The design and life of the Tempo began in the late 1970s as Ford was gearing to build towards a more ergonomic, more efficient, and more aerodynamic design philosophy. The new design philosophy was due, in part, to the aging Ford Pinto and Ford Maverick, and two oil embargoes which led to a rise in more fuel-efficient import-vehicle sales. Taking note of this, Ford set out to revolutionize the automotive industry, and laid the groundwork for three revolutionary vehicles: The 1983 Thunderbird (and its Mercury counterpart, the Cougar), the 1984 Tempo (and its Mercury counterpart, the Topaz), and, later, the Taurus (and its Mercury counterpart, the Sable). The Tempo and Topaz were based on a stretched version of the front-wheel-drive platform used on the Ford Escort, but with radical new bodies. Being based on the Escort meant the Tempo and Topaz, unlike their Fairmont and Zephyr predecessors, were front-wheel drive. By making them front-wheel drive, interior space was much larger than if they had been rear-wheel-drive. The transaxle designs also borrowed heavily from the Ford Escort. However, there were few common components due to the Tempo and Topaz's larger size.