For several years in the 1980s, Ford USA imported a Federalized version of the European Ford Scorpio/Sierra and sold it through Lincoln-Mercury dealers as the Merkur (“mare-COOR”). Part of the marketing effort for the cars included putting the name on the 1986 Trans Am/IMSA GTO race cars. The production cars had independent rear suspensions, as did the competition cars. This car was first campaigned in 1986 and again in 1987 with a four-cylinder engine. It became a GTO car when it was fitted with a V-8 for the 1988 season and it promptly went out to win the season-opening Daytona 24-Hour race. The car is shown here as it appeared during the 1988 season, providing sponsor Mac Tools with their money’s worth all year long.