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:

• 

  The Durable Starter Car - 1997 Ford Aspire
  By Vegete - January 7 - 2:00 am

  For someone looking for something to get you here and there, this would be a decent pick, expecially if youre young. The gas milage is incredible, and you dont have to worry about knocking it around a bit (handled 2 rear end collisions). Its definetly not a car you want to be driving if youre in a hurry (not even 70hp!). Passing on the highway can be a hassle unless youre already going at a much higher speed than the person in front of you (for this reason, I suggest a manual transmission). Overall, its decent.

• 

  SHOcerely - 1995 Ford Taurus
  By Steuart - January 6 - 2:00 am

  The SHO was an excellent car. It is too bad that newer comparable versions do not exist. My husband and I love our SHO however, we have had our fair, or more than fair, share of problems. Our SHO has 106,000 miles and has provided us with a few headaches. Ford is not well known for reliability. Unless the SHO is replaced with something comparable we opt not to buy Ford for in the future.

• 

  bad gone worst - 1993 Ford Taurus
  By stuck - January 4 - 2:00 am

  I CAUGHT THE CAR IN JULY/O2 AFTER 3 WEEKS I HAD TO REPLACE THE COOLING SYSTEM ON THE CAR. ON DEC/O2 I WAS GOING TO THE MALL WHEN THE TRANSMISSION DESIDED TO GO AT 80/KMS AN HOUR. PHONE FORD ABOUT THE PROBLEM,WAS TOLD YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN.I ALMOST WAS KILLED IN THAT CAR. TRANMISSION REPAIR:1600- 2200.00.IWOULD SUGGEST ANY BODY BUYING A FORD TAURUS DONT BUY IT.1993 MODELS

• 

  Not all that I had hoped for. - 1995 Ford Mustang
  By Oh well! - January 2 - 2:00 am

  Well, how do I say this nicely, its a Ford. Maybe I was spoiled from driving Hondas and Toyotas for so many years, but this 95 Gt is a clunky, noisy, poor handling(especially in bad weather), likely to break down at any minute, type of car. I read alot of articles featuring the Mustang as the "ultimate muscle car", and wanted something with a litle go-fast, so I bought a 95 Mustang GT ( the last year of the 302). Even thought the aftermarket is huge for this vehicle, I would be nervous making it any faster because it might rattle apart. From what Ive seen, this is typical unrefined Ford engineering..oh well.

• 

  bad front transaxle - 2005 Ford Five Hundred
  By steve woodman - January 1 - 5:40 pm

  At 4400 miles the front transaxle seals failed. They have had my 500 in the shop for four days. I brought it home for one weekend and had to return on Monday as the seals were leaking again. I am extremely disappointed that I bought a new model in its first year of production. Ive been given every excuse possible as to why they cant fix it. If it happens again Im going to the Lemon Laws. Also 16 miles per gallon is terrible.

• 

  It has its problems - 1997 Ford Mustang
  By Andy L. - January 1 - 2:00 am

  I am a college student, and if i had it to do over again, i would have bought the exteneded service that the dealer offered with it. It would have saved in the long run. Anyway, my story begins with a broken speedometer, i have had two different dealerships look at it, and neither can give me a good answer to fix my problem. they have both said to replace the cluster, i have put two other clusters in it, and neither have fixed the problem. also it dies when coming to a stop. i would also recommend a different car if you are a college student (i know your not paying attention anymore) because of the high insurance... sorry, thats just how it is.

• 

  great car - 2002 Ford Expedition
  By awesome ford - January 1 - 2:00 am

  i bought my expo in february and it is awesome. love the eddie bauer option. have had to get the tailgate adjusted because it was closing too tight and scrpaing the paint. also had to replace rear wiper moter because it got stuck in rear glass window and striped the moter. these were coverd under warranty so there was no problem whatsoever

• 

  Functional - but losing quality - 2007 Ford Econoline Wagon
  By John - December 27 - 12:40 pm

  Very functional, lots of room, adaptable (seats in,seats out). Seems to be less quality comparing the 2007 to my previous 1993- lighter,more flimzy seats, etc. The center console is much less useful than the 93, and leg room on the passenger side is tighter.

• 

  ford probe - 1993 Ford Probe
  By Juan emilio - December 25 - 2:00 am

  good car, economic car and powerfull

• 

  Nice truck but..... - 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By Matt Cappadonna - December 25 - 1:53 am

  I purchased this truck from Car Max. I did a lot of research before purchasing the vehicle and came to the conclusion that this is the one. Unfortunately the vehicle has made me marginally happy. Was it because of Car Max or Ford build quality, I dont know, but here are a few of the pros and cons.