From 1925 Ford assembled cars at Berlin-Plötzensee and in 1931 opened a new factory at Cologne, where the first cars were made to American designs. They included the 933cc Köln (model 19-Y) and the 3285cc four-cylinder Rheinland, which was really a re-bodied Model B. V8 Fords were imported until 1934, then built at Cologne, using the 3618cc engine, and from 1939 Cologne also offered the smaller 2228cc V8. The 1172cc Eifel (based on the English Model C-20 10 hp) of 1935-39 was a bestseller. The post-war 1172cc Taunus, nicknamed "Bückel" (hunchback), was a developed version of the 1939 Taunus, which appeared in 1948, to be superseded in 1952 by an improved and modernized Taunus 12M, developing 38 bhp at 4250 rpm. The 15M, with a 1498cc ohv engine, appeared in 1955. New in 1957 was the 1698cc 17M, followed by 1758cc versions. A new Taunus with 1183cc and 1498cc engines appeared after 1962; this range had V4 power-units and front-wheel drive. A 1280cc version, and also larger models with V-engines, were added in 1966 and 1967, while V-motors (including ohv V6 1998cc and 2293cc engines) were also included in the range of rear-wheel-driven German Fords. Sixes of 2550cc were added in 1969, while 1968 saw the introduction of the 1098cc in-line four-cylinder Escort. A new 1285cc:four-cylinder in-line Taunus appeared in 1970, followed in 1974 by a 1576cc version: the 1981cc Taunus still had the V6 motor. The first Capris of 1969 had in-line and V-engines of 1288 to 2637cc, heralding a move towards total European rationalization (apart from some engine variations) of the Ford range: it was superseded by the improved Capri II in 1974, followed in turn by the four-headlamp Capri III in 1977. A new Consul/Granada range appeared in 1972: the 1978 Granada, built only in Germany, was the flagship of Ford's European range. In 1979 Ford's German factories also built the Fiesta, Escort, Taunus (identical with the British Cortina) and the Capri. ©VEA
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