Types of Ford Vehicles

Ford has a long history of producing well-built cars starting with the 1908-1927 Model T. Its Thunderbird was produced from 1955-1997 and 2002-2005. The passenger car-based Ranchero combined passenger car comfort with rugged pickup truck utility from 1957-1979. The 1970s compact Pinto and Maverick didn’t fare as well due to quality control issues, but the compact Ford Ranger pickup is a reliable alternative to the F-Series trucks. Ford also produced tractors from 1920-1964 under the Fordson name.

Today’s Focus compact car was originally launched in 1999 and targeted to youthful drivers for its smart styling and fuel-efficiency. The car is offered as a sedan, three- and five-door hatchback, coupe and wagon. More than 5 million has been manufactured since its launch.

The Mustang revolutionized automotive design when it was introduced in 1964 and continues today as a leader in performance engineering. The fifth generation Mustang, which debuted in 2005, echoes the styling of the 1967-1969 models. Ford also brought back performance car guru Carroll Shelby to produce a limited line of high-performance models, including the 500-horsepower Shelby GT500 series.

The F-Series pickup truck debuted in 1948 and usually ranks first in sales over the competitor Chevrolet pickups. Today’s F-150 light-duty pickup is complemented by the heavy-duty F-250 and F-350 models. Ford also produces special editions such as the Harley-Davidson trim line. The luxury Ford truck is the Lariat.

The Taurus was a mid-size passenger car from 1985-2006 before being promoted to full-size status. It was Ford’s most popular passenger car in the 1980s and early 1990s, but it lost considerable ground to Japanese imports in the late 1990s as Ford focused its attention on developing its sport utility vehicle line. The Taurus was initially discontinued in 2006, but re-emerged the following year based on the Ford Five Hundred model with a significant redesign.

The mid-size Explorer SUV popularized the sport utility vehicle among buyers following its 1990 introduction. It replaced the Ford Bronco II. Today’s Explorers are powered by a 4-liter V-6 or the 4.5-liter V-8. The full-size Expedition SUV made its appearance in 1997. It sits on a massive 119-inch wheelbase and is powered by Ford’s 5.4-liter Triton V-8 engine.

Since the 1960s Ford has produced high-performance cars for the racing circuit, including its famed 1965-1968 GT40 race car that won at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ford has developed relationships with Saleen, Inc., which produced high-performance Mustangs from 1983 to today, and former race driver Carroll Shelby with his performance GT350 and GT500 models.