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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  Our New X-Car - 2008 Ford Taurus X
  By DrRick54 - July 18 - 2:03 pm

  We wanted a car to replace our old Villager that was more sedan than minivan but w/ more seating than a SUV - the answer was the Taurus X. 3rd row seats are real and fits our family of 5 perfectly with lots of room for the gear (ski, scuba, camping, etc) for the long haul (Mammoth, Lake Tahoe, etc). The new engine is smooth and does not hesitate. Good mpg for the type of car (beats 8-12 for most SUVs).

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  WOW! I LOVE this car! - 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid
  By green4me - July 18 - 1:03 pm

  I have only owned this car for a little over a week so far and I cant get over how awesome it is. It is truly a joy to drive, and the gauges keep reminding me to drive more efficiently. I consistently average over 40 MPG per trip with a mix of city and highway.

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  2002 Ford Explorer - 2002 Ford Explorer
  By john - July 18 - 10:23 am

  We owned several Explorers before the 2002 but this was by far the best handling and with the small V-8 had all the power we needed. The V-8 was less noisy than the high revving V-6 and was not much worse for mileage. The Explorer has plenty of headroom and the interior design is very user friendly.

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  Great - 1998 Ford Explorer
  By Tana - July 17 - 2:00 am

  It is great. it was so much fun to drive.it is worth the money!!!!!!!!!!

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  great truck - 2003 Ford F-150
  By jmann - July 17 - 2:00 am

  yeah, super, awesome. This is the truck to beat for overall package.

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  Great so far - 2003 Ford Focus
  By bix - July 17 - 2:00 am

  I just bought the 03 ZX3 and I love it so far. very peppy for such a small car. Feels to have alot more power than the specs indicate. Drives very well in the snow (just had 18").

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  First Car, Now Last Ford!! - 2000 Ford Focus
  By KatieR - July 17 - 2:00 am

  This was my first car and what a deal I got.:( Consistent recalls, having to replace rotors every year which run me $300+, starter blew after only 6months old, cheap rubber lining around outside door frame kept falling off (3xs), makes a lot of noise, hard to sell back for descent price. I wanted to stay and buy American but Im going foriegn next. All other car dealerships can thank the makers of the Ford Focus for the increase in business.

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  best bang - 2003 Ford Mustang
  By cobra - July 17 - 2:00 am

  You cant buy a faster machine for less money. You cant find a machine with as much hidden potential for twice the price. Mine has 375 hp at rear wheels totally stock. Thats approximatly 440 hp at the flywheel. Add a chip and a smaller blower pulley with a cat back exhaust and a cool air intake kit (less than $1000 bucks if you do it yourself), and 475 hp at the rear wheels is easy.

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  2 Years +40,000 Miles - 2001 Ford Escape
  By Kevin Kalamazoo - July 17 - 2:00 am

  2001 XLT with everything, 2 yrs with plus 40,000 miles, mostly highway, but yes thats where its most comfortable. Very strong highway performance with low RPM, great stabilty, V6 is strong & quick (not fast). Original equipment Firestone Tires not a concern or any problem. However, with new Michelin Cross Terain, wow what a difference, very, very comfortable soft & quiet ride. Living in West Michigan (Kalamazoo), 4x4 ability required 3-5 a season, very secure footing when needed the most.

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  FORDS REVENGE ON AMERICA - 2014 Ford Focus
  By HARRY BERGER - July 16 - 11:39 pm

  After 73 yrs I thought I would treat myself to my first new car ever. Bearing in mind we were a ford family since 1947 and I drove a 2004 mercury marquis for 11 yrs it was reasonable to think buying a new ford from wayne akers ford in lake worth florida was the right thing. I bought a new focus and after 10 days and the trans locking up 4 times in 400 miles I returned to the dealership to uplift this deal. They pleaded with me to take another new 2014 ford focus same model same deal same price after 4-5 hours of fighting with them they convinced me to take another . I went along with their offer ..... But when I was presented with a bill for around 2400.00 I insisted they call me a cab . As I refused either to take mycar back and or accept their offer of "Even exchange" with a diff of 2400. They reduced it to 1200....No thank you then 600 . After 6 hours of fighting I agreed to 400. The next morning I woke up and checked the "Very same car" not to be so they substituted a much cheaper model over a 1000.00 cheaper I drove to the dealership and they refused to acknowledge this.. (oops I am a retired mechanic had my own shop) so off to small claims court their attorney claimed they made a mistake and pleaded with me to accept 1500.00 so they did not want to go in front of the judge. I lost 325.00 on the filing fees. The new focus was better the transmission did not lock up but jerked hesitated late and early changes car jerked violently when I went to the dealer a good few times their standard response "We could not duplicate problem" eventually the loud banging the dealer could not deny they replaced the trans. As for the very very poor gas mileage 16-18 mpg they told me they checked and I was getting 29.5 mpg I decided to make a pictural history everytime I filled up 3/4 tank 1/2 ank 1/4 tank and the comp proved that I was getting barely 17/19 at best I advised the dealer that the violent jerking was affecting my spinal surgery which the neuro surgery determined I was permanently disabled . After 2 yrs of very bad service horrible horrible car . I traded it in for a 2013 ford fusion landed costing me over 21000.00 for a car that should be crushed recalled ford screwed up 2013/4 ford focus and costs americans millions of dollars in fords screw up possibly worse than the ford pinto or the edsel