Ford · 1939–1952

Ford Taunus G93A

The Ford Taunus G93A is a small family car that was produced by Ford Germany between 1939 and 1942 in succession to the Ford Eifel. It was the first car developed at Cologne by Ford Germany which previously had built cars originated by Ford businesses in the US or the UK. Production began on 30 April 1939, with the first car exhibited to the public in June 1939, less than six months before the outbreak of war in Europe. In 1948 the car reappeared as the Ford Taunus G73A, and remained in production until 1952. This was the first (and until the 1970s the last) Ford Taunus to feature a fastback shape: in this application the rather severe slopes enforced by squeezing North-American style fast-back styling onto a relatively short wheelbase was not universally admired: the car became known as the "Buckeltaunus" (Hunchback Taunus).

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Ford Eifel · Successor: Ford Taunus P1

All Ford Taunus G93A data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Ford Taunus G93A (1939–1942)

On 30 April 1939 Ford Cologne began to manufacture the Taunus, a mid-size car intended to slot into the range between the little Ford Eifel and the company's big V8 models. The car was presented to the public in June 1939. Although the structure of the car did not follow the revolutionary monocoque structure heralded by the Opel Olympia, the Taunus did have its body welded to the chassis rather than having the two elements simply bolted together. Essentially, the platform was a stretched floorpan and frame inherited from its predecessor Eifel. The advertised price at launch was 2870 Marks, but customers had the option of paying an extra 22 Marks for a shatterproof windscreen. The body. Stylistically the new car followed the 1930s fashion for streamlining, but with a North American flavour inspired by the Lincoln-Zephyr of the time. Design work was carried out at the Ford headquarters in Detroit mainly between the then recently appointed chief of design E.T. "Bob" Gregorie and Lincoln-Mercury division manager Edsel Ford, the son of Henry Ford. The bodyshell was supplied from the Berlin plant of pressed steel experts, Ambi Budd. Like the Eifel, the Ford Taunus came with rigid axles, but with the innovation of hydraulic brakes. The engine. The Taunus was designed to take a 45 PS (33 kW; 44 hp) 1.5-litre side-valve engine developed from the 1.2-litre unit used in the Eifel. However, in March 1939 the government, anticipating war, introduced restrictions whereby Ford were permitted to produce only a single standardised engine in the class of cars covered by engine sizes between 1.2 and 2.0 litres, and so the Taunus used the smaller 1,172 cc engine (also known as English Sidevalve) carried over from the Eifel model. This was essentially the same unit that Ford would fit in th

Ford Taunus G73A (1948–1952)

After the war, with other German auto-plants destroyed by bombing or crated up and shipped to the Soviet Union, the priority for the occupying powers at Ford's plant was for the continued production of light trucks. However, even in 1946 various detailed improvements had been built into the prewar Taunus design. Two years later, in May 1948, the new Ford Taunus G73A was exhibited at the Hanover Export Fair. The tooling for the pressed-steel bodywork had during the war remained in Berlin with the US owned body builders Ambi Budd, and after lengthy negotiations with the Soviet military authorities was eventually released. Due to lack of available space at Ford's Cologne plant, production of the first 1948 cars was subcontracted to Volkswagen in Wolfsburg and Karmann in Osnabrück, but in November 1948 the entire production process was taken in house by Ford. 182 Taunus sedans and 144 light deliveries were built during 1948. At this stage, as in 1942, only a single body style was available. The 1948 Ford Taunus was a small fast-back saloon with two rear hinged doors, and available only in Night Shadow Grey, presumably reflecting paint availability in the aftermath of war. Broadening the range. In 1949 Ford added a Taunus version with body panels fitted only as far back as the A-pillars, and several alternative body shapes became available, added by traditional coach-builders such as Karmann of Osnabrück, Drauz of Heilbronn and Plasswilm in Cologne. Coach-built Ford Taunus versions include two- and four-seater cabriolets with two doors, a special four-door cabriolet for use by police forces, small three-door station wagons and even four-door taxis. Upgrades in 1950 and 1951. In May 1950 Ford introduced the Taunus Special, which featured a four-speed gear change controlled wi

Replacement

In January 1952 the successor model, Ford's ponton format Taunus P1 went on sale, although availability of the old G73A model continued until autumn: by this time 76,590 had been produced.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Ford Taunus G93A (1939–1942), Ford Taunus G73A (1948–1952)
aka: "Buckeltaunus"
Manufacturer: Ford Germany
Production: G93A: April 1939 – February 1942, G73A: November 1948 – January 1952
Predecessor: Ford Eifel
Successor: Ford Taunus P1
Class: Large family car (D)
Body style: 2-door saloon, a wide range of coach-built bodies, including cabriolets and station wagons became available after 1949
Engine: 1172 cc Ford Sidevalve engine I4, water-cooled
Transmission: 3-speed manual with synchromesh on upper two ratios., 4-speed manual offered on some models after 1950
Length: 4080 mm
Width: 1485 mm
Height: 1600 mm
Kerb weight: 840 –
Wheelbase: 2387 mm
Assembly: Germany: Cologne-Niehl
Top speed: 105 km/h

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1436978CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Taunus_G93ACC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1370558374 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Buckel1939.jpgCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: Ford Werke AG Köln · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.