What Ford had a V4 engine?
The V4 engine Ford built most famously appeared in Europe, with the Taunus V4 becoming the standout example used in several Ford Taunus models during the 1960s and early 1970s.
A European engineering pivot
After World War II, Ford’s European arm pursued compact, efficient layouts to suit small family cars. The 60-degree V4 offered a smaller footprint than inline fours while delivering adequate power for everyday driving, a combination well suited to the Taunus platform.
The Taunus V4 engine
The Ford Taunus V4 family was produced by Ford-Werke in Germany and powered a range of Taunus sedans. Across its run, the V4 appeared in several displacement variants, typically carbureted and tuned for reliability and ease of maintenance rather than high performance.
Key technical characteristics include:
- Displacements roughly in the 1.2 to 1.7-liter range, marketed as 12M, 15M and 17M variants
- 60-degree V4 configuration to fit compact car packaging
- Carbureted induction with variations over the model years
- Gradual phase-out in favor of inline-four powertrains by the late 1970s
The Taunus V4 represented Ford’s European approach to balancing size, efficiency and practicality in an era when compact sedans were expanding across markets.
Models that used the Taunus V4
The following Taunus models were equipped with the V4 engine or its direct derivatives during their production runs:
- Ford Taunus 12M (1.2-liter V4)
- Ford Taunus 15M (1.5-liter V4)
- Ford Taunus 17M (1.7-liter V4)
These models formed the core of Ford’s European mid-size family cars in the period when the Taunus V4 was the standard powertrain option.
Legacy and transition
As European automotive engineering advanced, Ford shifted toward inline-four engines for its mainstream passenger cars, with the Taunus V4 gradually fading from new-car lineups. The V4 remains a notable chapter in Ford’s history, illustrating how regional market needs shaped engine design choices during the mid-20th century.
Summary
Ford’s V4 engine program, especially the Taunus V4, marked a distinct era in European automotive engineering. It powered a family of Taunus sedans in the 1.2–1.7-liter range and demonstrated Ford’s willingness to experiment with non-inline-four layouts to meet regional needs. While no longer in production, the Taunus V4 remains a notable footnote in Ford’s global engine history.
