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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  Stick It To Big Oil! - 1992 Ford Festiva
  By jrpeacher - October 10 - 2:00 am

  Just bought this little jewel. Color of the ocean with pink racing stripes. It turns heads, especially as gasoline climbs back up again. Compared to my Ford 4x4 f150 the Festiva is a godsend!

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  Its A classic American Sedan - 2010 Ford Fusion
  By drew.smithwick - October 10 - 2:00 am

  It has a great engine and nice transmission. The stereo and moon roof are nice. it goes 0-60 in 6.6 and 0-112 (limited) in 20.3 Seconds :)

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  Back to Domestics after 20 years - 2010 Ford Mustang
  By rexrcr - October 9 - 2:00 am

  First domestic Ive owned in 20 years, love it! Build quality is superior, paint rivals any other mfg in the world! I have a base model with one option: 3.73 axle upgrade. Very comfortable, love the engine sound tube into the interior, good economy considering 315 HP. I do lots of track days and its very well balanced but quite underdamped, needs more shock damping. Ive driven the "Track Pak" suspension on-track and its worth the money, much better body control during cornering. Only other complaint is the seat, not supportive for sporty driving and the lower cushion gets uncomfortable after 2 hours.

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  So Far So Good - 2010 Ford Escape
  By sofarsogood - October 9 - 2:00 am

  I have had my car for a year now and I have not had one problem with it. It drives great, handles amazing, and overall I am really happy with it. My dealership is really easy to deal with and I am really glad I bought this car. I never thought I would like an American car! But here I am a year later! couldnt be happier!

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  Sweet Ride - 1998 Ford Mustang
  By cyanide - October 8 - 2:00 am

  Bright red, lowered, custom exhaust, headlights, rims, was the best car I ever bought. I even had 4 trophies won from 4 differnt car shows I took her to. Then March of this year 2010, some moron pulled out in front of me. The radiator met the motor and my custom cold air intake splintered under the hood. I wasnt injured! They are built as tough as the look. I miss her everyday, buy one! You will never look back! :)

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  Reliable 24V Taurus - 2001 Ford Taurus
  By hotrod - October 8 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned 3 tauruses and am considering buying a new sho. I fix cars for a living and hate working on my own so I dont buy cars that have troubles. You name the car and Ive worked on it. My 2001 Taurus 24v has been more reliable than many of my customers hondas and toyotas or nissans. With 167k on the clock and counting my wife drives 12 miles each way to work every day. We take the car on road trips of 500 miles or more at a time and have never had a failure of any thing and I dont drive the car like grandma either. Our last tuarus was a 90sho 5 spd that had 270,000 miles on it when we sold it.

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  Great truck - 1996 Ford F-250
  By bigbubba357m - October 7 - 2:00 am

  I have owned new and old Ford p/u. The body styles of these trucks are the best. The last 1994 Ford I had I finally sold at 523,000 miles this one now has 212,000 miles. Not a problem yet.

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  Very Good Truck! - 2003 Ford Explorer
  By MrZeke - October 7 - 2:00 am

  I bought mine used with 72K miles. I fell in love with it soon as I drove it. Ive been driving it now for 2 years without any major problems(only routine maintenance). I have driven this truck everywhere and through tons of snow and it has performed like a true champ!I have pulled other trucks through snow with no problem. The 4WD is awesome. It is truly built Ford tough!

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  2007 Mustang Heat Edition - 2007 Ford Mustang
  By Aaron - October 7 - 2:00 am

  I bought this year, a 2007 mustang heat edition. 60k miles for only 12k. I knew i got a deal on the car in the first place but, come to find out my car was special only about 280 were made and there signed by roushe. Its an awesome little car v6 standard with a shelby carbon fiber fin on the back and a carbon fiber hood scoop The whole car is white on black looks awesome! I love it i have a car that is fast and i still get 23.5 miles to the gallon!

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  Completely Satisfied - 2011 Ford Fiesta
  By Chris - October 7 - 2:00 am

  I cant say enough good things about this car. The fuel efficiency is amazing. I have the super fuel economy package and on a level surface going 65 I easily get 47 MPG. The handling is unbelievable, the tires hold on to the road amazingly well on turns. The SYNC package is convenient and I use it daily to make calls and select music (the voice recognition software could use an upgrade). A six hour trip to Las Vegas flew by in no time, after about 3 hours of driving my back-seat passenger wondered if wed driven for more than an hour (Though he is only about 56"). The car feels solid when you drive it and theres virtually no road noise. The ride is smooth and quite going over 100mph.