Ford courier

The production of the Ford Courier light-duty passenger car began in 1952 and was established in different countries.

Ford Transit Courier Review

The release of this model was completed by 1958, but later, in 1972, the United States, Australia and New Zealand resumed production of cars called Ford Courier, which constructively belonged to another class of cars and were rear-wheel drive pickup of compact dimensions.

The pickup was equipped with 4-cylinder 1.8-liter gasoline engines (74 hp / 5070 rpm, 125 Nm / 3500 rpm), 2 l and 2.3 liter and a 2.2 l diesel engine (66 hp / 2100 rpm ). For public services a limited party from 1979 to 1982 produced cars with electric drive. The maximum speed of such a car reached 113 km / h, and the range of lead-acid batteries was 97 km. The basic equipment provided for a 4-speed manual gearbox, an automatic gearbox was offered as an option. The car was able to carry cargo with a maximum weight of up to 635 kg.

In 1982, the production of these pickups in the United States was discontinued due to the entry into the market of a new model - the Ford Ranger, but for some time continued at the enterprises of Asia, Australia and New Zealand under the brand Mazda B-Series.

In 1991, the European branch of Ford launched the new Courier, for which the chassis was taken from the Ford Fiesta. This time, Courier was a front-wheel-drive all-metal wagon with a body level above the level of the roof of the cab. The vehicle equipment included power steering, 2 airbags, a radio tape recorder, a roof rack, a catalyst, and fabric upholstery.

The Ford Courier’s heel payload was 2.8 m², and it was equipped with a double-wing tailgate with the possibility of full swinging, which made it a full-fledged van. The internal length of the cargo compartment was 1.5 m, and the height - 1.3 m. Payload - 450 kg.

The car was equipped with both gasoline and diesel power plants. 1.3-liter gasoline engine R4 8V developed 60 hp The 4-cylinder 8-valve diesel engine with a 1.8-liter European version of the Ford Courier was equipped with a turbocharger, with the maximum engine power reaching 60 hp. (4500 rpm). The consumption of diesel fuel in the urban cycle was 9 liters, and on the highway - 6.5 liters per 100 km.

1974 Ford Courier Pick-up (Budget Restoration)

Engines aggregated with a 5-speed manual gearbox. The front suspension was a suspension strut with coil springs, rear - torsion (elastic transverse beam).

The advantages of the Ford Courier were: good ergonomics, ensured largely due to the successful and convenient location of the controls of the car when everything is at hand; excellent headlights, which allowed to confidently control the road when driving at night; powerful stove, as well as the presence of a metal luggage rack, which is undoubtedly a positive factor when it comes to the transport of various types of cargo.

In the aggregate of these qualities, the Ford Courier was a classic "heel" with all its advantages and disadvantages, among which are weak corrosion resistance and insufficient ground clearance, as a result, the vulnerability of the bottom, exhaust system and wheel housings. Nevertheless, given the relatively high quality of the Ford brand, it should be recognized that the Courier was well suited for cargo transportation in the city of small shipments of goods, and if necessary could also be used for passenger traffic. In many countries, this car is used to deliver mail to settlements. The release of the European version of Courier was completed in 2002.

Since 1998, the production of a mini-pickup Ford Courier, developed on the basis of the Ford Fiesta, is carried out in Brazil. Its carrying capacity is 700 kg (1543 pounds). The car is equipped with a 1.4-liter petrol R4 16V engine Zetec-SE, has a dynamic 12 to 100 km / h and has a maximum speed of 170 km / h.

At the Ford plants in Mexico and South Africa, based on the fourth generation Fiesta, another version of the Courier pickup truck is produced, and for the African market it is called the Bantam. This car, thanks to the rear spring suspension, increased its carrying capacity to 400 kg. The engine range includes a gasoline 1.3 liter R4 Zetec (75 hp, 110 Nm, only for South Africa) and 1.6 liter R4 Zetec (95 hp, 137 Nm); Bantam also installs an economical CR diesel engine with a volume of 1.6 liters R4 8V (60 hp, 106 Nm). All versions are equipped with a 5-speed manual gearbox.