Overview & Reviews

For more than 100 years now, Ford Motor Company has been selling mass-produced automobiles in the United States and around the globe. Known as one of the Big Three American manufacturers, Ford has attracted millions of loyal customers with a wide range of vehicles that offer considerable value. The automaker's trucks and SUVs have been especially popular. For decades, Ford's F-Series truck has been the best-selling vehicle in America.

The company was founded by Henry Ford in 1903. Ford dreamed of building a car for the masses, and that's precisely what he did, most notably with the immortal Model T of 1908-'27. The latter was bought by 16.5 million Americans during its 20-year lifespan and was affordable enough for Ford's own factory workers to purchase. Ford's early years were also distinguished by its introduction of the moving assembly line. It was the first to utilize this more cost-effective method of production, and its innovation became a mainstay of the manufacturing process.

Ford expanded into the luxury-car market with its purchase of Lincoln Motor Company in 1925. Over the next few years, the company broadened its focus even further by creating the Mercury division to produce mid-priced cars. By the late '30s, Ford had unveiled the stylish Lincoln Zephyr, introduced a low-priced V8 engine and built more than 25 million vehicles.

The 1950s saw the introduction of the legendary Thunderbird. Offering sleek styling and spirited performance wedded to available luxury features like power windows and a signal-seeking radio, the car was a huge hit. Another model of that decade, the Edsel, met with a somewhat less enthusiastic reception. In the wake of abysmal sales, the Edsel was discontinued just a few months into its third model year.

Ford regained its footing in the early 1960s with the introduction of the compact Falcon, a model that was warmly received by the public. By the middle of the decade the automaker had given enthusiasts something to cheer about with the launch of the sporty Mustang, a car that went on to become one of the biggest sellers of its day. Buyers adored the Mustang's low price, available powerful V8 engines and sporty styling. The Mustang even created a brand-new vehicle category: the pony car.

By the 1970s, Ford, like other domestic automakers, was starting to suffer the effects of changing consumer tastes and new government regulations. Many of its cars became shadows of their former selves. But the seeds of rebirth were planted in this decade. In 1979, the company acquired a stake in Mazda; this move would later aid Ford significantly in co-development projects. The company also emerged with a new mindset of global competitiveness.

By the mid-to-late '80s, Ford was showing new strength with its popular Escort and Taurus models while further expanding its empire with the purchase of the Aston Martin and Jaguar brands. Meanwhile, its full-size LTD sedan (later renamed the Crown Victoria) remained a staple of taxi companies and police forces throughout America.

Ford rode a wave of popularity in the 1990s, thanks in part to the huge success of its Explorer midsize SUV. The truck played a huge role in ushering in the era of the SUV. In 1999, Ford expanded its family yet again with the purchase of Volvo's car division, and, in 2000, it acquired Land Rover. For awhile, there was talk of Ford even taking General Motors' spot as the No. 1 automaker in the world.

But the new millennium initially saw a downturn for Ford. Increased competition, a continuing operating loss for Jaguar, legacy costs and a reliance on SUVs for profit took their toll. To compensate, the company sold Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo and introduced a wave of successful new products. Models like the F-150, Fusion, Fiesta, Focus, Flex and Mustang have allowed Ford to regain its health and standing as a very competitive manufacturer.

User Reviews:

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  Noisy top - 1990 Ford Mustang
  By mustang_1990 - May 22 - 4:51 pm

  The convertible frame it rattles as the car gets into bumpy roads. I know it is a 21 y/o car, but is there something I can do without getting the whole frame replaced?

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  Great Car - 2011 Ford Edge
  By jbrtp - May 20 - 8:32 pm

  Went from 2007 to 2009 mariner to save gas - no power - chose Edge after looking at Subaru, VW, BMW, Mazda CX7 - good deal on a great car. We really like it. Wanted Sync *worked great on Mercury* did not want MyTouch. So we got an SE and got neither lol.

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  Outstanding truck after 16250 miles (26000 KMs) - 2010 Ford F-150
  By eubor - May 20 - 11:48 am

  We purchased this truck new in mid-Aug 2010 for around $35K, for our general contracting business. Having high expectations after reading all the reviews on this truck, and in our opinion, the only truck that successfully integrated reliability (one of the top requirements) functionality, comfort, fuel efficiency (relative to the size of engine in this case the 292HP, 3V 4.6 V8) and value for the money. GM trucks are good trucks no doubt, but they just cant compare to the F-150 in terms of refinement and overall long-term durability. After 7.5 months of ownership and hardwork this truck has proven to be extremely reliable, refined (very quite and smooth) and is helping our company make $.

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  Great Small Car - 2009 Ford Focus
  By gql - May 14 - 4:29 pm

  2009 SEL...27000 miles.....30 plus mpg....Very satisfied...would buy again.....Good job Ford!!

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  A really NEW Explorer - 2011 Ford Explorer
  By valwyr - May 12 - 7:31 am

  The 2011 Explorer took 51/2 months to arrive but so far, it was worth the wait. The interior is pure luxury and the exterior is upscale . The ride is totally unlike my 2001 Explorer-quieter, smoother and more stable. The My Ford Sync and My Touch systems take time on the road to master and I agree that the touch screens graphics and text size are too small. The Navigation system is a bit crazy it seems to want to take you off a direct route onto a business route as you pass small towns. We received good rebates from the dealer. Apparently Ford does not keep their dealers apprised of production/delivery info as my dealer could not explain the delay in delivery.

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  Perfect for any college student - 2011 Ford Fiesta
  By jphorner - May 11 - 9:48 am

  Im a 20 year old college student and will be commuting 30 minutes away for the next fall semester and needed something that would be reliable and good on gas. I happened across the Fiesta out of curiosity. I never dreamed I could afford a brand new car, the price and value are outstanding. Its attractive and drives wonderfully. The stick adds fun into the drive, and at over 100mph it rode like I was driving 40. The interior is attractive, and even though it lacks the luxury features I dont need any of that and really the only thing I notice I dont have is power windows. The speaker system is great, and necessary for the drive to school. The trunk has a lot of space too. Love this car.

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  LOVE this little car! - 2011 Ford Fiesta
  By armydoc115 - May 11 - 9:17 am

  Im in the Army on Ft Benning, Ga, and I have a roughly 90 mile commute from home to work. My daily driver has been a 2005 Jeep Wrangler with 6" lift and 33" tires. I LOVE my Jeep and wont ever part with it, nor will I ever be without a Jeep, but with 14mpg, gas was killing me. I bought a 2011 Fiesta SE hatch 5 spd, and I have to say, Im extremely impressed. The European influence is evident in almost every aspect of the car. Its not fast, but it isnt terrbly slow either. It will handle 80mph on the highway like its a much larger car, and it has plenty of passing power. Gas mileage is wonderful! My average between city/highway is usually 36-38 mpg. It handles great, and sync rocks!

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  >> BUILT FORD TOUGH<< - 2003 Ford Expedition
  By unitedwestand - May 3 - 4:58 pm

  Bought my expedition new in 2003. Its been the best truck i ever had!! Barr None. I have 272,000 miles on it. No engine or transmission problems what so ever. The alternator went out at 150,000. Ive put several sets of tires on and a few batteries. I change the oil every 4,000 miles, and a tune-up every 125,000 or so. We pull our boat with it like theres nothing behind us. We lay down the seats and camp in the back. weve hauled stuff in the back countless times, Thank god for all the room of our full size Suv. I rented a tahoe for a week while on vacation , with 25,000 on it. What a piece of Crap. like driving a tank.

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  A great little car - 2003 Ford Escort
  By mark_s3 - April 30 - 1:12 pm

  Bought this car new (13 miles) and drove it 143,000+ miles. I love this car. Got standard transmision that makes it even more fun to drive. Vibrations from the motor can be rough in idle, but its not too bad. Gets 34 MPG in stop and go traffic. Very comfortable inside and sporty outside. Never had a machanical problem with it, and its been very dependable. The ride is very smooth even after all those miles. Plan to drive it until the wheels fall off! It is MY car! **Sorry for any misspellings**

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  Tweaked GTconvertible - 2011 Ford Mustang
  By mustangalan - April 27 - 11:58 pm

  I recently bought the GT convertible after looking at the Camaro and Challenger. Immediately loved it but decided to add some stealth performance so had the Ford Racing supercharger instaaled along with Magnaflow exhaust to give a little more rumble. Now 600+ horsepower and fast not the word for it. Now a Corvette killer. The Camaro and Challenger dont even come close!