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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  A fun car - 2005 Ford Thunderbird
  By Steven - June 15 - 7:59 pm

  I bought my T-bird last month, after thinking about it for several years now. Its a fun car to drive, gets a lot of attention on the road. Handling is great, as is acceleration.

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  Win Z Woos 2002 Taurus SES - 2002 Ford Taurus
  By Win Z Woo - June 15 - 4:31 pm

  The car has been good to me so far only had it for 3 months, but I have noticed that when I bought the car the motor mounts were broken. The dealer fixed them free of charge but 2 weeks after they were replaced they were broken again. ThatÂ’s the only problem. Most people dont even know they are broken, I only knew because my boyfriend has had 3 Taurus with all of them having broken mounts!

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  Love My Fusion Hybrid - 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid
  By Alan - June 15 - 2:56 pm

  I wanted to own a hybrid to be more green and ended up choosing the Fusion because you get so much more car and features for the money than the Prius, Insight or Lexus H250H. My previous car was a BMW 5 Series and I expected to have to give up a lot of features and comforts but the opposite turned out to be true! I love the elec. instrument cluster, BLUR, rear camera, great nav system with Sirius. But the coolest thing is cruising in all-electric mode when driving through the neighborhood and in parking lots. The 2.5L engine gives me enough power if I want it and the CVT gives you a really smooth driving experience. Fun to drive and low carbon emissions. Good job Ford!

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  Helpful hints - 2005 Ford Explorer
  By April - June 15 - 10:19 am

  Mother of 4 and have a third row seat and loving it. Gas mileage is the same as most minivans so why not look sporty while driving and have enough room for 8 people.

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  Fun Machine - 2004 Ford Mustang
  By Omi23Angels - June 15 - 10:00 am

  I am a nearly 60 year old grandmother and my husband just bought me this marvelous machine - for our 41st wedding anniversary. And we LUV it! Weve had several fun new cars in our years, but I believe this one is the best yet. Or maybe its because were old and dont remember the real meaning of fun anymore! None the less, we put 4,000 miles on it the first month and have NO complaints. I would recommend it to everyone. Especially those who think its not an "old people" car!

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  my focus - 2004 Ford Focus
  By franv - June 15 - 10:00 am

  good value and american made

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  My Funky Ford Focus - 2004 Ford Focus
  By shadana - June 15 - 10:00 am

  I love my car. This is the first car that I have ever owned and I am proud of my purchase. I love all the standards features (cd player, power windows, locks). Ive driving 5 hours in my car and was still able to go out and party. I still wanted to drive.

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  Thought I was buying a small SUV - 2005 Ford Escape
  By bensgranpa - June 15 - 10:00 am

  Handles well and easy to drive. Engine noise apparent. Interior so-so. Performance very good:good braking and engine performance. Good looking. But I thought I was buying a small SUV, not a full size Hummer. Have yet to get more than 12 mpg in city driving. Our big Honda Odyssey gets much better mileage both in town and on the road. And that matters now that it takes $27.00 to fill up with regular.

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  Perfect urban combo rig - 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By ssnydes1 - June 15 - 2:39 am

  Bought this rig with 70K easy miles to go in the winter to a project in Northern Canada. It was outfitted with most of the options available including a nice stainless front pushbar/grill. Has meaty offroad tires and handles perfect in the snow with a quiet and comfortable ride. It is limited in the amount you can haul, but it has creature comforts of the $40K crew cabs that are selling now. Ultimately I will use it to haul around a light trailer with a WW1 biplane replica to airshows with my friends and it is perfect. Buy it if you need the crew capacity and limited hauling space. I get in the upper 20s fuel economy on the highway. Around town...ouch! It has been perfect in the snow.

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  Good Bang for the buck! - 2005 Ford Expedition
  By czkid - June 15 - 1:49 am

  I bought this truck about a month ago and have been very happy with it. I compared the Durango, Sequoia and Tahoe. Seating folds flat in rear making the space very large without storing seats (vs. Tahoe). Wider and even fits an adult comfortably in third row (vs. Tahoe and Durango). Less of a blind spot (vs. Durango). I really like the Sequoia for many of the same reasons. In reality it came down to price between a Toyota and Ford. Between incentives and haggling I got 10K off the trucks price and good trade in value. I did not think the seats were very comfortable at first, but as with anything else my body has adjusted and now it feels great.