Absolute cult and probably the synonym for Ford Germany was the Taunus. In particular, the Taunus 12M, launched exactly 60 years ago, embodied a new beginning and the dawn of modernity with innovations that were cutting-edge at the time. It was precisely this model that was considered the benchmark in the mid-size class and was given the legendary nickname “globe”, derived from the globe placed centrally on the edge of the engine hood. The “M” also stood for “masterpiece” – and rightly so.

The Ford Taunus 12M/15M was the first new design of a passenger car from the German Ford-Werke (FK) after the Second World War. The car of the lower middle class was offered between 1952 and 1959 as Taunus 12M (development name: Ford G13, nickname: “Weltkugel”). Between 1955 and 1959, it was also available with a more powerful engine as the Taunus 15M (Ford G4B). In 1959, the revised model Ford G13 AL (nickname: “Seitenstreifentaunus”) – offered as Taunus 12M – replaced both models and was built until 1962. In individual publications, the development name P1 is given for the complete series.

In contrast to the 12M, the 15M had a 1.5-liter gasoline engine. Although the new engine was still based on the basic design with side camshaft of the 1930s Ford Eifel, it had overhead valves – a first for Ford. The triple-bearing crankshaft was cast hollow. With 82 mm bore and 70.9 mm stroke, the new engine was short-stroked and, with 1498 cc displacement, produced 55 hp (40 kW) at 4250 rpm. The new car had the 12M body with different add-on parts. The front of the car received a more coarsely divided radiator grille with a continuous horizontal bar and teardrop-shaped blinker lights on the fenders. The narrow taillights received slightly larger, fluted diffusing lenses.

In January 1955, the new Ford was introduced, which could now at least compete with the mid-size cars on the engine side. It was available in the same body variants as the Taunus 12M. The “Saxomat” automatic clutch was available as an option for three-speed transmissions.

From September 1955, a deLuxe version was available in addition to the Taunus 15M. The car had seven vertical chrome bars in the radiator grille (originally created from bumper horns) and a two-tone paint scheme. Windshield washers, tubeless tires, reverse lights, sun visors with makeup mirrors, and a headlight flasher – the first on a German passenger car – were standard equipment.