5 Legendary Body-On-Frame Cars Built On The Ford Panther Platform

The history of the American auto industry is filled with illustrious nameplates and vehicle platforms, with many of them having an impact and recognition that go far beyond auto enthusiast circles. One of these is Ford's legendary Panther platform. Even if people don't recognize the name, they will probably be familiar with the many vehicles built on it. 

More than just a throwback to a bygone era of car building, the body-on-frame Panther cars are well known to the American public through their decades of service as front-line law enforcement vehicles. For years, the profile of a Ford Crown Victoria and its headlights in the rearview mirror was a familiar sight for American drivers, but the Panther platform's accomplishments extend far beyond police service.

The last Panther-platform vehicle rolled off the assembly line in 2011, wrapping up a production run that lasted over 30 years. Today, the Panther cars enjoy a following that blurs the line between cult enthusiast favorite and a genuine American classic. Through its decades of production, Panther-based vehicles have taken on many forms, and we've rounded up five of the best Panther models ever built, from family station wagons and performance sedans to a fully outfitted presidential limousine. 

The Panther platform debuted in 1979, and among the early models that helped define the platform were the Lincoln Continental Mark VIs of the early 1980s. Although the Panther-based Continentals were smaller than the giant Lincolns of the late '70s, these cars still represent a very distinct era of the full-size American luxury car, complete with signature features like hide-away headlights, vinyl roofs, and rear opera windows.

While later Panther cars were all sedans, this generation of Continental was also available as a two-door coupe. Once considered one of the most quintessential American luxury cars, the Lincoln Continental went through many evolutions in its post-Panther years, eventually morphing into a front-wheel-drive, unibody luxury sedan before Lincoln finally pulled the plug on the model for good. For many, though, it's these boxy, opulent, body-on-frame models that represent the Continental at its peak. 

Today, with Lincoln's lineup consisting entirely of SUVs, these early '80s, Panther-based Continentals represent an entirely bygone era of American luxury cars. Additionally, these early '80s Lincolns show just how much the platform evolved over its lifespan when compared to the sleeker, more modern Panther cars that came later.

If you had to pick one Panther-based model to represent the platform, it would be the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. For the general public, these police cars were a common sight on U.S. streets and highways from the 1980s through the 2000s, and though most have now been retired, Crown Victoria police cars can still be found serving in some parts of the country today. Even those from outside of America are likely very familiar with the Crown Vic Police Interceptor through its countless appearances in movies and television shows over the years.

With its robust body-on-frame construction and ability to take a beating, many law enforcement officers still have great things to say about the Crown Vic, even as it's been replaced with newer, more modern police car designs. The Crown Vic proved so popular that some police departments stockpiled additional cars for future use when Ford announced that production was ending. 

Even if its service days are mostly behind it, the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor has since taken on an entirely new role as a favorite among car enthusiasts and budget racers. Some aftermarket companies focus almost exclusively on parts for the Crown Vic (and other Panther cars), and there's even a spec racing series for retired Crown Victoria Police Interceptors that provides incredible fun for the dollar.

Before the minivan and the SUV, the station wagon was the predominant American family car. Though the Panther platform arrived toward the tail end of the prime station wagon era, it nonetheless spawned two of America's most iconic wagons of the '80s: the Ford LTD Country Squire and Mercury Marquis Colony Park. 

With their boxy shape and optional woodgrain paneling, these Panther-based wagons have since become genuine classics, representing the V8-powered, body-on-frame haulers that carried American families for decades. Impressively, these old-school wagons soldiered on into the early 1990s before Ford pulled the plug, directing prospective customers to its SUVs, vans, or the smaller, more fuel-efficient Ford Taurus wagon instead.

These station wagons also became a star on the silver screen. Although it's referred to as the "Queen Family Truckster" in the film, a heavily customized, wood-paneled 1979 LTD Country Squire has a prominent role in the iconic 1980s comedy "National Lampoon's Vacation." Sure, SUVs and minivans may have replaced these wagons, but there's something about a full-size American station wagon that will trigger a lot of nostalgia for anyone who grew up between the '70s and '90s.

Today, the best-known presidential limousine is the Cadillac-based marvel known as The Beast. Turn the clock back a few decades, though, and you'll find the Ford Panther platform also occupies an important spot in presidential history, with President George H.W. Bush's Lincoln Town Car limo. Work on this limousine began in the mid-1980s and lasted five years, with the build costing $600,000 in 1980s dollars (about $1.6 million in today's money).

Given the extra weight of all the armor, reinforcements, and amenities you'd expect from a presidential limousine, it's not surprising that Ford dropped in a 7.5-liter big-block V8 into this Lincoln, rather than the small blocks that powered the rest of the Panther cars at the time. Among the additions to the limo were bulletproof windows, a self-sealing fuel tank, and a bomb detector.

Today, this iconic piece of Ford Panther history can be viewed at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station, Texas. Notably, this was the last in a long line of Lincoln presidential limos before General Motors and Cadillac took over the job.

With its V8 engines and rear-wheel drive, the Panther platform has plenty of enthusiast appeal, and the most desirable of all Panther vehicles is probably the 2003-2004 Mercury Marauder. To untrained eyes, this doesn't look much different than other Panther models of the era, but the early-2000s Marauder is a car that could be dubbed the Crown Victoria's evil twin. 

The Marauder was based on the Mercury Grand Marquis, with a massive change under the hood: Gone was the original car's single overhead cam 4.6-liter modular V8, with a double overhead cam, 32-valve 4.6-liter modular V8 from the Ford Mustang Cobra in its place. The Marauder was rated at 302 hp, a big number by early-2000s standards, and the more powerful engine was joined by other tweaks, including a new suspension, larger wheels and tires, and a sportier interior. 

Even if the Marauder's weight and size kept it from being a monster on the track, the added power and attitude nonetheless made for an impressive transformation. Few would disagree if you called the Mercury Marauder the king of the Panthers. Or if you want to look at it another way, the Marauder can also be seen as Ford's answer to the Chevrolet Impala SS of the 1990s, with both cars now considered bona fide modern classics.