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 - 1990 Ford Mustang
  By MUSTANGLX - July 15 - 12:50 pm

  This is a really fun to drive car with pretty good handling but it does lack in the power department. If they would make a turbo kit this thing would be a lot of fun.

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  I love it - 2003 Ford Ranger
  By jeff 1 - July 15 - 9:54 am

  I have owned an S10, a Dakota, and a Ranger. The Ranger is by far the best I have owned. Other than oil changes I have just bought 2 sets of wiper blades. This is a great fun truck. It looks great, is great on the highway. I will deffinetly get another one. I love driving on the highway to college with this. Drives real easy. Manual transmission shifts real easy and is geared well

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  Love it! - 2005 Ford Focus
  By Rileigh - July 15 - 3:24 am

  I bought my first Focus in 2001 and loved it! So when that got totalled in January 2005, I knew I wanted another Focus. The color choices stunk that year, but my new one has lots of great, new features that I love. I am very happy with it!

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  Best bang for your buck! - 2006 Ford Mustang
  By Alan - July 15 - 12:00 am

  This is my third Mustang, my last being an 88 GT convertible that I also bought new. What a difference 18 years can make! This car is faster, smoother, quieter (yes, I know a convertible is noisier, Im comparing to friends 88 GT hatchback), quicker around the corners, stops better, sounds better and gets better gas mileage to boot. Whats not to love? This car was love at first sight. I sold two cars to swing the downpayment and special ordered the car with all the toys - 18" wheels, and a 1000 watt 6 disc with subwoofers in the trunk. Im a stick shift guy and this car has a wonderfully smooth transmission that shifts much better than my 88 GT. I commute 55 mi./day and get 22mpg

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  Ford Freestyle LTD AWD - 2005 Ford Freestyle
  By Morgan McCauley - July 14 - 7:33 pm

  Probably the most versatile vehicle I have ever driven. An excellent blend of an SUV, a minivan and a car. The people and cargo carrying configurations are excellent, the CVT is awesome and the AWD system is second to none and performed flawlessly in our snowy winter. Many claim the vehicle is underpowered but I believe that this is a misperception because of the CVT. I find the vehicle more than powerful enough even fully loaded merging onto a highway and with the CVT you get far better mileage than many others without it. I would definitely recommend this vehicle to anyone and especially for those looking for something a little different from the SUV or minivan.

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  Great Running vehicle - 1998 Ford Explorer
  By Robin - July 14 - 4:18 pm

  We bought used in 2006. It had 75,000 on it. We have not had a problem one with the vehicle. Its very dependable. We have driven 2 or 3 times back and forth from Michigan to Florida and from Florida to Missouri once. We have put tires on it once and replaced rear brakes in 2008. We would definitely buy another Explorer! The rear seats could be a little more comfortable, but other than that - we love it!

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  So far, so good, but... - 2006 Ford F-150
  By David - July 14 - 3:00 pm

  Very nice and comfortable truck. I love the formal exterior but it was the interior that eventually sold me. I have the tan leather and the flow-through console, and I love it! This truck drives very nice. The ride on the highway is firm, but not annoying, and despite this trucks large size, it is very manageable in town.

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  No More Fords! - 2005 Ford Taurus
  By ShaylaD - July 14 - 1:40 pm

  I purchased this car in July of 2005 with about 20,000 miles on it. I needed something dependable so I figured that this was a great choice. Ive always loved the way that bigger cars handled and I liked the look of the car. Worst car purchase so far. I had to replace the transmission at 70,000 miles(I got lucky, other consumers had to replace theirs at 40,000 miles), the air compressor and serpentine belt at around 40,000.

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  The New Taurus - 2008 Ford Taurus
  By Richard Sly - July 14 - 3:43 am

  This vehicle has met all my needs. Performance has been improved to a totaly acceptable level vs the Ford 500. Interior room, both in the front seats and back seats are excellent.. Trunk space is great for traveling and local golfing. Room for 4 sets of clubs- no problem. Fuel economy-city driving is at 20.5 mpg

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  Not a good buy - 2003 Ford Focus
  By stanggirl - July 14 - 2:00 am

  I bought my car a year ago and within the past year have had nothing but problems. After exactly a year and some days my car would not run b/c the clutch switch went out. Not a good thing for a pretty new car taken well care of.