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First shown at the Chicago Auto Show and introduced in April 1981 as an early 1982 model, the Ford EXP and Mercury LN7 were the first two-seaters that Ford offered in 25 years. more...

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Comparing the EXP to the original Thunderbird, Ford Division General Manager Louis E. Latalf said: "We’re introducing another two-seater with the same flair, but the EXP will be a very affordable, very fuel efficient car matched to the lifestyles of the eighties."

Ford's marketing strategy at the time was based on their perception of American lifestyle in the early 1980s. Ford felt that the growing number of one and two person households, combined with the lifestyle of the younger target audience who desired a small sporty car, led them to the conclusion that Americans wanted a "lively little car that is dependable, efficient, and good-looking".

Ford's feeling was that if a customer wanted room for four or five passengers, they would buy an Escort or a Fairmont. The whole marketing philosophy behind the EXP was rather like that of a European grand tourer; a personal vehicle for two, with a shotgun seat for emergency transport of a third. The designation of EXP, reflected this philosophy.

Name origin

For a long time, some were adamant that the letters stood for “EXPerimental"; others said that Ford marketing executives just thought it was a cool combination of letters and wasn't intended to really mean anything. However, according to an article published in Popular Mechanics (March 1981), the letters EXP are supposed to stand for Erika Project Personal car (Project cars are designated X). The "Erika" came from the codename from the European Escort.

First generation (1982-1985)

The EXP's rakish non-boxy body rode on the Escort's 94.2 inch (2393 mm) wheelbase, with that car's front-wheel drive running gear, four-wheel independent suspension, and dashboard. The EXP was longer, lower, and sportier than the Escort.

Performance wasn't the cars strong suit however, since the EXP weighed about 200 pounds more than Escort but carried the same small 1.6 L CVH I4 engine rated at 70 hp (52 kW) and a standard 4-speed IB4 manual transaxle.

Both the Ford EXP and the Mercury LN7 had a sharply-sloped windshield, wheel arches with prominent lips, and wide body side moldings not far below the top of the wheel well. The biggest difference was the rear fascia.

Read more at Wikipedia.org