Ford Tempo

The Ford Tempo is a compact car that was manufactured by Ford from the 1984 to 1994 model years. The successor of the Ford Fairmont, the Tempo is the fourth generation of compact cars sold by Ford in North America, marking both its downsizing and adoption of front-wheel drive. Through its entire production, the Tempo was sold as a two-door coupe and four-door sedan; Lincoln-Mercury marketed the model line as its Mercury Topaz divisional counterpart.

Deriving its chassis underpinnings and powertrain from the Ford Escort, the Tempo marked the introduction of aerodynamic exterior designs for a Ford sedan line. First seen on European Ford Sierra hatchbacks and the 1983 redesign of the Ford Thunderbird coupe, the design language was advanced further with the introduction of the larger Ford Taurus (introduced for 1986). The first Ford car line to offer all-wheel drive as an option, the Tempo was also the first American automobile to offer a driver-side airbag as an option.

Produced across multiple facilities in North America, the Tempo/Topaz was produced in a single generation of two-doors; two generations of four-door sedans were produced. For the 1995 model year, the Tempo/Topaz four-door sedan was replaced by the Ford Contour (and Mercury Mystique), developed from the Ford Mondeo; the two-door Tempo was not directly replaced.