as with the previous-generation ltd, the ltd crown victoria directly competed against the chevrolet caprice and the pontiac bonneville (both downsized for 1977). originally slated for replacement by the ford taurus in the early 1980s, the model line saw relatively little change throughout its production. as the decade progressed, concerns over fuel economy eased, which allowed further development of full-size cars. for 1988 and 1990, the ltd crown victoria saw a number of revisions and updates. in early 1991, the redesigned ford crown victoria was introduced as a replacement, which marked the end of the ford ltd nameplate in north america.