Ford · 1991–2011

Ford Crown Victoria

The Ford Crown Victoria ("Crown Vic") is a full-size sedan that was marketed and manufactured by Ford. The successor to the Ford LTD Crown Victoria, two generations of the model line were produced from the 1992 until the 2012 model years. The Ford counterpart of the Mercury Grand Marquis, the Crown Victoria was the largest sedan marketed by Ford in North America, slotted above the Ford Taurus. The Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (1992–2011) was marketed specifically for law-enforcement use; a long-wheelbase Crown Victoria sedan (2002–2011) was marketed primarily for taxi cab fleets. The Crown Victoria was produced on the rear-wheel drive, body-on-frame Ford Panther platform, sharing its chassis with the Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car. From 1997 until their 2011 discontinuation, the three model lines were the sole four-door sedans produced in North America with a full-length frame, rear-wheel drive, and a standard V8 engine. While the front and rear crumple zones were engineered into the vehicle, it was one of Ford's products that were not of unibody construction for the entire generation. The Crown Victoria was the last car made using the Ford Panther platform. For its entire production, the Crown Victoria was produced by Ford Canada alongside the Grand Marquis at St. Thomas Assembly in Southwold, Ontario. From 1991 until 2011, over 1.5 million cars (including Police Interceptors) were produced by St. Thomas Assembly prior to its closure. A 2012 Crown Victoria (intended for Middle East export) was the final vehicle produced by the facility. Following the discontinuation of the model line, the Crown Victoria was not directly replaced, with the full-size Ford Taurus serving as the next basis for Ford police cars.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Ford LTD Crown Victoria · Successor: Ford Taurus 6th generation

All Ford Crown Victoria data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Origin of name

Prior to the 1992 model year, Ford used the Crown Victoria nameplate on two vehicles; both were flagship models of their full-size model range. From 1955 until 1956, the nameplate was used for premium two-door Ford Fairlanes. For 1980, the nameplate returned as the top trim of Ford LTD sedans, denoting all Ford full-size sedans in North America from 1983 through 1991. A styling feature used for both versions is a stainless-steel band trimming the B-pillars ("crowning" the roof). 1955–1956. For 1955, the Ford Fairlane was introduced as the premium Ford model range. Slotted above the Victoria two-door hardtop, the Crown Victoria debuted as the flagship trim of the Fairlane. In place of the popular hardtop roofline, the Crown Victoria was fitted with a B-pillared roofline. Similar to the Mercury XM-800 concept car (though changed in angle), the B-pillar was fitted with a wide stainless-steel band ("crowning" the roof), giving a sleeker appearance to the roofline. Alongside the standard two-tone roof, the Crown Victoria Skyliner was fitted with a fixed sunroof; a tinted acrylic glass panel formed the entire roof ahead of the B-pillar. For 1956, the Lifeguard option package was introduced as an option for the Fairlane Crown Victoria (as with all Ford cars). For the 1957 redesign of the Ford model line, the Crown Victoria was retired from the Fairlane series with no replacement. The Skyliner name made its return in a different form, denoting the Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner retractable hardtop convertible. 1980–1991. For the 1980 model year, the Crown Victoria nameplate was revived after a 23-year hiatus, becoming part of the Ford LTD model range. Again, a premium trim of the full-size range (replacing the LTD Landau), the LTD Crown Victoria became two-door and four-door sedans

First generation (EN53; 1992–1997)

In the first quarter of 1987, development began on a redesign codenamed "EN53". The Ford Crown Victoria was unveiled on November 28, 1990, and began production in January 1991 as a 1992 model, launching on March 21, 1991. Fleet sales of the vehicle were postponed for 14 months to maximize availability for buyers at launch. In line with the redesign of the 1991 Chevrolet Caprice (its chief competitor), the 1992 Crown Victoria featured a major exterior redesign, while retaining the previous-generation chassis. Ford reduced the coefficient of drag of the exterior from 0.42 to 0.34 (nearly matching the 0.32 of the Ford Taurus) to enhance aerodynamics and fuel efficiency, giving the first generation Crown Victoria its sleek, wedge-shaped design that came to be known as the "aero" look. Due to a market shift in family-oriented vehicles, the Crown Victoria was offered exclusively as a four-door sedan, with the wood-trimmed LTD Country Squire station wagon discontinued. While the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable continued in production with optional three-row seating, the Country Squire was essentially replaced by the Ford Aerostar, Ford Econoline/Club Wagon, and Ford Explorer. Ford benefitted from a unique loophole in CAFE standards when the 1992 Crown Victoria and its Grand Marquis twin were launched. To avoid paying gas-guzzler taxes, Ford modified its supplier network so that the two vehicles could be classified as imports from Canada, effectively removing the full-size sedans from the Ford domestic CAFE fleet (alongside the Ford Mustang V8) and placing them in its imported fleet (alongside the Ford Festiva). Chassis. In lieu of developing an all-new platform architecture, the Crown Victoria retained the Panther platform of its LTD Crown Victoria predecessor. Although launched

Second generation (EN114; 1998–2012)

The second-generation Crown Victoria commenced sales on 26 December 1997. Although the previous Ford Crown Victoria had better critical and marketplace acceptance than the controversial styling of the 1991 Chevrolet Caprice, its sales struggled to match those of its Mercury Grand Marquis counterpart. In an effort to gain acceptance among buyers (and increase parts commonality), for the 1998 model year, the Crown Victoria adopted much of the exterior design of the Mercury Grand Marquis. Following its 1998 introduction, the second-generation Crown Victoria underwent an extensive revision for the 2003 model year. Introduced in April 2002, while the exterior saw no change, nearly the entire chassis was redesigned, with major updates to the suspension and steering. Body. The redesigned Crown Victoria adopted the formal notch-back roof-line of its Mercury counterpart, causing it to lose its rear C pillar windows. All four doors were now shared with the Mercury (previously, the front doors were shared). On the front fascia, both the grille and headlamps were enlarged. The rear fascia underwent a redesign, as large tail lamp units were mounted at the corners of the body, replacing the previous full-width design. A fender mounted radio antenna would appear for 2005, but was reversed back to the original rear-windshield unit in 2006. In contrast to its Mercury counterpart, the Crown Victoria had considerably less use of chrome trim. LX Sport models forewent chrome trim altogether, as they adopted a fully monochromatic paint scheme. Interior. While a large portion of the interior was retained from the first generation, the 1998 redesign brought some changes to the interior, as the seat design was revised slightly, and the chrome trim found on the column shifter and turn signal swi

Discontinuation and legacy

As part of The Way Forward plan of 2006, the St. Thomas Assembly Plant was switched to a single daily production shift in an effort to reduce operating costs. The plan also detailed that Ford would be closing 14 facilities in North America by 2012. It was estimated that the plan would save the company nearly US$ 5 billion, as its workforce would be reduced by roughly 30,000 employees. The Lincoln Town Car joined its Ford and Mercury counterparts in production at St. Thomas by 2008; the Wixom Assembly Plant, where it was produced, fell victim to the plan and ceased operations following the 2007 model year. In 2008, Ford signaled that it would be closing the St. Thomas Assembly Plant in 2010. However, the Canadian Auto Workers Union successfully negotiated an extension to at least 2011. In 2009, Ford officially announced that the St. Thomas Assembly Plant would be closed in 2011, as Ford was hard hit by the 2008–2010 automotive industry crisis; it also affected demand for full size cars, which decreased significantly. Moreover, Ford offered retirement incentives to employees at the plant for up to $90,000, allowances up to $100,000, and vouchers for a new Ford vehicle. Another reason why the Crown Victoria was discontinued was due to its lack of electronic stability control, which became federally mandated for all new vehicles in the US and Canada for the 2012 model year. As a result, the entire batch of 2012 versions were exported to the Middle East. In April 2011, Ford stopped taking new orders for the Crown Victoria. In August 2011, a short production run of 2012 models destined for the Middle East commenced. Production of the Crown Victoria officially ended on September 15, 2011, at 12:25 PM EDT, when a white LX model rolled off the assembly line. It became the final

Safety concerns and issues

=== Fuel tank === Reports that Crown Victorias were more prone to fires during rear collisions were a simple combination of three things. First, most law-enforcement agencies relied on the Crown Victoria as their primary vehicle, meaning that any police-related auto accident was very likely to involve a Crown Victoria. Second, the accidents often occurred as the result of the officers intentionally parking their vehicles close to active traffic to shield stopped motorists, something most regular drivers would never do. Third, the impacting vehicle was often traveling at, or above, the posted legal limit (around 65 to 75 mph (105 to 121 km/h) in most jurisdictions). The condition was exacerbated by police equipment installers drilling over the package tray in the luggage compartment. Due to the gas tank's orientation, drilling through the package tray may result in drilling into the gas tank. Installers also used screws set directly into the bulkhead and facing the fuel tank. In the event of a high-energy collision, these screws could be forced into the tank, both rupturing the tank and possibly acting as a spark source. The use of long bolts for mounting heavier equipment was also suspected. The manufacturer provided an aftermarket shield to help prevent these items from puncturing the tank during impact. Further, many investigations, both performed by federal/state agencies, and the police department themselves, have found that removable items in the trunk were improperly stowed. These items became tank-piercing projectiles during rear-collision scenarios. Ford's second solution came in the form of a recall kit including patterns to mark unsafe areas (to drill) in the luggage compartment. Also included were rubberized Kevlar and hard ballistic nylon shields for the dif

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 Crown Victoria
Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Production: January 1991 – September 15, 2011
Model years: 1992–2012
Assembly: Canada: Talbotville, Southwold, Ontario, (St. Thomas Assembly)
Class: Full-size car
Body style: 4-door sedan
Platform: Ford Panther platform
Layout: FR layout
Predecessor: Ford LTD Crown Victoria
Top speed: 208 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/Q842010CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Crown_VictoriaCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1372714954 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2003-2007_Ford_Crown_Victoria.jpgPublic domain · Photo: IFCAR · 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.