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 Best - 1999 Ford Crown Victoria
  By OH YEA - October 31 - 6:00 pm

  This is the best car ever. It is my second Vic. I love these cars. If you want a highly dependable car, buy a Vic. Only had car in the shop for regular maintainence, and small stuff like tires or brakes, ac recharge

• 

  Great SUV - 2008 Ford Escape
  By Angels Mom - October 30 - 11:56 pm

  Ive had my Escape for just over 3 weeks now. I missed my 2002 Pathfinder at first but after the last snow storm the Escape won me over for good! Handled much better than my old SUV and has a lot more safety features that I wanted in a truck. Got the top line model, love all bells and whistles. I have to say I love the satellite radio, who knew it could be so much fun! Some issues I do have; heated seats turn off after 10 minutes and there is no temp control, 4 speed trans doesnt cut it, gas mileage is not that great- getting 19 mpg on the hwy so far, heavy rain-water gets in the door and spills out the bottom once door is open- dealership says that normal but I have my doubts.

• 

  All around great car. - 2007 Ford Taurus
  By LA BOY - October 30 - 7:43 pm

  This car reminds me some of the 1991 Ford Thunderbird just more style. It drives great. Rides well. Very comfortable. Great look. I couldnt ask for anything better. I am very happy with my car. I think my favorte thing about it is the fact is large and fancy looking, for a large family car I feel it has a lot of style. And charm.

• 

  Ford Girl Forever! - 1995 Ford Explorer
  By Ford Girl - October 30 - 4:14 pm

  I bought this vehicle in February in 2008. Its a 1995 so I was expecting to have to fix some minor things but suprisingly all I had to do was get new tires and a new battery and I was fine. It now has 232,000 miles on it and its still running great! Its my perfect off roading and every day vehicle. I only drive Ford and I love this SUV!

• 

  Great Car but Parts are Expensive - 1993 Ford Probe
  By Jim P Ellicott City - October 30 - 7:00 am

  I cant say enough good things about this car. 210k miles on the original clutch! Unfortunately, the clutch ended yesterday so it looks like curtains for her. I am 64" and fit fine. It is such a useful design, that I have used to move LazyBoy chairs and other large objects. She is a beauty, too (Red with Gray interior). I really loved this car. The parts are crazy expensive. The Ford dealer wanted $550 dollars for the muffler back in 1998, so I bought a Borla cat back for $350 (1million mile warranty). Ive put about 6 half shafts in the car up front, brake master cylinder, but she still has the original radiator and engine running w/ 30 mpg hwy and idling smoothly. Great Car!

• 

  Dependable car! - 1996 Ford Explorer
  By Elizabeth Smith - October 29 - 5:11 pm

  This is a comfortable, good riding, easy handling car with plenty of cargo space. We kept this car to use for our road trips, because it rides better than our new 2016 car!

• 

  Bang For My Buck! - 2004 Ford Mustang
  By catpurzz - October 29 - 3:09 pm

  I shopped around for about 3 months and wanted another Cobra, But found this jewel, my silver GT! This car is immacculate! It has no dings or dents and handles as good as my 1997 Cobra which was the year they made only 5000. My GT is a 40th anniversary with black leather interior, excellent condition followed by a powerful 4.6 liter V8, it handles so good and sounds like the awesome Mustang it is!

• 

  Black Thunder - 2014 Ford Fusion
  By Terrell Williams - October 29 - 2:32 am

  Ive had quite and experience with buying my first car. Make sure that you check the car inside and out. Test drive it to make sure you feel comfortable driving it. I bought the car not realizing it was bigger than I thought but, over over the car was a beauty. Unfortunately the transmission was bad so I traded it in. But, over all the car was very nice.

• 

  Love my GT/CS Convertible! - 2007 Ford Mustang
  By Sherry - October 28 - 2:39 pm

  This is a really fun car to drive! One thing that helped this car tremendously in handling was an Eibach lowering kit - before lowering it the car would get some serious body roll in the turns. After lowering it I sacrificed some of the cushy ride, but owning a Mustang isnt about being cushy! The delayed throttle response due to the fly-by-wire technology is a little strange to get used to, but can be compensated for by adding a hydrogen assist kit - supposed to help with gas mileage (and it does by about 1-2 mpg), but in this car with a tune it actually added about 12-15 hp, which seems to all come in during the low rpms, improving throttle response and the seat of your pants launch.

• 

  06 SCS V6 Mustang - 2006 Ford Mustang
  By glewis29 - October 28 - 12:43 pm

  I just bought a new Southern California Special (V6, Pony Package, Interior Upgrade, LeMans stripping, Chrome Exhaust tip & side tape delete). The exterior design is what I fell in love with and the Pony Package and LeMans stripping finish it off perfectly. I drove both a V6 & V8 automatic ... the V8 was absolutely fabulous, but I just couldnt justify the $4k extra. The V6 is completely satisfying. So far the interior is growing on me. Im very happy I got the charcoal interior and leather seats; it greatly increases the class of the vehicle. The build quality is overall pretty good, Im happily surprised. Reliability will have to wait.