Ford Taunus VIN Decoder: Generations, Engines and VIN Lookup Guide

Every Ford Taunus carries an identification number, and reading it is the quickest way to confirm what a particular car really is before you trust a listing. The Taunus was Ford of Germany’s mid-size car, and the TC range built from 1970 to 1982 was a close relative of the British Cortina, sold as a saloon, a coupe and an estate across Europe. The number confirms the model year, the engine the car left the line with and the plant that built it, and from the early 1980s it follows the modern 17 character VIN. You can run a Taunus number through the decoder at the top of this page, and the guide below explains how the number is built, walks through the generations, and points out what to check when you look one over.

How a Ford Taunus VIN is put together

Taunus models from the early 1980s use the 17 character VIN, which splits into three blocks where the same position always carries the same kind of information. Earlier cars from the 1970s use a shorter Ford chassis number and need period references rather than a modern decoder. The first three characters are the World Manufacturer Identifier, and most Taunus models begin with WF0, the code for Ford built passenger cars in Europe. Characters four through eight describe the car, including the body and, most usefully, the engine, which is where a small four cylinder is set apart from the Cologne V6. The ninth character is a check digit that validates the whole number. The last eight characters describe the individual car, with position ten the model year, position eleven the plant and the final six the sequential build number. The quick reference below covers the clues you will use most often when you read a Ford Taunus VIN.

You will find the number behind the windscreen, on the plate in the door area and on the registration documents, and matching them is the first check worth doing.

How a Ford Taunus is identified

The Taunus was Ford’s German family car, the continental cousin of the Cortina, and it sits across the change to the modern VIN. The last cars, from the 1981 model year, carry the seventeen character VIN, which begins with WF0 on a Ford built in Germany and gives the model year in the tenth character. The earlier cars predate that system and instead are identified by an older Ford number, stamped on the car and shown on the identification plate in the engine bay.

What the number tells you

On the later cars the seventeen character VIN reads in the usual way, position by position. On the earlier cars the stamped number and the plate together record the year, the plant and the body, and there is no single position by position code to read, so the plate and the paperwork are what establish the car. German Ford records and the Taunus clubs are the best source for turning an older number into a year and a specification.

Where to find the number on a Ford Taunus

Look for the identification plate in the engine bay and the stamped number on the body, and on the later cars read the VIN through the base of the windscreen as well. On a car of this age the plate, the stamped number and the registration documents all need to agree before you buy.

A short history, generation by generation

The TC Taunus arrived in 1970 and shared much of its engineering with the Cortina, which made it one of Europe’s most familiar family cars. The first TC1 cars offered everything from frugal fours to a smooth V6, the TC2 of 1976 brought cleaner, more angular styling, and the TC3 of 1979 modernised the range and added a diesel before the Taunus was replaced by the Sierra in 1982. The table below sums up the generations.

Ford Taunus engines and specifications

Because the engine code is part of the number, a proper check confirms the engine the car was born with. The figures below cover the main engines, with power as a range because output changed across the years.

Ford Taunus by model year

Buyers searching for a specific year want to know what they are getting, so the table below maps several model years to their year code, generation and engine options. Cars from the 1970s predate the 17 character VIN and use a chassis number.

Reliability and the things worth checking

The Taunus is simple and tough, but every survivor is old now, so condition matters far more than reputation. Always run the number through the relevant history check and look closely at the points below.

Buying a used Ford Taunus

When you find one worth pursuing, read the number first and make sure the model year, engine and body line up with the advertisement. The V6 and coupe models are the most sought after, so confirm the engine and trim, and on every Taunus spend your time checking for corrosion, which is the thing most likely to end an otherwise sound car. When you are ready, enter your Ford Taunus number in the decoder above to confirm the year, engine and plant, then use the advice here to make sure the car is genuinely what it claims to be.