I’m trying to get a handle on cars which are built on the same platform, for example, the Neon and PT Cruiser. In this day and age, it seems no manufacturer has any platform that is used for only one model, the economics don’t work. But they don’t always advertise which is which.
Some that I know of (or think that I know of):
Chrysler, Dodge
Neon and PT Cruiser
Concorde, 300M, Intrepid
Cirrus, Breeze, Stratus
Dakota, Durango
Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Jaguar
Mazda Protege, Ford Focus (is this one true?)
Mazda Tribute, Ford Escape, Mazda 626
Crown Vic, Grand Marquis, Town Car, new Marauder
Taurus, Sable, Continental (used to be)
Expedition, Navigator
Explorer, Mountaineer, Aviator
Mondeo, Cougar, new baby Jaguar, Lincoln LS (?)
GM, Opel, Saab
Pontiac Sunbird, Chevy Caviler, soon to be Saturn Ion
Chevy Malibu, Pontiac Grand Am
Chevy Camaro, Pontiac Firebird
Buick Century, Regal, Pontiac Grand Prix, Chevy Monte Carlo, Impala
Passat, A6 (you could a loaded Passat for a lot less than the equivilant A6)
I think the Protege/Focus may be wrong. Ford used to share the Protege platform with the third generation Escort (like the wagon I have). IIRC, they broke away with the fourth (and last) generation Escort.
IIRC, the Saturn L shares the Opel Astra platform.
Actually the Passat is classified as an A5 platform. It shares parts with the A4 AND the A6. It is close to the A6, is much cheaper, and is more reliable.
Car makers have been doing this for decades as one poster has pointed out. Also, it depends upon how you define “platform” as the Saturn LS has almost as many SAAB parts in it as Opel, and the engine in the PT Cruiser is the same as in the Chrysler mini-vans.
There’s also the Porsche Cayenne and whatever VW’s calling its SUV.
If you look to the past there have been hundreds and you could probably never get a complete list. GM was really bad about this in the 80’s and barely tried to hide it. I really can’t think of anymore to add. Mr. Blue Sky are you sure the TT shares much with the Golf/GTI/Jetta/Beattle? My Golf has Audi rings everywhere under the hood, but I always thought the A4 was my car’s upclass brother. I always grin when I pass a base A4, Passat or TT because I know we all share the same motor(the great 1.8T).
dead0man
I know that manufacturers have been doing this for decades. GM in the 70’s and 80’s were particularly bad, as were Ford/Mercury. The rebadging is pretty boring, they look similar enough to be mistaken for each other. The odd stuff, like the Neon/PT Cruiser, I find interesting.
What I’m most interested now in are the new Caddies, which crossover/SUVs are based on which cars, and what global platforms are going to be used by GM/Opel/Vauxhaul/Saab and Ford/Lincoln/Jaguar/Volvo.
GM now has the Sigma, Epsilon, Delta, etc, replacing the old letter scheme (F-body, etc). How many are they planning?
I believe the Volvo S/V40 and the Mitsubishi Lancer (?) share a platform. The new Pontiac GTO will be based on the Holden Monaro.
Yep. I read in the British car magazine how the writers were amazed that VW could build such a great car on the Golf platform. Of course, the body and interior are vastly different, but the essence of the car is a Golf.
I read a couple of years ago that the TT shares the same platform as the VW Golf/GTI/Jetta/Beattle.
I just want to be clear on the terminology here. “Platform” means “chassis”, right? “Frame”? (It seems to me that “platform” started being used when unibody construction became virtually the only way of making cars.) So the “Audi rings everywhere” don’t really mean anything. It’s like three people buy identical tables from Ikea, and then set them diffferently.
It used to be rife in the UK. The original Mini used to have a Morris and Austin model that looked identical but were apparantly form different firms just by looking at the badges. Other cars in the parent company BMC/BL did the same thing.
