| Ford Taunus 12M (1952–1962) Ford Taunus 15M (1955–1959) | |
|---|---|
 Weltkugeltaunus (1952–1958) | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Ford Germany |
| Also called | Ford Taunus P1 „Weltkugeltaunus“ (Globe Taunus) till 1958 „Seitenstreifentaunus„ (Side-stripes Taunus) from 1959 |
| Production | 1952–1962 (12M) 1955–1959 (15M) |
| Assembly | Cologne-Niehl, Germany |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Large family car (D) |
| Body style | 2-door saloon 3-door “Kombi” estate car 2-door cabriolet |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1172 cc Ford Sidevalve engine 4-cylinder in-line, water-cooled 1498 cc Ford Taunus straight four 4-cylinder in-line, overhead valve, water-cooled optional from 1955 |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,489 mm (98.0 in) |
| Length | 4,060 mm (159.8 in) |
| Width | 1,580 mm (62.2 in) |
| Height | 1,500 mm (59.1 in) |
| Curb weight | 850–930 kg (1,874–2,050 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Ford Taunus “Buckeltaunus” |
| Successor | Ford Taunus 12M P4 |
The Ford Taunus P1 is a small family car which was produced by Ford Germany from 1952 until 1962. It was marketed as the Ford Taunus 12M, and, between 1955 and 1959, as the larger-engined Ford Taunus 15M. The company produced a succession of Ford Taunus 12M models until 1970, as the name was applied to a succession of similarly sized cars, but the first Taunus 12M models, based on the company's Taunus Project 1 (P1), remained in production only until 1962. In that year the Taunus P1 series was replaced by the Taunus P4 series.
At its launch, the car placed Ford ahead of the pack, being unusually modern in terms of the bits that showed. It was one of the first new cars to appear in Germany since before the war, and featured a radical ponton format “three box” body as pioneered (at least in Germany) by the 1949 Borgward. The three-box car body format would soon become mainstream, but when the Ford Taunus 12M appeared in 1952 competitor manufacturers including Opel, Volkswagen and Auto Union were still competing with models based closely on designs originating in the 1930s.