Ford Taunus TC

Lore & Background

The Taunus TC series was developed in the late 1960s under the supervision of Semon E. 'Bunkie' Knudsen, Ford's Dearborn-based chairman from early 1968 until autumn 1969. The car is nicknamed 'Barock 2' or 'Knudsen-Taunus' in Germany, the latter due to a prominent hood scoop reportedly ordered by Knudsen. Major design work is rumoured to have been done by German designer Luigi Colani. The Taunus TC replaced the Taunus P6 in August 1970, targeting a slightly upmarket position after the smaller Escort had taken over the lower end of the market.

Ford offered the Taunus TC in several trim packages: base 'Taunus N', then 'L', 'XL', 'GT', and top-of-the-line 'GXL'. The GT featured bucket seats, full instrumentation, a leather steering wheel, and twin headlamps; the GXL added a vinyl roof, dual-tone horn, and deeper carpeting. The car used rear-wheel drive, with a rear suspension of coil springs and two longitudinal and two lateral linkages, and a front wishbone suspension. A telescopic steering column that collapsed in a frontal collision was incorporated. The less powerful models used a new four-cylinder OHC engine shared with the Ford Pinto; V6 engines from the top-range P7 models were also available.

In September 1973, the Taunus TC received a facelift with a new front grille incorporating a second pair of lights, rectangular headlights becoming standard across the range. The interior dashboard was replaced with a more angular, plainer design with improved ergonomics. This facelift was intended to sustain interest as sales slowed ahead of a new model. Ford Germany's Taunus output fell from 245,955 cars in 1973 to 138,357 in 1974, then recovered to 181,530 in 1975.

Reader's Guide

The Ford Taunus TC holds significance as Ford Germany's contribution to the 'world car' concept, sharing its platform and most components with the British Cortina Mk III while maintaining distinct sheet metal for the first generation and offering a fastback coupé that the Cortina never had. This coupé filled a niche for a more practical alternative to the Capri, retaining much of the saloon's luggage and rear seat space. The unification of Ford Europe's model range, begun with the Escort and Capri, continued with the Taunus and Cortina, with most major components including the entire floorpan being identical.

The Taunus TC's development under Knudsen and rumoured involvement of Luigi Colani add to its lore. The car's rear suspension represented a significant advance over the previous leaf-spring setup, though press criticism of the trade-off between road-holding and ride comfort suggested the car was launched before development was fully complete. The 1973 facelift, prompted by declining sales as customers awaited a new model, helped restore production volumes. The Taunus TC's legacy is as a key step in Ford's European model rationalisation, and its 'Barock 2' nickname recalls the earlier Taunus P2 series, linking it to Ford Germany's design heritage.

Did You Know?

• The Taunus TC was nicknamed 'Knudsen-Taunus' due to a prominent hood scoop reportedly ordered by Ford chairman Semon E. 'Bunkie' Knudsen.
• Major design work on the Taunus TC is rumoured to have been done by German designer Luigi Colani.
• Unlike the Cortina Mk III, the Taunus TC was offered as a fastback coupé until 1975.
• The 1973 facelift replaced the original steeply sloping dashboard with a more angular design for improved ergonomics.