosmetic changes itself. On the underpinning chassis, a
Watt's linkage replaced the triangulated rear control arm setup used on the live rear axle suspension in an effort to improve handling.
Third generation (2003–2011) For 2003, Ford Chassis Engineer Trever Skilnick completely redesigned the frame of the Panther platform using a hydroformed steel frame and a bolt-in cast aluminum stressed member that held the powertrain. The front and rear suspension were also completely overhauled in an effort to improve handling;
rack-and-pinion steering replaced the
recirculating-ball design. While the sheetmetal of the Crown Victoria carried over, the Grand Marquis and Town Car both received updates to the exterior and interior in an effort to bring them in line with the rest of their respective product lineups. The "Cast Aluminum #2" frame crossmember won Casting of The Year for Tier 1 supplier CMI (Hayes Lemmerz), and the new chassis was reviewed favorably by journalist
Dan Neil of
The Wall Street Journal. For 2003, Mercury introduced the
Marauder, a high-performance variant of the Grand Marquis. Designed in a similar fashion as the 1994–1996
Chevrolet Impala SS (with black also being its most commonly available paint color), it featured the engine of the Ford Mustang Mach 1. The Marauder sold poorly; it was dropped after 2004 after just over 11,000 were built. ==Models==