1986-1991 Mercury Sable

First generation (1986–1991)
First generation

Production
1986-1991
Assembly
Atlanta, GeorgiaChicago, Illinois
Body style(s)
4-door sedan4-door station wagon
Layout
FF layout
Platform
Ford D186 platform
Engine(s)
2.5 L HSC I43.0 L Vulcan V63.8 L Essex V6
Transmission(s)
3-speed ATX automatic4-speed AXOD automatic
Wheelbase
106.0 in.
Length
190.9 in. (1986-88 sedan)192.2 in. (1989-1991 sedan)193.2 in. (1989-1991 station wagon)191.9 in. (1986-88 station wagon)
Width
70.8 in.
Height
54.3 in. (sedan)55.1 in. (station wagon)
Related
Ford TaurusLincoln Continental
Designer
Jack Telnack

Mercury Sable GS wagon
The Sable was a very important sedan for both Mercury and the American auto industry.
Ford had lagged behind General Motors in introducing mid-size front wheel drive cars to compete against the Citation and best-selling Celebrity/6000/Cutlass/Century quartet, Chrysler's well-received K cars, and Japanese offerings from Honda, Datsun/Nissan and Toyota, and Mercury suffered even worse from this.[2] In 1984, Ford launched the redesigned Mercury Cougar to start a reinvigoration of the Mercury brand with new aerodynamic designs, and started development of the Sable.[8] Because of this design, the Sable was a resounding success and launched Mercury into a new design era, as well as influencing the other American automakers to follow suit and create aero designed cars, thus ending the "boxy" cars of the 1970s and 1980s.[2]
The Taurus and Sable siblings used flush aerodynamic composite headlights. Ford was the first to produce and sell vehicles with such headlights in the U.S., when it introduced the Lincoln Mark VII in 1984. To do so, Ford (among other automakers) had to lobby the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to have them approved.[2] The Taurus and Sable were the first domestically-produced, mainstream sedans to use the new lights. They also went beyond the Audi 5000, with which they were often compared, to adopt a grille-less "bottom breather" nose, first pioneered by the Citroën DS in the 1950s, and also used briefly on the Mustang.[2]
The Sable was unveiled along with the Taurus in a resounding fashion. For its aerodynamic shape, the launch was held in MGM Studios Soundstage 85, where Gone with the Wind was filmed. Ford workers came into the room, which was decorated in space-age decor, holding cups shaped like flying saucers and the Taurus and Sable were sitting behind a curtain, their outlines silhouetting. Then, with the flashing of strobe lights and a drum-roll, the curtain was pulled back and the two cars were revealed to the public.[2]
The bodyshell was smooth and aerodynamic. The Sable twin had a wraparound "lightbar" with two headlights and a low-wattage stretch in between. Aircraft-style doors were used to reduce wind noise, and the handles were recessed. The Sable also had large glass areas with slim pillars, and were flush with the body. The rear glass wrapped fully around, and the B-pillars were painted black to give the illusion that the front and rear glass were connected. The interior was available with bucket seats — very rare for most U.S. midsize sedans — and the dashboard wrapped around the driver and fed into the door panels to create more of a "cockpit" feel.[9]
The Sable was first introduced as a 1986 model in December 1985, to strong sales and fanfare. It came in two models, base GS and high-end LS. Initial Sable sales were strong, and the Sable sold around 300,000 units its first year.[2]
For the first year on the market, Sable buyers had the choice of a 90 hp HSC 4-cylinder mated to a three-speed automatic transaxle or a 140 hp Vulcan V6 with a four-speed automatic, with the latter having much higher sales. 4-cylinder Sable sales were so poor that the engine was dropped in 1987 (it remained an option for the Taurus until 1991). Ford's 3.8 L Essex V6 was added to the line-up in 1988. Although the power output was rated at the same 140 hp (104 kW) as the 3.0 L engine, this large V6 produced 215 ft·lbf (291 N·m) of torque, a welcome addition, especially in the heavier station wagons. However, the 3.8 suffered from premature head gasket failure, which was primarily a fault with Ford's supplier of gaskets, not with the engine itself. Some also attribute this to reduced under-hood cooling.[9] Unlike the Taurus, no manual transmission was offered in the Sable.
The Sable had just received small changes over the years, mostly in terms of equipment and cosmetics. In 1991, sales dipped to just over 100,000 units, so a new generation of Sable was launched.[9]

Awards
The Sable was on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list on its release in 1986 and again in 1990 and 1991