1994 Ford Explorer

The 1991 model year introduced the first-generation Ford Explorer, a midsize SUV that replaced the two-door Bronco II. The Explorer used the UN46 platform, a body-on-frame chassis derived from the Ford Ranger pickup, and shared many of the Ranger's components. Unlike the Bronco II, which was two-door only, the Explorer was offered in both a two-door body and a four-door body, and the four-door helped establish the Explorer in the growing family SUV market. The 1991-1994 Ford Explorer was powered by the 4.0-liter overhead-valve (OHV) V6, a pushrod engine from Ford's Cologne V6 family; it was rated at 155 horsepower for the 1991 and 1992 model years and 160 horsepower for 1993 and 1994. Transmissions were a Mazda-sourced five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic, with rear-wheel drive standard and four-wheel drive optional. Trim levels included the base XL, the better-equipped XLT, the two-door Sport, and the upscale Eddie Bauer edition. The first-generation Explorer ran through the 1994 model year and was replaced by the redesigned second generation for 1995.