The Ford Explorer and the Mercury Mountaineer are very similar vehicles. What year did the Ford Explorer start being produced?
Ford Explorer The Ford Explorer is a full-size sport utility vehicle produced by the American manufacturer Ford Motor Company since 1990, based since 2010 on a crossover platform. The Ford Explorer became one of the most popular sport utility vehicles on the road. The model years 1991 through 2010 were traditional body-on-frame, mid-size SUVs. For the 2011 model year, Ford moved the Explorer to a more modern unibody, full-size crossover SUV platform, the same Volvo-derived platform the Ford Flex and Ford Taurus use although with significantly greater ground clearance. It is slotted between the traditional body-on-frame, full-size Ford Expedition and the mid-size CUV (Crossover Utility Vehicle) Ford Edge. Although outwardly similar, the fifth generation Explorer, Ford Edge and Ford Escape do not share platforms. The fifth generation Explorer does, however, share platforms with the Ford Flex and Lincoln MKT.
Ford LTD Crown Victoria The Ford LTD Crown Victoria was a line of full-size cars produced by Ford from 1980 to 1991. Introduced as the flagship of the Ford LTD range for 1980, the LTD Crown Victoria was marketed as the Ford counterpart of the Mercury Grand Marquis. For 1983, Ford adopted the LTD Crown Victoria nameplate for its entire range of full-size sedans as part of a realignment of its model ranges. Produced as a two-door and four-door sedan, the model range included the woodgrained Ford LTD Country Squire station wagon; a version without wood trim was also produced.