The Sign of Evolution
When Ford introduced the Taurus way back in 1985 as an '86 model, many judged its bar-of-soap shape to be a little too "out there" to be widely embraced by middle-America conservatism. To some degree, this was the case, however the Taurus was groundbreaking in more ways than its Ivory clean design, and strong sales proved it.
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| Introduced in 1985, the Ford Taurus enjoyed strong sales offering features such as a V6 engine, 4-wheel independent suspension, and room for five to six passengers, all for a value price. (Photo: Ford Motor Company) |
The economical Taurus arrived with features such as front-wheel drive, optional V6 power, 4-wheel independent suspension and a very low drag co-efficient. Not bad for a roomy five to six passenger vehicle priced to compete with cars offering far less. Probably one of the most unique aspects of the Taurus, and its Mercury Sable cousin, was its size and the fact that a wagon derivative was available. Prior to the Taurus/Sable twins, mid-size wagons were under-represented on the American auto slate.
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| For the past 17 years, the Taurus has remained one of the 10 best selling vehicles in the United States, finding more than 6 million owners. The newly designed 2004 Taurus is set to carry on the mantle of success. (Photo: Ford Motor Company) |
Over the following 17 years, Taurus maintained strong sales figures and remained one of the 10 best selling vehicles - car or truck - in the United States, cumulatively passing 6 million units in total sales. While its success is partly due to popularity with rental companies and fleet purchasers, moms and pops across North America call a Taurus their own.
Ford's midsize mainstay has evolved through several significant redesigns before arriving at the most recent incarnation in the 2000 model year. The one consistent theme throughout the evolution has been safety. However, along the way many quality and reliability issues were addressed as well, including premature transmission failure, faulty head gaskets and peeling paint.