Ford Taurus

The Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near-continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American Ford lineup.[1] It has had a more upscale Mercury branded version entitled the Sable (1986–2005; 2008–2009), as well as a performance variant, the Ford Taurus SHO (1989–1999 and 2010—). It was a front-wheel drive mid-size car during its first production run, and it is now a full-size car available in front- or all-wheel drive.

The original Taurus was a milestone design for Ford and the entire American automotive industry, as well as a very influential vehicle that brought many new features and innovations to the marketplace.[2] Since its launch in 1986, Ford has built 7,519,919 Tauruses through the 2007 model year,[3] making it the fifth best selling North American nameplate in Ford's history; only the F-150,[4]Escort,[5]Model T,[6] and Mustang[6] have sold more units. Between 1992 and 1996, the Taurus was the best-selling car in the United States,[7] eventually losing the title to the Toyota Camry in 1997.[8]

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, sales of the Taurus declined as it lost market share to Japanese midsize sedans, and as Ford shifted resources towards developing SUVs. It was discontinued in 2006, with production initially ending on October 27, 2006 and 2007 being the last model year.[9] Ford had decided to replace the Taurus with the fullsize Five Hundred and midsize Fusion sedans, as well as replacing the Taurus wagon with the Freestyle crossover SUV. However, Ford revived the Taurus name a few months later during the 2007 Chicago Auto Show by renaming two new models that were intended to be updated versions of the Five Hundred and the Freestyle, the "2008 Taurus" and "2008 Taurus X", respectively.[10][11] A new model of Taurus was then released for the 2010 model year.

The first-generation Taurus was launched in 1985 as a 1986 model to strong fanfare and sales, replacing the slow-selling mid-size Ford LTD. (The full-size Ford LTD Crown Victoria remained as part of the Ford line up.) Upon the Taurus' debut, Ford was producing a range of rear-wheel drive cars, as Chrysler and General Motors offered more front-wheel drive vehicles. With the introduction of the Tempo, Ford had started its own transition to front-wheel drive. The Taurus displayed a rounder shape than its contemporaries, often likened to a 'jelly bean' or 'flying potato',[12] inspired by the design of the Audi 5000 and Ford's own Tempo.[2] The aerodynamic design of the Taurus also made the car more fuel efficient, allowing Ford to meet the more stringent corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standard applied by the United States government.[2] The Taurus' success ultimately led to an American automobile design revolution; Chrysler and General Motors developed aerodynamic cars in order to capitalize on the Taurus' success.[2]