Ford LTD Crown Victoria vs Mercury Grand Marquis: Twin Full-Size Sedans Compared

The Ford LTD Crown Victoria and the Mercury Grand Marquis were close relatives in the same full-size segment. The LTD Crown Victoria was Ford's flagship LTD from 1980 to 1991, and the Grand Marquis was its Mercury counterpart. For most of their overlapping years they shared the same bodies, the same rear-wheel drive Panther platform and the same V8 engines, so the comparison comes down to the details that set each badge apart.

Where did the two sedans come from?

The LTD Crown Victoria was a full-size Ford from the 1980 to 1991 model years. It came as a saloon in two- and four-door forms, plus a five-door wagon, including the woodgrained LTD Country Squire. It took its name from the Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria of 1955 and 1956, and it replaced the LTD Landau as the top-level LTD trim for 1980.

The Mercury Grand Marquis was introduced in 1975 as the flagship sub-model of the Mercury Marquis. It became a stand-alone model line in 1983, and it served as the largest Mercury sedan until the brand's end. It was built from 1975 to 2011, and the last one was produced on January 4, 2011, at St. Thomas Assembly in Ontario.

The two cars were deliberately matched. The LTD Crown Victoria was the first direct divisional counterpart of the Grand Marquis, and it matched the Mercury directly for the first time when it arrived in 1980.

The first use of Victoria as a Ford naming convention was in 1932, for the Ford Victoria and Lincoln Victoria two-door coupes.

The LTD Crown Victoria revived the Fairlane's targa-style band over the B-pillars, but used brushed aluminium in place of the Fairlane's bright chrome. The Mercury Grand Marquis had coach lamps where the LTD had that band.

A half-length padded vinyl roof was fitted to the LTD Crown Victoria, and the crested hood ornament recalled the original 1965 Ford LTD.

One full-size sedan in two badges for a decade, sharing a Panther chassis and a V8 that stayed rear-wheel drive when rivals went front-wheel drive.

How did the two cars share their chassis?

Both cars used the rear-wheel drive Ford Panther platform. The LTD Crown Victoria shed 18 inches of length and nearly 1,000 pounds from the 1973 to 1978 LTD Brougham and Landau, while the Grand Marquis was 17 inches shorter and nearly 1,000 pounds lighter than its 1978 predecessor.

The Panther chassis was the first time the Ford and Mercury sedans shared the same wheelbase, which Mercury reduced from 124 to 114.3 in (3,150 to 2,903 mm). The suspension used a double wishbone independent front and a coil-sprung live rear axle, with vented front discs and rear drums on the LTD Crown Victoria.

The Grand Marquis kept the same basic suspension design, but gas-charged shock absorbers were standardised in 1985, with load-levelling rear air suspension offered as an option. Four-wheel disc brakes had been optional on the 1975 to 1978 Grand Marquis, shared with the Lincoln Continental.

Over three decades the Ford and Mercury sedans were functionally identical. Two of the three generations of the Grand Marquis shared the same roofline with the LTD Crown Victoria, and the Grand Marquis was built on the Panther platform until 2011.

At launch the LTD Crown Victoria was built at Louisville, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Oakville. By 1982 Oakville was the sole assembly location, and in 1983 production was added alongside the Grand Marquis at St. Louis in Hazelwood, Missouri.

Canadian production moved from Oakville to St. Thomas Assembly in Ontario for 1984 models, and St. Thomas became the exclusive site a year later, building the LTD Crown Victoria until 1991.

For 1983 Ford revised its full-size and mid-size ranges, and the LTD Crown Victoria remained the sole full-size Ford sedan while the LTD name moved to the mid-size car that replaced the Granada.

Which V8 engines did each car offer?

For 1980 the LTD Crown Victoria came with two V8s, a 4.9-litre unit rated at 130 hp that was standard, and a 5.8-litre 351 V8 at 140 hp as an option. The C4 three-speed automatic was paired with both.

For 1981 Ford added a 4.2-litre V8 at 120 hp to improve fuel efficiency, and the 4.9 received throttle-body electronic central fuel injection. The four-speed AOD overdrive automatic came in 1981 as an option with the larger V8s, and it replaced the three-speed entirely in 1982.

In 1986 the 5.0-litre V8 gained a multi-port Sequential-Fire system with a cast-aluminium intake manifold, raising output to 150 hp. In 1991 the 150 hp 5.0 remained standard, and the 180 hp 5.8 was offered for fleets and in Canada.

The Grand Marquis started its run with the 460 cu in V8 in 1975, which was replaced by a 400 cu in V8 in 1976 and 1977 and a 351 cu in V8 in 1978. The downsized 1979 Grand Marquis used the 4.9-litre V8 at 130 hp, which rose to 150 hp in 1986 with multi-port injection.

For 1985 the horn controls were moved from the turn-signal stalk to the steering-wheel hub, and a centre brake light was added as a running change. The 5.8-litre carburetted V8 was restricted to fleet sales, particularly police vehicles.

For 1987 Ford standardised an electronic dashboard clock, tinted glass and air conditioning on the LTD Crown Victoria.

How did the body styles and trims differ?

The LTD Crown Victoria was sold in 1980 in two- and four-door saloon forms, with the Country Squire wagon, and it featured a brushed-aluminium band over the B-pillars. The Grand Marquis was a four-door sedan for nearly its whole run, and it was the only body style offered from 1988 to 2011. Its two-door hardtop coupe ran from 1975 to 1987.

The LTD Crown Victoria's trim ladder included an LX from 1986, which was the direct Ford counterpart of the Grand Marquis. The LX offered split-bench seats in cloth or leather, upgraded carpet, extra sound insulation and cornering lamps, and it had standard aluminium wheels.

From 1987 the LTD Crown Victoria also offered an S fleet trim, aimed at police and taxi buyers. It had vinyl roof delete, steel wheels with partial covers, vinyl bench seats and manual windows and locks, and it was the only version sold directly to the general public as a wagon without woodgrain.

The two-door LTD Crown Victoria was discontinued after 1987, when only 5,527 were sold against 105,789 four-door sedans. Demand for two-door cars had shifted towards sportier designs such as the Thunderbird and the Mustang.

The Grand Marquis first appeared in 1974 as an interior trim package for the Marquis Brougham, with a wood-trim steering wheel and leather-and-velour split-bench seats.

The 1979 Grand Marquis was downsized, but it offered more interior and luggage space than the Cougar intermediate sedan whose exterior footprint it matched.

For 1983 the Marquis moved to the mid-size class, leaving the Grand Marquis as Mercury's only full-size sedan. Mercury had not offered a single full-size sedan nameplate since 1951.

The Grand Marquis was made at the St. Louis plant in Hazelwood, Missouri until 1985, and then at St. Thomas, Ontario, until the end.

What did each car change through its life?

The LTD Crown Victoria received a mid-cycle revision for 1988, with restyled bumpers, enlarged taillamps and an integrated grille and headlamp assembly, and the interior gained more wood trim on LX models. For 1990 the dashboard and steering wheel were completely redesigned, and a driver-side airbag became standard.

The Grand Marquis received a light refresh in 1988 with more rounded front and rear fascias. A driver-side airbag was introduced for 1990, and by 1989 the two sedans shared a nearly identical interior, with only detail changes separating them.

The Ford LTD Crown Victoria was replaced by the Ford Crown Victoria for 1992, which dropped the LTD prefix and the station wagon body. That redesigned car remained in production through 2011, and its 2012 models were built for export only to the Middle East.

How did each car sell and survive?

Across its run the Grand Marquis built about 2.7 million cars, which put it behind only the Cougar among Mercury's lines. Its 36 years of unbroken production made it the longest-running Mercury nameplate, one year more than the Cougar's 34.

The Mercury brand was wound up after 2010, although a handful of 2011 Mercurys were built. The last Grand Marquis, and the last Mercury-branded car, was produced on January 4, 2011.

The Grand Marquis was also the basis for the 2003 and 2004 Mercury Marauder. It stayed a rear-wheel drive V8 sedan long after many of its rivals had moved to front-wheel drive.

Who did each car fight against?

The LTD Crown Victoria took over from the LTD Landau as a competitor for the Chevrolet Caprice and the Pontiac Bonneville, alongside the Dodge St. Regis. Its rivals were of the same full-size type, and the 1980s brought downsizing across the market.

The Grand Marquis was positioned against the Buick Electra 225, the Oldsmobile Ninety Eight and the Chrysler New Yorker Brougham when it first appeared in 1975, as a premium medium-brand option below the Lincoln Continental.

By the late 1980s the Grand Marquis had become the only rear-wheel drive V8 full-size option on the market, as its GM rivals moved to front-wheel drive and Chrysler left the full-size market in 1981.

Side-by-side comparison