Lot 8378: 1985 Merkur XR4Ti

The Merkur XR4Ti is a bit of an automotive unicorn! It’s a performance-oriented 3-door hatchback sold in North America from 1985 to 1989 through Lincoln-Mercury dealerships—but it was actually built in Germany by Karmann and based on the European Ford Sierra XR4i.

The name breakdown: Merkur is German for Mercury (Ford’s premium division), and XR4Ti stood for eXperimental Racing, 4-cylinder, Turbo, international—hence the “i” at the end!

Stock specifications: Originally, these came with a 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-4 (the same turbo four found in the Mustang SVO), producing around 160 horsepower with a Garrett turbo and Ford’s EEC-IV engine management. You could get it with a 5-speed manual or automatic, and they’re instantly recognizable by that distinctive biplane rear spoiler—which this car still has!

About your specific XR4Ti: The one you’re looking at is not stock—it’s been heavily modified! Someone swapped in a twin-turbo 5.0L V8 (installed 2022) with Holley Terminator-X fuel injection, Ford AOD transmission, and even a Sierra Cosworth front grille. Think of it as a German-American restomod with serious muscle. The original XR4Ti was never V8-powered from the factory.

Rarity & collectibility: These are genuinely uncommon. Our data shows only 1 XR4Ti currently for sale right now, with just 15 total listings tracked. Average sales hover around $11,500, though a really nice one fetched $31,000. Classic Auto Mall wasn’t kidding when they called it “rare and obscure!”

Want to check out how this one compares to others that have sold, or need help with anything else on this wild silver hatchback?