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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  Most Comfort, Great Drive, ...only... - 1999 Ford Contour
  By jbreeze - February 3 - 2:00 am

  I never thought that I would ever buy a ford (being raised on Toyotas and Hondas). However, when I sat in this car, I was in love. Hands down the most comfortable to sit in car EVER! I love the power my 6cyl has, it feels sporty and Luxurious at the same time, BUT.. I hate the gas mileage and my trunk pop never works, even after being fixed. Still ... Its great!

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  Fun But Cheap - 1999 Ford Escort
  By fordzx2blue - February 3 - 2:00 am

  Poor manual transmission and headlights. The seats are made for women (lots of lumbar support). But, it is zippy!

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  so-so - 1996 Ford Escort
  By K560 - February 3 - 2:00 am

  Ive had the hard for about 5.5 years and have gone 100,000 miles with it. Overall the car has been good- but then again Ive done all the maintance. The past 2 years though the car has started to have problems at this point Ive put in over 3,000 and the car never seems to run right. It was a good little car but now it seems to be on its last legs.

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  disappointed to say the least - 2001 Ford Windstar
  By anewman - February 3 - 2:00 am

  virtually every feature on the windstar that is supposed to make my life easier has broken down. we have had our new van in the shop about 10 times for recalls or repairs. very disappointed

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  Unreliable - 1995 Ford Windstar
  By brettt - February 2 - 2:00 am

  The interior and exterior are sharp and very functional. The accessories are acceptable and preform normally. The drive train and critical components are severly lacking reliability. I put 4 transmissions (3 under warranty), a replacment head gasket and a computer. These are common complaints about the 95/96 Windstar. New transmissions/engines are no better as there are design flaws. I didnt know you could buy the whole citrus tree.

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  cant beat it - 1991 Ford Escort
  By groundeffx - February 2 - 2:00 am

  this is by far the best car i have owned ihave owned many cars in my time and i enjoyed this one the most in 8 years and 89000 miles i never had to do any repairs to this car only normal wear and tear items i regret ever trading it in i am looking today to buy another one it will be hard to find a clean one but it will be worth it.if you are looking and find one buy it ! well worth the value esp.if clean

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  After nearly 5 years, its been great!! - 1998 Ford Escort
  By wje - February 2 - 2:00 am

  I purchased my 98 ZX2 Sport brand new. After nearly 5 years, Ive put 40K miles on it. Im using Mobil1 sythetic oil in my car. Its never been in the shop for a repair. Sadly, my daughter is now 9-years-old and I need to spring for a 4-door car, so Ive got to sell my ZX2 :( The car has been a fun car and my red paint shines as good as (or better) than the day I purchased it due to my extensive upkeep on the car. Im not young - nearly 40, but this has been a fun car to drive.

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  Must buy a Mustang 5.0 LX - 1990 Ford Mustang
  By MustangLX - February 2 - 2:00 am

  My car is a dark green, 1990 Mustang 5.0 LX. The engine was built by Budd Moore Racing, and it looks and sounds very nice. About one month after I bought my car, my transmission started messing up. When the transmission went bad, I had Greenville Transmission Clinic in SC rebuild it. All in all, it cost me $1,411.30. Now the AOD has been rebuilt w/ a high-performance rebuild kit, new torque converter. Now I love driving my green coupe around town barking gears (I have spun my wheels when shifting around 40 mph). Specs: HP: 300+ (not had it dynotested yet) Mileage: under 70k Weight: around 2800k I think

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  2006 Explorer: So Far So Good...... - 2006 Ford Explorer
  By T. B. - February 2 - 1:20 am

  This 2006 Explorer is a fun drive, smooth ride and a nice solid vehicle. Great for long trips. We got the captains seats for the second row - very comfortable and storage is convenient. So far with about 7,000 miles on it our highway mileage is at about 21 mpg. Not bad for the solid build of the car and the great get up and go of the V6 engine. So far so good, but our past experience with the Ford Explorer has been at 3 to 4 years old, lots of things start going wrong. Hopefully Ford has improved the reliability as well as the look. Needless to say, we leased this one for two years. Time will tell.... Still happy we chose the Ford Explorer. Love all the improved safety features, too!

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  Best Focus model yet! - 2012 Ford Focus
  By unfocused1 - February 1 - 10:14 pm

  While it takes time getting used to the 6-speed dual clutch automatic transmission (I came from a 4-speed automatic, 2009 Focus), this model (SEL, Sedan, with SEL Premium package) blows its predecessor out of the water. Even if it costs a little bit more. Ive felt no transmission slippage and havent seen rogue RPM fluctuations, and mine is a newly built model (I should get the actual build date, but I bought it under a week ago, and the OD had "5" on it.) If there were problems, hopefully Fords dealt with them. But, as with all things car, buy the extended warranty upfront. Handling is virtually perfect. A HUGE plus. Braking is much improved over the 2009 model.