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Junkyard Gem: 1993 Mercury Topaz GS Sedan

As long as the Mercury brand existed — a period spanning the 1939 through 2011 model years — nearly every Mercury sold in the United States was more or less a redecorated Ford model. The Torino had its Montego sibling, the Crown Victoria had the Grand Marquis, the Cougar was based on everything from the Mustang to the Mondeo, and so on. Naturally, when the folks in Dearborn developed the Ford Tempo compact, a Mercury version had to be created. This was the Topaz, with the official launch of both cars taking place on the deck of the aircraft carrier often referred to as the USS Decrepit. You can't make this stuff up! The Tempo/Topaz, also known as the Tempaz, has largely faded from our collective automotive memory by now, since it broke no significant new engineering or styling ground (this story would be much different if Ford had only put the amazing straight-eight "T-Drive" Tempaz powertrain into production) and didn't have any endearing features other than being a cheap domestic competitor to the Toyota Corolla and Nissan Sentra. Still, close to 3 million Tempazes left North American Ford and Lincoln-Mercury showrooms during the 1984-1994 period. As you'd expect, most of these disposable cars disappeared from both the street and the car graveyard long ago. It takes a very special Tempaz for me to break out my camera while I'm patrolling my local wrecking yards; generally, this means an ultra-rare all-wheel-drive version or at least a very early model in super-clean condition. Today's Junkyard Gem is neither, but I took one look at this spectacular Bordello Red crypto-velour-and-slippery-plastic interior and recognized that this was no ordinary junkyard Mercury. It appears that Mercury had dropped the idea of clever names for base-grade seat fabrics by the time of the Topaz, referring to this stuff as just "cloth" in all the brochures I could find. That's too bad, because Mercurys had cool names for upholstery (e.g., Chromatex) in the old days. The interior is in very good condition but the steering wheel shows substantial wear, so I think this is a high-mile Topaz that got meticulous care from its owner or owners. Ford used five-digit odometers on these cars until the end of production, however, so we'll never know if this reading indicates 65,404 miles or 365,404 miles. The body is very straight, but there's some nasty corrosion behind the right front wheelwell.

2015 Ford Mustang already under recall, but just 53 units

Ford has issued a small - but significant - recall for one of its spotlight cars: the 2015 Mustang.
The recall affects just 53 cars, with 50 in the United States and three in Canada. Ford said the passenger side safety belt buckle tension sensor may not have been calibrated properly by the supplier. This could lead to "misclassification" of the passenger seat occupant, and could cause the airbag to deploy improperly.
A Ford spokesperson didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. In a statement, the automaker said it is not aware of any accidents or injuries, and dealers will replace the buckle assembly at no cost to customers. The cars affected were built at Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan from Aug. 18 to Oct. 2.

New upscale Ford Taurus revealed in Shanghai

As much as the Ford Taurus may have going for it, we wouldn't classify it as a luxury sedan as much as a mass-market one. The story is different in China, however, where Ford has introduced an altogether more upscale version of the Taurus. Shown this weekend at the Shanghai Motor Show, the Chinese-market Taurus is longer and more luxurious than the sedan we know on these shores. For starters, its wheelbase has been stretched from 113 inches to 116. That means more legroom for the rear seat; useful in a market where the vehicle's owner is often chauffeured. Those rear seats can power-recline as well, with adjustable lumbar support and massage function. A fold-down armrest holds with controls for the seats, air-con and audio system. And panoramic sunroof tops the whole affair. That commodious cabin is wrapped in revised sheet metal that's designed to look decidedly more upscale as well. Power is provided by a 2.7-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 of unspecified output but which produces 315 horsepower in the Ford Edge, 325 in the F-150 and 335 in the Lincoln MKX. This version of the Taurus is earmarked specifically for the Chinese market for the time being, and set to be produced locally at the Changan Ford plant in Hangzhou. Scope out the images in the slideshow above and the details in the press release below for a closer look at Ford's new Chinese flagship. Related Video: 2015-4-18 | Shanghai, China New Ford Taurus Sets a New Benchmark for Large Sedans in China - Ford Taurus, a new premium business sedan for China, combines expressive design, exceptional craftsmanship and advanced technology - Taurus is the latest vehicle delivered as part of Ford's commitment to bring 15 new world-class vehicles to China by 2015 - Powerful, confident and inviting exterior design is matched by a spacious and elegant interior with carefully chosen materials for a sense of prestige - New high-output twin-turbo 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 engine offers effortless power with high efficiency - Taurus will be manufactured at new $760 million Changan Ford Hangzhou plant Introducing a new premium sedan for discerning Chinese business customers, Ford today unveiled the new Ford Taurus at a special event in Shanghai. Designed especially to meet the needs of the Chinese market, the vehicle brings the historic Taurus nameplate to China for the first time.