Ford Taurus Built For Speed
The 2006 model year will end the heralded Taurus name and for this writer it is a bittersweet time as Ford retires what once the fastest selling car in all of America.
When Ford introduced the Taurus together with its cousin the Mercury Sable in the mid 1980s the car represented a radical exit from the standard American car of the day. Fairly large, front wheel drive, and awfully aerodynamic, the Taurus quickly rose to the apex of the American car sales charts and was the best selling car for several years in a row. A much delayed “reskinning” did not occur until 1996, some a decade after the Taurus and Sable were first released. The new style, perceived by some to be hideous, quickly cost Ford sales as newer and more modern Toyota Camrys and Honda Accords out gained the line. Tiny changes in style incorporated with the 2k model year took some of the sting off, but by that point the Taurus was said to be too decrepid and outmatched by the competition.
I purchased an all new 1994 Taurus and kept the vehicle for 7 years, racking up 117,000 miles before deciding it was time to trade in the car for something newer. I found the ride to be comfortable, the inside room to be expansive, and I enjoyed the overall style of the car. I was also one of the first folk to get a Taurus in the then new Hunter Green color, an engaging deep green that was admired by many .
When 2001 rolled around, I elected to lease a Saturn L series rather than going with the Taurus. I required something similar in size with the Taurus and at that time Saturn had a lease deal that might not be beat. In addition, I continue to wasn’t impressed with the Taurus which I felt had been out-engineered by other autos in its class. So, I took home the Saturn and donated my Taurus to the Kidney Foundation.
The 2005 model year represented the final year that Ford would offer the Taurus through dealers; for 2006 the Taurus is only available as a fleet car and it’s unvaried from the year before’s model. The slow selling Sable was mercifully put to rest one year earlier.
For Ford, concentrating on wagons and SUVs meant neglecting much of their automobile line up, including the Taurus. Bigger and stronger SUVs, including the Expedition and Excursion, were introduced as America’s tastes continued to shift from passenger cars to SUVs. In addition, the ever popular F Series pick up trucks went through regular style and engineering changes each 4 years or so as did the Explorer, Ford’s midsized SUV.
Higher gas prices and changing tastes are once again impacting Fords’ line up. The beefy Excursion is gone and new automobiles including the 5 Hundred and Fusion are now part of the line up. These 2 new models represent a fresh change for Ford and a guarantee the attention once given to the Taurus would be given to the new models. For that, I am glad.
Do you like fast cars? If yes, you may also visit thesupercars.org to get more information about the fastest cars in the world. Also, you might want to check out old Ford F-350.