Rear-wheel drive

The layout has the advantage of minimizing mechanical complexity, as it allows the transmission to be placed in-line with the engine output shaft, spreading weight under the vehicle.

In an era when petrol was cheap and cars were heavy, the mechanical advantages of the front-engine, rear-wheel-drive (FR) drivetrain layout made up for any disadvantage in weight terms.

After the Arab oil embargo of 1973 and the 1979 fuel crises, a majority of American FR vehicles (station wagons and luxury sedans) were phased out for the front-engine, front-wheel drive (FF) layout – this trend would spawn the SUV-van conversion market.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, most American companies set as a priority the eventual removal of rear-wheel drive from their mainstream and luxury lineup.

[3] In Australia, FR cars remained popular throughout this period, with the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon having consistently strong sales until their discontinuation in the late 2010s.

Upscale marques like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Jaguar remained mostly independent of this trend and retained a lineup mostly or entirely made up of FR cars.

In North America, GM returned to the production of FR-based luxury vehicles with the 2003 Cadillac CTS.

Ford, on the other hand, seems to be moving away from FR-based vehicles[citation needed] with the discontinuation of the Panther Platform in 2011 and the Australasia-only Falcon in 2016.

Modern electronic stability control largely negate the potentially more difficult handling during challenging circumstances.