Ford Taunus V4 engine

The Ford Taunus V4 is a compact 60 degree V4 piston engine that Ford introduced in Germany in 1962. It was built at the Cologne plant and used a single balance shaft to smooth the running that a V4 layout would otherwise lack. Originally drawn up for a small American car that never reached production, it found its home in the German Taunus and in the German versions of the Consul, Capri and Transit, and the Swedish maker Saab later bought it for its 95, 96 and Sonett models. The Cologne V6 grew directly out of this design, and the V4 also served in pumps, generators, farm machinery and snowcats before the Pinto engine replaced it in cars. Displacements ran from 1.2 to 1.7 litres, with tuned rally versions reaching about 200 horsepower in the Saab 96.