Solved - NEH 2876: Ford Cardinal - proposal for P4 Taunus 12M - 1962

[Carnut]

What's this and from when does it date, for 1 point?:

ANYONE FOUND GIVING ANSWERS OBTAINED BY USING GOOGLE SEARCH BY IMAGE MAY BE BANNED FOR AN INDETERMINATE PERIOD!

[Lofotleif]

Anything to do with Ford?

[Carnut]

Anything to do with Ford?

Yes..

[Lofotleif]

Prototype of the Taunus / M-series from German Ford ?

[Carnut]

Prototype of the Taunus / M-series from German Ford ?

Yes, but it has a name.
I'll lock it for you to see if you can find it.

[Lofotleif]

Is it the "Badewannetaunus" (Bath tub Taunus)  you're looking for ?

[Carnut]

Is it the "Badewannetaunus" (Bath tub Taunus)  you're looking for ?

No..
I don't think that was ever the Taunus's official name!

[Lofotleif]

  No, more a  less flattering nickname... What about the Project P5

[Carnut]

No, more a  less flattering nickname... What about the Project P5

No, it is a Proper Name rather than just an descriptive word..

[Lofotleif]

Is it a name that was later used by Ford models or is it unique to this prototype ?

[Carnut]

Is it a name that was later used by Ford models or is it unique to this prototype ?

It has never been used on a production model but I believe it was used on at least one other prototype.

[Lofotleif]

Then it has to be the model they did'nt make in the U.S but instead shipped to German Ford as the Cardinal ?

[Carnut]

Then it has to be the model they did'nt make in the U.S but instead shipped to German Ford as the Cardinal ?

Yes indeed, it's the Ford Cardinal which turned into the bathtub Taunus!  That front has a look of Ford Corsair to me so maybe they thought it was too good to waste..

[Wendax]

Some things are getting mixed up here.
The bathtub Taunus (or Badewanne in German) was the Taunus 17M P3 which appeared in 1960.
The Cardinal was the attempt to build a small FWD Ford in the US,
which was rejected for the American market and shipped to Europe as a replacement for the German Taunus 12 M G13.
It appeared in 1962 as the Taunus 12 M P4.
How the puzzle illustration fits in there, and if it really is from 1964 when the Corsair appeared, is not clear to me right now. I'll have a look at my books tonight.

[Carnut]

Sorry that 1964 date is a mistake and I'm not quite sure where it came from.
It shold have read 1962, and my source said it was a proposed replacement for the P4 Taunus 12M, the actual replacement actually appearing in 1966.  1964 seemed reasonable, but I suppose a 2-year gestation was rather short for those days so it should have flagged up..

[Wendax]

I even doubt that 1962 is correct as it looks to me like an artistic variation of the 1959 Ford NPX C5 prototype (http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=16543) which was the German development for the G13 successor. It was rejected by the American Ford headquarter in favour of the US developed Cardinal which became the 12 M P4.

[ropat53]

This is the cover of September 1961 Mechanix Illustrated

[Wendax]

Okay, so it is an artist's concept for the American Cardinal which astonishingly was based on the European NPX prototype instead of the American concept. C'est la vie! 

[Carnut]

Okay, so it is an artist's concept for the American Cardinal which astonishingly was based on the European NPX prototype instead of the American concept. C'est la vie! 

So I need to change the heading?  It's nothing to do with Ford of Germany's plans for the 12M?!

[Wendax]

I think the artist knew a picture of the German NPX car and combined it with the rumours about the planned American Cardinal car.