The first Mercury assembled outside North America, it had so little US content that it did not count toward Ford's fuel-economy average.
Median 110 hp across 263 similar cars
Lead trim: 1.6 Mazda B6
Mercury Tracer first generationBF · 1987–1989
- 0spots by members
- Unclaimednobody has spotted one yet
- 0sets it belongs to
Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Mercury Tracer first generation yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe first Mercury assembled outside North America, it had so little US content that it did not count toward Ford's fuel-economy average.
For 1987 Mercury introduced the Tracer to replace the Lynx as its subcompact, derived from the Ford Laser, itself a version of the Mazda 323, and built in Hermosillo, Mexico, and Taiwan. It was the first Mercury since 1960 to share nothing with a North American Ford. It came as three- and five-door hatchbacks and a wagon on the Mazda BF platform, with a 1.6 litre Mazda B6 four and a five-speed manual or three-speed automatic.
Collectors Spotted in the Mercury Tracer Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Mercury Tracer yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 Mazda B6 | 1987–1989 | 1.6 L I4 | 84 hp | — | — | — | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
This was the only Tracer generation built entirely in the United States, assembled solely at Wayne Stamping in Michigan.
The Tracer LTS, with a 127 hp Mazda 1.8, made Car and Driver's Ten Best list for 1991.
The Mazda-built Tracer had so few US-made parts that it literally didn’t count toward Ford’s fuel-economy average — a loophole baked into its badge.
The first Mercury assembled outside North America, it had so little US content that it did not count toward Ford's fuel-economy average.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
It briefly served as senior sibling to Marquette, a GM companion brand cancelled after just one year.
Nissan hired former BMW engineers to help develop the 510's suspension, which is why period reviewers frequently compared its handling to the BMW 1600/2002.
A Trabant 601 won its class at the 1970 Monte Carlo Rally, with a second 601 right behind it in second.
The 600 was a stopgap: the P50's body over the 601's mechanicals, and for a while its estate was built alongside the new 601 saloon.
The G80 Sport brought a 370 PS twin-turbo 3.3 V6, a mesh grille and copper-tinted chrome with copper stitching to match.
The Vigor was sold only with a five-cylinder engine, an unusual configuration Honda used to fit a longer engine transversely under a short hood.
The GS/E coupe earned the nickname "German Charger" for its long hood, short deck stance borrowed from Detroit muscle cars.
This DeVille/Fleetwood was the first production car anywhere to mount its V8 sideways, Cadillac's front-drive gamble on the new C-body.