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| Scorpio intro | Styling | Design & engineering | Manufacturing | Marketing | Service & maintenance | About my Scorpio |
| 1988, 1989 | 1995 | Variants | (Future) | (Future) | (Future) | (Future) |
| Specs | '88 Survey | Design | Engineering | Testing | (Future) | (Future) |
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| Scorpio intro | Styling | Design & engineering | Manufacturing | Marketing | Service & maintenance | About my Scorpio |
| 1988, 1989 | 1995 | Variants | (Future) | (Future) | (Future) | (Future) |
| Specs | '88 Survey | Design | Engineering | Testing | (Future) | (Future) |
Doesn't it seem as though nothing could be simpler than writing down a list of a car's specifications? I mean, all you have to do is to make a list of the standard features, the options, the colors, the technical details of the powertrain and the body - that sort of thing.
Nope. Ford never quite managed to bring all the specs together into one place. In fact, Ford never succeeded in reconciling the considerable differences in the specs scattered over dozens of individual publications.
In the tables on this page I've tried to compile the definitive list of specifications for the Merkur Scorpio. The Merkur label is important, because it denotes the North American variant of the 1988 and 1989 Scorpio. If you have one of the European Scorpios from those years, I'd be interested in learning what differences you find between your car and the car I'm describing here.
Here's a clickable Table of Contents of the specification sections -
*Body Mechanical (physical parameters)
*Standard exterior features (front, side and rear viewpoints)
*Standard interior features (trim panels, seats, overhead, floor, hatch, instrument panel, steering wheel and column, console)
*Standard powertrain
*Suspension, Tires, Brakes, Steering
*Options
*Colors
OK, here we go....
| 1988 & 1989 Merkur Scorpio Specifications | ||
| Source codes ShoBro = Showroom brochure for the corresponding model year. '88 Fleet = Lincoln/Mercury/Merkur1988 Fleet Buyer's Guide OwnMan = Owner's Manual SpecBk = Ford's model-year specification book for rear-wheel-drive cars | ||
| Body Mechanical | ||
| Feature | Specification | Source |
| Body type | 4-door sedan with liftgate | '88 Fleet |
| Construction | Unitized with welded stamped steel panels | '88 Fleet |
| Exterior dimensions | Length = 186.4". Height = 54.6". Width = 69.5". Wheelbase = 108.7". Front tread = 58.1". Rear tread = 58.1". | '88 Fleet |
| Interior dimensions with moonroof | Head room: Front = 37.0". Rear = 37.3" Leg room: Front (max) = 41.3". Rear (min) = 38.6" Hip room: Front = 55.6" Rear = 46.3" Shoulder room: Front = 56.4". Rear = 56.4" Luggage capacity (cu.ft.): Rear seats up: 19.7. Rear seats down: 37.2 | '88 Fleet |
| Fuel capacity | 16.9 US gallons. | OwnMan |
| Curb weight | Manual transmission: 3,230 lbs. Auto tran: 3,241 lbs. | '88 Fleet |
| Weight distribution | Front: 52%. Rear: 48%. | '88 Fleet |
| Power/weight ratio | 22.5 | '88 Fleet |
| Return to this page's Table of Contents | ||
| 1988 & 1989 Merkur Scorpio Specifications | ||
| Source codes ShoBro = Showroom brochure for the corresponding model year. '88 Fleet = Lincoln/Mercury/Merkur1988 Fleet Buyer's Guide OwnMan = Owner's Manual SpecBk = Ford's model-year specification book for rear-wheel-drive cars | ||
| Standard exterior features | ||
| Location | Feature | Source |
| Front |  *"Merkur" badge on front fascia.*Color-coordinated polycarbonate bumper and front grill opening. *Black windshield molding. *Black bumper insert. *Fold-away black, heated, power-adjustable outside mirrors. *Integral windshield wiper spoilers. *Bumper integral halogen fog lamps. *Front spoiler below bumper. *Tinted windshield. *Gas strut hood supports (introduced during the 1988 model-year production). *Flush, integral halogen headlamps, parking lamps, and amber turn signals/side marker lights. | '88 Fleet ShoBro |
| Side |  *Bright window moldings.*Black door handles. *Bright door locks. *Body color rear lip spoiler. *Black bodyside cladding insert. *15" x 6" cast aluminum alloy wheels. *"Merkur" script in wheel hubs. *Color-coordinated bodyside polycarbonate cladding. *Black-out "B", "C" and "D" pillars. *Tinted side glass. *Rear window strakes. | '88 Fleet ShoBro |
| Rear |  *Bright backlight molding.*Bright hatchback lock. *Red rear applique/license plate and lamp housing. *Color-coordinated polycarbonate bumper. *Black bumper insert. *Hard "Scorpio" script on left corner of decklid. *Hard "Merkur" script on right corner of decklid. *Rear wiper and washer. *Heated backlight with integral radio antenna. *Wrap-around amber turn indicators and red side marker lights. *Integral back-up lamps. *Tinted backlight. *High mount brake lamp. | '88 Fleet |
| Return to this page's Table of Contents | ||
| 1988 & 1989 Merkur Scorpio Specifications | ||
| Source codes ShoBro = Showroom brochure for the corresponding model year. '88 Fleet = Lincoln/Mercury/Merkur1988 Fleet Buyer's Guide OwnMan = Owner's Manual SpecBk = Ford's model-year specification book for rear-wheel-drive cars | ||
| Standard interior features | ||
| Location | Feature | Source |
| Trim panels | *Molded soft-feel vinyl-covered door trim panels. *Cloth inserts front and rear. *Integral soft armrests, front and rear. *Carpet-covered lower door trim, front and rear. *Carpet-covered rigid front door storage bins. *Power mirror control on driver's door. *Illuminated power window controls on doors. *Black door handles with bright surround and integral power lock switch. *Ashtrays (2) in rear door trim panels. *Door edge marker/curb illumination with time delay on front and rear doors. *Footwell courtesy lights with time delay, front and rear. *Two speakers and grilles mounted in front doors. | '88 Fleet |
| Seats | *Front and rear seats in cloth trim. *Four-way fore/aft/up/down) power adjustable front seats. *Dual manual front seat recliners with manually adjustable seatback wedges and thigh supports (1988) - or - Dual power front seat recliners and no manually adjustable seatback wedges or thigh supports (1989). Note: Although Ford cites this change as though it occurred neatly at the model-year changeover, in practice it seems to have been introduced during the 1988 production. *Manual pneumatic front seat lumbar support adjustments (squeeze bulb). *Four way manually adjustable front and rear headrests. *Front seat-back map pockets. *Rear seat-back side bolsters. *Seat-mounted front safety belt buckles. *Front seat valance panels and seat track covers. *60/40 split flip/fold rear seats with one-piece seat cushion. *Fold-down rear center armrest. *Power reclining rear seat-backs independently adjustable. *Three-point inertia rear safety belts outboard (2) with center lap belt. *Carpet-covered rear seat-backs. | '88 Fleet |
| Overhead | *Cloth-covered molded headlining. *Swiveling vinyl-covered visors with illuminated passenger-side vanity mirror. *Front overhead console with courtesy lamps, two adjustable map lamps and multi-function digital clock with date/month, elapsed time and ambient temperature. *Fold-away front passenger assist handle. *Rear fixed assist handles (2) with integral coat hooks. *Rear overhead console with courtesy lamp, two adjustable map lamps, and courtesy lamp time-delay switch. | '88 Fleet |
| Floor | *Carpeting on passenger door. *Door sill panels, front and rear. | '88 Fleet |
| Load compartment | *Carpeted load-compartment floor and sidewalls. *Removable articulated package-tray, carpeted, with recess. *Two speakers and grilles in outboard package-tray supports. *Load-compartment retention net and four tie-down "D" rings. *Load-compartment lamps with tailgate switch. *Latch cover on lower back panel. *Jack located in side wall recess (RH side). | '88 Fleet |
| Instrument panel | *Soft-feel upper/hard-feel lower color-keyed instrument panel. *Black instrument cluster, controls and registers. *Full instrumentation: 150-mph-labelled speedometer, 7000-rpm tachometer, fuel gauge, coolant-temperature gauge, odometer and trip odometer, alert-lights for handbrake and anti-lock brake system, front and rear brake pad-wear, low brake-fluid level, low engine-coolant level, high engine-coolant temperature, high beam, turn indicators and low-fuel level. *Emission malfunction alert light (added during the 1988 model-year production). *Car-outline graphic information module with warning lights for door/liftgate ajar, ice alert, headlamp, parking lamp, taillamp, brake-lamp outage, and safety belts. *Backlit instrumentation. *Side-window demisters (LH and RH). *Push on/off switch for front fog lamps. *Rotary control switch for parking lamps. *Thumbwheel control for instrument-panel illumination intensity. *Electronic automatic temperature-control system with pushbuttons (including audio tone response) for auto "on", "off" (added early in the 1988 model-year production), defrost/panel/floor select; fan speed (high/low) recirculate/economy mode and temperature increase/decrease with digital readout. *Push on/off switch for heated backlight. *Stowage shelf. *Thumbwheel-control instrument panel vents. *Real wood applique. *Illuminated glove compartment with articulated hinges and squeeze lock. *Flip-down coin-storage compartment. *Driver-side lower stowage tray. *Electronic AM/FM stereo cassette with Dolby, auto-reverse, seek/scan and twelve-station memory (4 AM, 8 FM). *Power amplifier with balance and fade controls for six-speaker system. *Illuminated push open/close damped tilting ashtray. *Illuminated cigar lighter. *Radio speakers/grilles (2) in upper LH and RH sides. | '88 Fleet |
| Steering wheel and column | *Black soft-feel steering wheel with center horn-blow and "Merkur" badge. *Speed-control switches mounted in steering-wheel spokes. *Tilt and telescopic adjustable steering column with release lever. *Hood-release lever. *Column-mounted stalk for turn indicators, high beam, flash-to-pass, and 45-second headlamp-delay function. . *Column-mounted stalk for two-speed windshield wipers, intermittent windshield-wiper with rotary switch for six variable time delays, windshield wash and rear wiper/washer with reverse gear interlink (rear wiper automatically operates if windshield wipers are on and reverse gear is engaged). *Hazard flash switch. *Column-mounted ignition switch with in-neutral start (manual transmission). *Torch key. | '88 Fleet |
| Console | *Color-keyed center console with carpeted sides. *Black gearshift lever and hand-brake grip. *Color-keyed center armrest/stowage bin with cassette holder. *Switches for rear power window controls. *Rear compartment power-defeat switch (de-activates rear power windows & seats). *Remote fuel-flap release switch. *Rear compartment climate-control ducts. (Eliminated early in the 1988 model-year production) *Illuminated rear cigar lighter in console. | '88 Fleet |
| Return to this page's Table of Contents | ||
| 1988 & 1989 Merkur Scorpio Specifications | ||
| Source codes ShoBro = Showroom brochure for the corresponding model year. '88 Fleet = Lincoln/Mercury/Merkur1988 Fleet Buyer's Guide OwnMan = Owner's Manual SpecBk = Ford's model-year specification book for rear-wheel-drive cars | ||
| Standard Powertrain | ||
| Feature | Specification | Source |
| Engine | Type: 60-degree bank angle. Displacement: 2.9 liters. Fuel delivery: Multi-port electronic injection. Horsepower: 144 @ 5500 rpm. Torque: 162 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm. Compression ratio: 9.0:1. Engine control system: EEC IV. Fuel requirement: 87 octane (min) gasoline. | '88 Fleet OwnMan |
| Transmission | Std: 5-speed overdrive manual transmission (late availability) What the heck is a late-availability standard feature? Gear ratios - 1) 3.36:1; 2) 1.81:1; 3) 1:26:1; 4) 1.00:1; 5) 0.83:1. 3.64:1 axle ratio | '88 Fleet ShoBro |
| Return to this page's Table of Contents | ||
| 1988 & 1989 Merkur Scorpio Specifications | ||
| Source codes ShoBro = Showroom brochure for the corresponding model year. '88 Fleet = Lincoln/Mercury/Merkur1988 Fleet Buyer's Guide OwnMan = Owner's Manual SpecBk = Ford's model-year specification book for rear-wheel-drive cars | ||
| Suspension, Tires, Brakes, Steering | ||
| Feature | Specification | Source |
| Suspension, front | Type: MacPherson strut. Springs: Helical coil, linear rate. Stabilizer bar: 1.06" diameter. | '88 Fleet |
| Suspension, rear | Type: Fully independent with semi-trailing arms and tubular sub-frame. Springs: Helical coil, linear rate. Stabilizer bar: 0.63" diameter. | '88 Fleet |
| Tires | 205/60HR 15 Pirelli P6 steel-belted radial tires. T115/70D 15 mini spare tire | '88 Fleet |
| Steering | Variable ratio power-assisted rack & pinion steering. Turning circle = 34.1 feet; 2.7 turns lock-to-lock. 11.9:1 to 16.2:1 steering ratio; over-all ratio = 12.43:1 | '88 Fleet |
| Brakes | Power-assisted 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS Ventilated front disc diameter = 10.2" Rear disc diameter = 10.0" Dual circuit hydraulic brake system split front/rear. Note: the Scorpio never had drum brakes. | ShoBro '88 Fleet |
| Return to this page's Table of Contents | ||
| 1988 & 1989 Merkur Scorpio Specifications | ||
| Source codes ShoBro = Showroom brochure for the corresponding model year. '88 Fleet = Lincoln/Mercury/Merkur1988 Fleet Buyer's Guide OwnMan = Owner's Manual SpecBk = Ford's model-year specification book for rear-wheel-drive cars | ||
| Options | ||
| Feature | Specification | Source |
| Transmission | 4-speed automatic overdrive transmission (type A4LD) Gear ratios - 1) 2.47:1; 2) 1.47:1; 3) 1.00:1; 4) 0.75:1. 3.64:1 axle ratio | SpecBk '88 Fleet |
| Moonroof | Power tilt/slide screened moonroof. Note: This is the only element of the optional touring package that was also available separately. | ShoBro |
| Heated front seats | Thermostatically regulated heating pads in both front seats, controlled by individual switches in the top two positions in the center console. | ShoBro |
| Touring package | *Power tilt/slide screened moonroof. *Leather upholstery. *Fuel computer. | ShoBro |
| Return to this page's Table of Contents | ||
| 1988 & 1989 Merkur Scorpio Specifications | ||||
| Source codes ShoBro = Showroom brochure for the corresponding model year. '89 Color = '89 XR4Ti & Scorpio Color & Upholstery Selections book SvcMan = Dealers' 1989 Service (Shop) Manual | ||||
| Exterior and interior colors 1988's Brown was called Taupe or Mace. 1989's was called Spice Brown. The Code refers to Ford's designation for ordering the exterior color. | ||||
| Color scheme | Code | 1988 | 1989 | Source |
| Black with Raven interior. | OA | X | X | SpecBk |
| Raven Metallic with Raven interior. | O9 | X | - | ShoBro |
| Nautilus Gray Metallic with Raven interior. | AT | - | X | ShoBro |
| Diamond White with Raven interior. | OB | X | - | ShoBro |
| Diamond White with Brown interior. | OB | - | X | ShoBro |
| Ivory with Brown interior. | OH | X | - | ShoBro |
| Strato Silver Metallic with Raven interior. | OV | - | X | ShoBro |
| Burgundy Red with Raven interior. | OE | X | X | ShoBro |
| Regency Red Metallic with Raven interior. | O4 | X | - | ShoBro |
| Magenta Red Metallic with Raven interior. | O1 | - | X | ShoBro |
| Crystal Blue Metallic with Raven interior. | OU | X | - | ShoBro |
| Gitane Blue Metallic with Raven interior. | OK | - | X | ShoBro |
| Blue-Gray Metallic with Raven interior. | OQ | X | - | ShoBro |
| Sand Gold Metallic with Brown interior. | OS | X | X | ShoBro |
| Tuscany Gold Metallic with Brown interior. | O8 | - | X | ShoBro |
| Antique Bronze Metallic with Brown interior. | OG | - | X | ShoBro |
| Chestnut Metallic with Brown interior. | OJ | - | X | ShoBro |
| Brabazon Metallic with Brown interior. | OT | - | X | SvcMan |
| Brabazon Metallic with Brown interior. | A5 | - | X | '89 Color |
| Return to this page's Table of Contents | ||||
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