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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Im in Love With My Car - 2005 Ford Mustang
By StevieG - December 22 - 12:30 pmThe 2005 Mustang GT Covertible is an awesome car. I had a 2000. This car is so much better in every way. It drives better, both in terms of handling and pure speed. It is simply gorgeous. I get thumbs ups and looks all the time. The Shaker 1000 audio system is the best factory stereo I have ever heard. As one of my friends said, this car is perfect.
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Tails its Class - 2008 Ford Escape
By The Job Pays - December 22 - 11:52 amBought this as my second Ford in 2007. Overall it leaves me with mixed reactions, the good: fuel economy in the low 20s (good for AWD), truck like front end, reasonably comfortable front seats. The bad: noisy engine, poor acceleration and passing power (better than what I expected from an I- 4, though), choppy 4 speed, electric power steering, and low grade, Saturn- like interior... lots of cheap plastic, horrible seat fabric thatss worn out after two years, disappointing fit and finish (especially the door panels), and goofy cell-phone button HVAC controls that are hard to use while driving. Bottom line...Ill easily buy another Ford but no more Ford SUVs!!! Next time Ill get an F-150.
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The Bullitt - 2001 Ford Mustang
By therealmrmustang - December 22 - 10:00 amAside from shortcomings to be expected from a custom, built alongside high volumne/production automobiles, problems have been minimal. I love my car!
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WOW! - 2002 Ford Focus
By jmtrainfan - December 22 - 10:00 amWhat a neat little car! I went down to look for a Taurus, and came home with a ZX5. I am impressed with the ride and drive for such a small car. Really a lot of fun to drive. I think its the most comfortable small car Ive tried. I really like the exterior styling.
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Fords got a hit! - 2001 Ford Focus
By timbo - December 22 - 10:00 amWhew! Great car! Weve only had it for a few months, but there have been absolutly no problems. We did have a couple of warantee issues, but they were very minor gripes. One of concern was a tire shimmy/balance issue. Suprisingly the dealer replaced the tire (Firestone) for no charge and the problem was improved.
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Fords got a hit! - 2001 Ford Focus
By Timbo - December 22 - 10:00 amWhew! Great car! Weve only had it for a few months, but there have been absolutly no problems. We did have a couple of warantee issues, but they were very minor gripes. One of concern was a tire shimmy/balance issue. Suprisingly the dealer replaced the tire (Firestone) for no charge and the problem was improved.
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New transmission - 2000 Ford Explorer
By no more explorers - December 22 - 10:00 amWe have a 2000 XLS. We have had to deal with the poor gas mileage which was expected. However, there were unexpected problems. We had several little complaints like it took a long time to warm up in the winter so the heat took a long time, wipers never worked great in the front or rear. The biggest complaint was that it needed a new transmission at 40,000 miles. There was no explanation given as to why a low mielage vehicle needed this work. Appraently it is a common thing with Explorers. We have sworn off Fords and bought a Dodge Caravan. The dealer was great to work with, which is good since we were there so often.
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Impressive fuel economy - 2010 Ford Fusion
By TL - December 22 - 2:43 amI bought the S with automatic due to dealer promotion. In test drive, it drove better than 2011 Sonata and costs a lot less. Just had 1500 km on it, seems a fuel sipper on the highway. I got 6 L/100 km highway (~40 MPG I believe, I am in Canada so we use metric), about 10-11 local. Driving is very smooth, hardly any engine or wind noise, although the road noise can be noticeable at highway speed. Only time will tell the reliability.
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blown plug - 2000 Ford Excursion
By smiley - December 21 - 11:10 pmI enjoy driving my peppy beast. It commands alot of attention and respect on the road. Im not saying im a bully but sometimes the sheer girth lets me make headway thru intersections. Its not a gas guzzler like reported or reviewed because it was not made for fuel economy. It carries and pulls. Lets be real people.
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Update on our 1997 Expedition - 1997 Ford Expedition
By jessepatty - December 21 - 10:02 pmIve written a review before on our Expedition and I shared it was getting close to 200K.. Well she finally went over the 200K mark and shes still a very reliable vehicle. I just want to share that with everyone.. This Expedition has been the most reliable vehicle we have ever owned... Thanks Ford! We appreciate not having to buy a new vehicle every couple years. Sure Saves us allot of money.
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