Ford EXP

The Ford EXP is a sports compact coupe that was produced and sold by Ford Motor Company in North America from the 1982 to 1988 model years. The first two-seat Ford since the 1957 Thunderbird, the EXP made its debut at the 1981 Chicago Auto Show. Sharing the dashboard, wheelbase, suspension, and powertrain with the Ford Escort, the EXP was longer, lower, and more aerodynamic than its five-seat counterpart.

In line with the first-generation Escort, the EXP was produced in a version from 1982 to 1985, undergoing a facelift during the 1985 model year. The model was dropped after the 1988 model year. Although not intended to replace the EXP (as it was originally designed to become the 1989 Ford Mustang), the 1989 Ford Probe would become the next front-wheel drive sports coupe sold by Ford. After the EXP, the next two-seat Ford marketed in North America would be the 2002 Ford Thunderbird. Then in 1998, the Escort of the time was marketed as a ZX2, a nod to the EXP and the XR2 from the 1980s. Although EXPs were sports cars, it was common to remove the rear carpeting to put in rear seats as the floor pans are identical between the 3-door Escorts, Escort GTs, and EXPs, however the lower roof line makes rear seating uncomfortable.

From 1982 to 1983, the EXP was sold by Lincoln-Mercury dealers as the Mercury LN7. The LN7 was distinguished largely by its "bubbleback" hatch, large bumper strips across the doors, "black-out" tail lights, and more slits in the nose clip than those of an EXP. The vehicle, however, was dropped after failing to meet sales expectations.