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The Ford Laser was a compact car which was sold by Ford in Asia, Oceania, and parts of South America, and Africa. It has generally been available as a sedan or hatchback, although convertible, wagon and pick-up versions have also been available in different markets. The sedan version was labelled Ford Meteor in Australia between 1981 and 1987. The Ford Laser was a restyled version of the Familia/323 models produced by Mazda in Japan from 1980 onwards. Ford had acquired a 25% stake in Mazda in 1979. Platform and assembly-line sharing with the locally produced Mazda Familia in Japan allowed the Laser in that market to be offered with a plethora of engine, paint and trim configurations not available anywhere else in the world. This was most notably evident during the 1980s with multiple turbocharged variants, unique bodyshells such as the cabriolet, and full-time 4WD models all available years before their debuts in other markets (and in some cases, never making it offshore at all). Along with the Japanese produced Ford Telstar and Ford Festiva, the Laser was sold at special ''Autorama'' dealerships. In Australia, New Zealand and Europe where Ford was seen as a local brand, the Laser outsold its Mazda twin, but in neighbouring Asian countries, such as Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, as well as Japan itself, the reverse was the case. However, pooling resources with Mazda allowed Ford to maintain a foothold in the region. This was also the case in South America, Africa, and the Caribbean, where the Laser was also sold, in many cases being locally assembled. == First generation (KA, KB; 1981–1985) == The KA Laser (Australian model code), built under license from Mazda, was introduced in March 1981, replacing the rear-wheel-drive Escort in Australia. The range was available as a hatchback, in both three- and five-door varieties, as well as a four-door sedan badged Ford Meteor. Ford Australia marketed them as separate vehicles, providing a worthy rival to Japanese models like the Toyota Corolla. Originally sold only with the 1.3-litre engine, the smaller 1.1-litre engine was never available in Australia. Later, 1.5-litre versions were added, eventually even a turbocharged version. In January 1983, Laser underwent a facelift to become the KB. Light changes were made to the rear, while the front was redesigned in a more modern style, aligning it with Ford's corporate look of the era. In Japan this is referred to as the "BE" Laser, which was identical to the Australian KB series. The BE model code relates to the BD model code used for the corresponding Familia/323. The first Lasers went on sale in Japan in late 1982. Fuel-injection and a 115 PS turbocharged model were added in July 1983; these variants were never offered for sale outside of Japan. Aside from being built in Australia and Japan, some Lasers were also assembled in New Zealand. In New Zealand, the Laser was sold as both a hatchback and sedan, and was later assembled alongside the Mazda 323 at the Vehicle Assemblers of New Zealand (VANZ) plant in Wiri, Auckland in a joint venture between Ford New Zealand and Mazda. New Zealand-built Laser hatchbacks were available with the 1.1-litre (Ritz), 1.3-litre (GL), and 1.5 litre (Sports) engines, while the Laser sedan (L, Ghia) was not available with the 1.1-litre engine.〔''Tutte le Auto del Mondo 1985'', p. 424〕 The Laser was also assembled in some countries in Latin America, such as Colombia, and Venezuela, and sold in Argentina. In Mexico, the first-generation Laser had a front end similar to the North American Mazda GLC.〔(1981 Ford KA Laser Brochure – Mexico )〕 It was also sold in right hand drive markets in the Caribbean such as Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, as well as Bermuda. Assembly of the Laser also occurred in Malaysia and Indonesia (in right hand drive) and in left hand drive for markets like Taiwan and the Philippines. In Taiwan, (where it was assembled by local joint venture Ford Lio Ho). The Laser was also introduced to Zimbabwe in 1981. * Mazda E1, 1.1 L Carb 8V SOHC ('Ritz', 'L', and 'GL' New Zealand models) * Mazda E3, 1.3 L Carb 8V SOHC ('L' and 'GL' models) * Mazda E5, 1.5 L Carb 8V SOHC ('L', 'GL' and 'GHIA' models) * Mazda E5, 1.5 L Twin Carb 8V SOHC ('Sports' models) * Mazda E5T, 1.5 L Carb 8V SOHC Turbo (limited edition 'Turbo' models) * Mazda E5T, 1.5 L EFI 8V SOHC Turbo ('Turbo' Japan models) 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ford Laser」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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