A 1986 Ford Taurus’s trim badge alone does not tell you what equipment it left the factory with. The launch-year range included L, GL, LX, and MT5 trims, but standalone options and trim-specific Preferred Equipment Packages (PEPs) could make two cars with the same badge quite different. Corey Lewis’s Part VII retrospective reports the equipment and package choices below; confirm codes and original fitment against a Ford brochure or vehicle records before identifying an individual car.
What trims and body styles were available?
Corey Lewis reports four launch-year trims: L, GL, LX, and MT5. The preceding installment in the series says each was offered as a sedan and wagon. The MT5 was short-lived, so its presence in a surviving car is worth checking against original documentation rather than inferring from appearance alone. Lewis’s earlier installment says its trim information drew on a September 1985 brochure, but that brochure was not independently reviewed here. Part VI: 1986 Ford Taurus trim discussion
Equipment was configurable rather than rigidly determined by trim. Many features cost extra, and PEPs bundled selected items differently for each trim. A badge is therefore a starting point for identification, not a complete equipment list.
Which options could change the car?
Lewis’s retrospective lists a broad set of available features. Availability could depend on trim, body style, or package; the list should not be read as proof that every item could be ordered on every car.
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- Exterior and wheels: metallic paint, decorative stripes, lace-style aluminum or finned road wheels, and a moonroof.
- Comfort and convenience: air conditioning on trims where it was not standard, electronic climate control on GL and LX, power locks, power windows, power seats, and Twilight Sentinel.
- Displays and alerts: a digital display (not on MT5) and an alert-light package for conditions such as a burnt-out headlamp, low oil, an open door, or low washer fluid.
- Visibility and access: an Insta-Clear heated windshield (not on MT5) and keyless entry.
- Driving and audio: cruise control and an upgraded stereo.
- Interior: optional leather or vinyl choices are listed, although Lewis says leather was limited to LX, where it was standard. The MT5 used an analog RPM gauge.
- Other equipment: spare tire and heavy-duty battery appear among the listed options.
These are retrospective equipment claims, not a substitute for an original window sticker or build documentation. A feature found in a car today may also reflect later changes, so verify provenance before treating it as factory-installed.
What did the Preferred Equipment Packages include?
Lewis reports two PEPs each for L, GL, and LX, and three for MT5. The package codes and contents below are reported in Part VII; check them against original Ford documentation before using them to authenticate a particular car.
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| Trim | Packages and reported contents |
|---|---|
| L | 201A: V6, Exterior Accent Group, air conditioning, tinted glass, rocker moldings, and AM/FM stereo. 202A: the same reported content, plus tilt wheel, power windows, and power locks. |
| GL | 204A: air conditioning, power locks, cruise control, and rear defrost. 205B: those items plus cornering lamps, lighted entry, dual lighted visor mirrors, and remote fuel door. |
| LX | 207A: audio, cruise control, lighted entry, and driver-seat features. 208A: those reported items plus electronic climate control, digital cluster, keyless entry, and power antenna. |
| MT5 | 211A, 212A, and 213A: Lewis describes these as progressively adding comfort and electrical equipment; Part VII does not specify a full item-by-item breakdown for each code. |
Package names and codes are useful clues, but a code should not be assigned to a car solely because it has some of the listed equipment. The complete original order record or other period documentation is stronger evidence.
What was distinctive about the wagon?
Part VII reports that the wagon came standard with a rear-facing third-row seat, which Lewis describes as providing seven-passenger capacity, and a cargo-area load-floor extender. It also lists four tire sizes across the Taurus line, in 14- or 15-inch dimensions, but does not give the size-to-trim or size-to-package mapping. Confirm the appropriate fitment for a specific vehicle with period documentation.
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- Limited edition. Brand new box. Chrome accents. Detailed exterior. Real rubber tires. True-to-scale detail. Comes in a blister pack. Officially licensed product. Die-cast metal body and chassis. Manufacturer's original unopened packaging. Dimensions approximately L-2.75 inches long.
How did paint and interior color choices work?
Lewis reports 15 exterior colors and five interior colors for 1986. These are the author’s counts in a 2026 article about model-year equipment, not independently verified counts from a Ford color chart. The palette reportedly included several beige and taupe exterior shades. Gloss white could be paired with all five interiors, while two taupe exterior shades had more restricted interior matches.
Because those compatibility details depend on a period color chart that was not independently reviewed, use the reported counts and pairings as leads, not definitive factory documentation. For a restoration or originality check, compare the car’s paint and trim codes with a model-year-specific Ford source.
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How to identify a 1986 Taurus configuration
- Record the trim and body style. Note whether the car is an L, GL, LX, or MT5, and whether it is a sedan or wagon.
- Inventory the visible and functional equipment. Record features such as climate controls, displays, power accessories, glass, wheels, and interior material without assuming they are original.
- Look for primary documentation. Check a window sticker, build record, or original Ford brochure for the exact package code and equipment combination.
- Verify color codes and fitment. Use period color documentation to check exterior/interior compatibility and tire-size claims rather than relying on a general retrospective list.
Part VII is an equipment-focused installment in Lewis’s series, not a full sales or performance analysis. The material here does not establish sales, adoption, safety, or fuel-economy statistics for the 1986 Taurus.
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