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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  2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid after 1 Year - 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid
  By mgmd11 - August 5 - 4:21 am

  I have been driving my Ford Fusion Hydrid for 1 year now with 16K miles on it. I routinely get 41-44 mpg with an 80 mile roundtrip commute to work. Living in the Seattle area has advantages for better gas mileage beciase of milder summers and winters which do not result in poorer mileage due to using AC and heater as much. Freeway speed limit is also 60 mph around here. The estimated MPG generated on the Fuel Economy page matched my actual value quite well until July when I had a software ungrade. Now I routinely see 48-51 estimate MPG after burning a full tank of gas but my actual is still 41-44 MPG. Hmmm. Is Ford fudging the data?

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  Green GT - 1996 Ford Mustang
  By Green Stang - August 5 - 2:00 am

  have owned the car for a year and had to replace radiator and power steering pump. Great car to drive but have a deep wallet to put into parts.

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  I Love My Thunderbird - 1997 Ford Thunderbird
  By Thundergirl - August 5 - 2:00 am

  I love my 1997 Thunderbird. Since Ive brought my baby, Ive had many offers from people wanting to buy it from me. My car and I have been through a divorce, a move to a different city and my baby have not stop for one moment. I love my car!!!

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  THIS IS A TRUE CLASSIC - 2003 Ford Thunderbird
  By CAROLINA DOC - August 5 - 2:00 am

  THIS AUTOMOBILE IS SURE TO GO DOWN IN ICON HISTORY ALONG WITH THE ORIGINAL 1955 MODEL. THE STYLING TURNS HEADS AROUND EVERY BEND, BUT MOST OF ALL, ITS JUST FUN TO DRIVE. AND JUST AS THE BEACH BOYS SAID, WELL HAVE FUN, FUN, FUN TILL DADDY TAKES THE T-BIRD AWAY!!" THE RIDE IS SMOOTH, THE ENGINE PURRS, AND THE HANDLING IS AS GOOD AS ON ANY BMW I HAVE EVER OWNED.

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  bad ball joints, cam tensioner etc - 1999 Ford Explorer
  By boatman188 - August 5 - 2:00 am

  I bought it used in 1999, with 3000 miles. Great veh. for towing our boat. But disappointed with Ford. No help with costs of replacing auto cam chain tensioner at 40K mi., ball joints both sides at 60k mi.,and intake manifold gaskets. Ford did provide new tires of course to replace the Firestones. Why such poor front suspention joints?

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  I am and will always be a FORD MAN! - 2002 Ford F-150
  By Ken Lyons - August 5 - 2:00 am

  Ford makes the BEST pickups on the planet!!!

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  Happy AZ Lightning Owner - 2003 Ford F-150
  By redfred - August 5 - 2:00 am

  Vehicle can get you in trouble due to easy to exceed speed limits that this blows right past. Get lots of looks and comments from strangers when they see it. Mileage around 13-14 m.p.h. mostly highways (city highways - rush hour can impact negatively). Have seen mileage as low as 10 m.p.h. - improved my driving after that.

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  this is it - 2003 Ford Mustang
  By desghgfcjkfghkcvgxcg - August 5 - 2:00 am

  I think that this car should be in the worlds top 3 best cars that exist!!!!

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  best car i ever had until today - 2001 Ford Escape
  By myszia - August 5 - 2:00 am

  i LOVE my escape. its the ideal car for us, and has never given us a problem unlike our last car, a 2000 volkswagon beetle which was a complete lemon. everything was great until today, when at 37,000 miles our brake light went on and lo and behold we find out the master cylinder is dead....$600 in repair bills later im wondering if anyone else has had this problem so early in the life of their escape?

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  Incredible Buy - 2002 Ford Escape
  By ctownfan23 - August 5 - 2:00 am

  This truck with the 3.0 v6, and the 4x4 package is awesome. Treat yourself to the leather package, and no-boundaries package, I did.