Introduced for the 1989 model year, this Ford coupe was a Mazda-developed, front-wheel-drive sports compact that arrived during a period when the company was experimenting with more aerodynamic, globally influenced designs. It was positioned as a youthful, relatively affordable alternative to larger rear-drive performance cars, with styling and packaging aimed at buyers who wanted something sleeker than a traditional domestic coupe. The nameplate launched with a distinctive first-generation body that ran through the 1992 model year.
For 1993, the car was comprehensively redesigned into a second generation that adopted a smoother, more modern shape and kept the same basic market mission. That later version is the better-known one to many enthusiasts, especially in GT form, and it carried the model through the rest of its life. Like the original, it reflected the close Ford-Mazda engineering relationship of the era, sharing much of its underlying hardware philosophy with related Mazda coupes of the time.
The nameplate remained on sale through the 1997 model year and was then discontinued. It never received a direct successor, which has helped it stand out among 1990s Ford products as a distinctive, short-lived coupe with a loyal enthusiast following. Today it is remembered for its clean styling, accessible performance character, and its place in Ford’s early-1990s push toward more aerodynamic, globally sourced passenger cars.