What car replaced the Ford Zephyr?
The direct successor to the Ford Zephyr was the Ford Corsair, with the Cortina soon taking over as Ford UK’s standard mid-size family car.
Background: the Zephyr in Ford’s UK lineup
The Ford Zephyr family was a cornerstone of Ford’s British lineup from the early 1950s through the early 1960s, serving as a mid-sized, comfortable sedan for families and customers seeking a step up from smaller models. By the early 1960s, Ford began restructuring its range to modernize design and improve efficiency, signaling the end of the Zephyr era and the transition to newer models.
Direct successor and transitional models
Below are the principal models that replaced the Zephyr and shaped Ford’s mid-size strategy in the 1960s.
- Ford Corsair (introduced in 1963) — the direct successor to the Zephyr/Zodiac range in Ford's UK lineup.
- Ford Cortina (introduced in 1962) — rapidly became Ford’s main mid-size family car, effectively taking over the Zephyr’s market position even as the Corsair existed alongside it.
Together, these models mark the transition away from the Zephyr naming and design toward Ford’s modern, modular mid-size lineup, a shift that helped Ford compete more effectively in Britain’s growing family-car market.
Context and market evolution
In the years that followed, Ford’s strategy centered on the Cortina as the backbone of the mid-size fleet, with the Corsair serving as an upmarket option during the transitional period. The later Granada, introduced in the early 1970s, expanded Ford’s range into a more upscale, large family car category, but the Cortina remained the dominant mid-size model for much of the era. The Zephyr name itself did not persist beyond the early 1960s, as Ford refocused on modern design and more versatile platform engineering.
Summary
The Ford Zephyr was effectively replaced by the Ford Corsair, with the Cortina then taking over as Ford UK’s primary mid-size family car. This shift marked Ford’s move toward a more streamlined, modern lineup in the 1960s, laying the groundwork for its long-running success in the UK market. The later Granada would later join the lineup in a higher-end segment, but the Cortina remained central to Ford’s mid-size strategy for years.
When did Lincoln stop making the Zephyr?
Overview. Production of all American cars was halted by the Government in 1942 as the country entered World War II, with Lincoln producing the last Lincoln Zephyr on February 10.
What replaced the Ford Zephyr?
Granada
The Zephyr and its luxury variants, the Ford Zodiac and Ford Executive, were the largest passenger cars in the British Ford range from 1950 until their replacement by the Consul and Granada models in 1972.
What was the last British Ford car made?
Fiesta
Ford today ended British car production as the final Fiesta, made obsolete by an all-new European-built model waiting in the wings, trundled off the Dagenham assembly line to little official fanfare and considerable bile from union members.
What replaced the Mercury Zephyr?
Released for the 1984 model year, the Ford Tempo and Mercury Topaz replaced the Fairmont/Zephyr.
