Ford’s Mk IV Zephyr/Zodiac is one of those cars that many forget, and do so willingly.
And you can see why.
It is not a well-proportioned automobile.
When the Mk IV was in development, Ford UK’s vice president of engineering, Harley Copp, an American, wanted its styling to embrace the long bonnet and short boot theme of the Mustang.
Ford’s the UK design boss, Don De La Rossa, happily obliged.
Copp also inexplicably extended the Mk IV’s wheelbase to 115 inches/2921mm, which was only an inch/25mm less than the Ford Fairlane.
That made the Mk IV a BIG car for the UK.
In his book Ford Design in the UK, Nick Hull, speculates that Copp wanted to create a British Lincoln.
That’s not a surprise, because Copp had been a key player in the development of the 1956 and 1961 Lincoln Continentals, as had De La Rossa.
And another thing.
Given that Copp had also been the chief engineer for the first Falcon in the USA (which De La Rossa helped style), it is mystery why he ignored the 1966 Falcon and Fairlane — which were already in development — as a base for the Zephyr/Zodiac.
What UK car buyers saw when the Mk IV was released was an ungainly amalgamation of sheet metal, with a bonnet that was too long and boot that was too short.
Not only that, the styling made a mockery of the fact the car was engineered to use Ford’s very short V4 and V6 engines.
This left a considerable empty space between the engine and grille, and that’s where Copp made another intriguing decision.
He located the spare wheel between the engine and radiator.
This also increased boot space.
Trouble was, despite an all-new independent rear suspension and four-wheel disc brakes, the car’s weight distribution (60 per cent over the front wheels) and handling were compromised.
Another styling quirk was painted sheet metal instead of a grille on the Zephyr, making it look like a cheap rear engine car.
During its six-years of production only 150,000 people gave money to Ford for a Mk IV.
Its real target, the affluent “executive” buyer, remained elusive.
They gravitated to the more prestigious, better handling and more sensibly-sized Triumph and Rover 2000.
Ford got the message and when the Mk V was released in 1972 which had been downsized and styled in Germany.
David Burrell is the editor of retroautos
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