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:

• 

  Nice car if had better engine and trans - 2005 Ford Taurus
  By taurusowner30 - July 9 - 10:27 am

  This car was purchased with only 2- 3000 miles on it. At 1st it ran great with little to no problems. As soon as it hit the limit of the warranty then the problems started. 1st it was little things. Then the transmission went out. Now I am about to replace the transmission again for the 3rd time. This car would be an excellent car if it would have been built better. Ford needs to be ashamed of itself for building such a good looking car and such a bad engine. No wonder American cars have fallen so far behind foreign cars.

• 

  XLT 4WD Premium - 2002 Ford Escape
  By TRC - July 9 - 10:00 am

  Ive put 3000 miles on the XLT Premium I bought a month ago, and am very satisified with it. The V6 has plenty of power & a solid feel. Only downside is that Im averaging just over 20 mpg at 70 mph highway speeds. The ABS brakes are very smooth. It took a few tries to get the drivers seat adjusted right, but now its comfortable even on long drives. Plenty of cargo space with the seat folded, and flipping the seats is easy. Only problem so far was with the 6-disc CD changer. I loaded a disc but it wouldnt play or eject. A stereo tech replaced it in 5 minutes and the new one works great.

• 

  4.6 liters can it get any better - 2000 Ford Crown Victoria
  By enjbriggs - July 9 - 10:00 am

  I always had my heart set on a crown vic, once I test drove one I was sold I traded in my dodge Neon and was the proud owner of a 2000 crown vic. At only 23yo I still get funny looks on road

• 

  Third Ford - 1999 Ford Escort
  By mlittle - July 9 - 10:00 am

  This was our third ford car. Leased a 95 Escort,and a 97 Contour. Bought the 99 Escort. It was a really good car to drive and living in Washington we were always taking weekend trips. We bought it new and had it at 29000 when sold to move back east. Nothing ever went wrong. We are now looking to buy another 99 Escort.

• 

  Fun car but could use improvements - 2002 Ford Mustang
  By lirpa - July 9 - 10:00 am

  I just bought the car. I am remotley satified. Pretty car. Will see how it holds up.

• 

  A truly great car - 2002 Ford Mustang
  By BOOGER - July 9 - 10:00 am

  This car has truly been the best car I have ever had the pleasure of owning; and I have owned a camero, a corvette, a celica, and an eclipse. I treasure every moment I drive it. Driving my Mustang has now become my favorite thing to do in life. I never liked Mustangs very much until I drove one. Then i decided to buy one. It was the best decision I have ever made.

• 

  NEVER LOOK INTO THIS CAR !!!!! - 2000 Ford Windstar
  By EMH888 - July 9 - 10:00 am

  This van seemed like a good deal at first but at about 30,000 mi. It started burning oil profusly and I took it in for repairs. Ford said they havent expierienced this with the windstar before but I have hered of a few stories from others who say they too have had problems. Ford fixed some of the problem but i dont know what will go next.

• 

  i love my new SUV - 2008 Ford Escape
  By r3b3cki - July 8 - 10:38 pm

  I just bought my escape and i totally love it, from the inside out, i like thats its a suv so i can sit up higer and see traffic better as apposed to being in a car being short and all its kinda nice i can also get in and out easily with out having to do the ole heave ho action getting into my suv, it rides smooth over speed bumps and on the road. i love that it gets good gas mialage for a suv. plus its easy to drive i dont feel like im driving a boat it feels like im driving a car but im up a lil higher i highly recomend this suv to anyone!

• 

  Very disappointing - 2007 Ford Mustang
  By satxdriver07 - July 8 - 8:10 pm

  First of all, I absolutely loved the look of my 2007 Mustang, v6 Premium with Pony Package and Interior upgrade. It looked awesome. Unfortunately, the interior was plagued with rattles the dealer couldnt fix, and any driver who knows what I normal suspension should sound like would know that this car suffers from serious design flaws in the form of loud suspension clunks in the undercarriage. It sounds like bottom is gonna fall out on uneven surfaces. It also had terrible traction without the traction control upgrade, and I felt unsafe driving in rain. Wanted to love it, but had to get rid of it 6 months later and took a huge hit.

• 

  Kind of a suprise - 1995 Ford F-150
  By Rachel - July 8 - 7:58 pm

  I am in no means a truck person. I only bought it because I was moving somewhere that is would be a good vehicle to have. I really wasnt expecting it to last 10 minutes, ha. But, here we are over 1 year later and the thing runs fantastic. I paid $1500 bucks for it with 128,000 miles on it, and everything works perfectly. The only problem i noticed is that if you try to speed up too fast...the transmission will jump a little. ha But, it is by no means a sports car...so you dont need to be doing that anyway.