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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  Mustang Ecoboost - 2017 Ford Mustang
  By Jay - August 16 - 7:24 pm

  This is the first vehicle that I personally owned, I wanted something strong, yet fuel efficient. This Ecoboost is a dream. Pick up is amazing, smooth changing of the gears. I was worried due to the fact that I had back issues, but once getting in and out was not an issue, and it was comfortable. I bought the vehicle for me to drive just myself and maybe friend around, so the back seat (or lack of) does not concern me to much. My only true nit pick is the lack of an Auxiliary port. A lot of these new vehicles want strictly Blue Tooth for hands off, but i prefer to have more of an option for it.

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  Comfy SUV! - 1998 Ford Explorer
  By Elias diaz - August 16 - 5:54 am

  Great fun SUV Enjoy cruising my explorer, north to south , South to north. Explorer all the way. The classic the better. May get an other baby explorer: 2001.

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  Ford Freestyle Review - 2006 Ford Freestyle
  By Ronald Franz - August 16 - 3:23 am

  The vehicle has exceptional handling and acceleration. The continuous variable transmission (CVT) gives excellent acceleration especially on hills in ski country. The handing with AWD has also been excellent in driving in snow covered roads. The look of the vehicle is comparable to much more expensive competitors. The storage space and flexibility of the interior is outstanding.

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  Best midsize SUV - 2005 Ford Explorer
  By Kerwin Chan - August 16 - 1:56 am

  So far the best SUV i have own and driven... better than the toyota rav4, mitsubishi montero... excellent buy for a fully loaded eddie bauer edition.

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  Great Car - 2007 Ford Fusion
  By Don W. - August 15 - 10:51 pm

  I bought this car in Nov 08, with 7800 miles. Living in Western Pa. and traveling 100 miles a day to work and back. I was looking for something that had great handling in the snow. The AWD V6 is very responsive and great traction on snow and wet roads. The Fusions has allot of room and a comfortable ride. No problems. I put 20,000 miles on so far, have been averaging 22 combined and 26 HWY. The design is awesome, Ford has a real winner in the Fusion. I would recommend this car to anyone.

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  RED FIRE GT - 2006 Ford Mustang
  By carl - August 15 - 9:20 pm

  Ford did an excellent job of combining the sound & power of the 70s muscle car with the technology of today. The retro style brings back memories of so many past Mustangs; it is amazing the different years people see in this car. The power is more than enough to pin you back in your seat. I was surprised most by how quiet the interior is while outside you can hear the rumble of the exhaust. Sometimes I just roll down the window to listen to the roar of the exhaust. DONT BUY THIS CAR if you dont want to be noticed or like talking to strangers. No matter what age or where people stare and point at you as you drive pass or come up to you and start talking about the car.

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  First Ford - 2006 Ford Mustang
  By spike - August 15 - 12:37 pm

  I have been very pleased for the most part with my 06 Mustang GT. I think the retro styling of the car is great. Its like driving a 60s Mustang only better. The steering response is great and it corners like a dream. I am 62 and have never had a car that felt this comfortable. The Shaker 500 sounds awesome. I have had aftermarket setups that didnt sound as good. I only have a couple complaints. The rubber strips used to seal the inside of the windows scratch the hell out of my window tint when running them up and down. There is a rattling noise under hard acceleration that almost sounds like detonation but I am running 92 octane fuel and have ruled that out. Very impressed

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  My First Ford - 2009 Ford Escape
  By Robert - August 15 - 11:05 am

  I have had the car for 3 weeks now and nothing to concerning. As most people I did all the research I could. What drew me to this car was its changes from 08-09 all pointing to better gas mileage and better outside design on the front end. I have been very pleased with so far an 24-25MPG City average with 240hp V6-not bad. I with being my first ford the initial quality appears to be impressive, I hope I am saying the same thing 5 years later. My only concern as others have noticed is a good deal of plastic with the interior-but this was not enough of an issue to keep from buying the Escape.

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  Good Job Ford! - 1999 Ford Taurus
  By Whasuhname - August 15 - 10:00 am

  Ok, I like my car. It is a nice looking vehicle and it rides really nicely. Ive had minimal issues (i.e. speed sensor went out so I was like driving down the raod and it would randomly decide when it wanted to provide power to the drivetrain!...I mean I would be on the highway and like I would be stepping on the pedal and it just made the engine rev with no power to the wheels! it only cost like 50 bucks to fix so I was gladd :)). I have put like almost 40000 miles on that car in like a year and a half (its at 76000 now), and it still drives smooth. Taurus=good contour=bad

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  The Perfect Truck - 2002 Ford F-150
  By F150 Rulz - August 15 - 10:00 am

  This is the perfect Truck. I can see why they are the Number 1 selling truck in America