Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

15 cars that shaped the Ford Motor Company

Ford & Malcomson Company Limited was incorporated on June 16, 1903. It was Henry Ford's third attempt at forming a car company and this one would stick, eventually becoming the Ford Motor Company. Ford proved to be the most important American auto company in those early years. Its adoption of the moving assembly line in 1913 reduced the price of the automobile and put America on wheels. Over its 110-year history, Ford has developed many vehicles that have inspired generations of car fans and pushed the market in new directions. Here, we've chosen 15 great cars and milestones from Ford's history.


The Model T isn't simply the most important Ford; it may be the most important car ever. The Model T is the first car that became affordable to the masses. It was introduced in 1908 at a price of $850, but the most important models wouldn't arrive until 1913 and thereafter. That's the year that Ford developed the moving assembly line, allowing output to increase several times over and reducing the starting price to $260 by the early 1920s. Ford built the Model T until 1927, selling more than 15 million over its 19-year run.


After letting the Model T languish for 19 years, the Model A lasted only four and was replaced by the 1932 Model B and Model 18. The Model 18 was more significant; it introduced V8 power to the low-priced field. The new 221-cubic-inch flathead V8 engine produced 65 horsepower — 15 more than the available 4-cylinder — and it would last until 1953, eventually making 110 horses. The 1932 Ford's clean, stylish design was popular when new and it would become the car of choice for the hot-rod craze popularized by GIs returning from World War II.


The 1948 Ford F-Series marks Ford's first effort to build a dedicated pickup truck. All previous trucks had been built on car platforms. The F-Series, known as the Ford Bonus Built, was offered in eight weight ratings, with the half-ton F-1 being the base truck chosen by most customers. The new truck was very modern and a huge improvement over previous trucks, especially in terms of interior space and capability. Flathead 6-cylinder and V8 power were offered, with 95 and 100 horsepower, respectively. The F-Series has been sold ever since.


All U.S. automakers suspended production during World War II to build war materiel, and Ford was a major producer of planes, tanks, jeeps and trucks for the war effort. That left cars by the wayside and the first truly new Ford car after the war was the 1949 model. It was a key car for Ford, as sales had slipped and the company had earned a reputation for antiquated cars due to Henry Ford's aversion to new technology. But this was the first car developed under Henry Ford II, and it was a success. It was good looking and thoroughly modern, with the brand's first envelope body and independent front suspension.


Postwar prosperity spurred automakers to explore exciting new cars. Chevrolet launched the Corvette sports car in 1953 and Ford responded with the Thunderbird, a personal luxury car, in 1955. Even though it was a convertible with only two seats it wasn't a sports car. It was more about fun, style and comfort. A 292-cubic-inch V8 was the only engine. The T-Bird immediately sold better than the Corvette, and a 1958 redesign that added a rear seat improved sales. The Thunderbird lasted as a continuous nameplate until 1997, and then returned as a retro model from 2002 to 2005.


The Fairlane 500 Skyliner isn't so much a significant milestone in Ford history as it is a cool, attractive car with 1950s flair. It was the first mainstream American car with a retractable metal top. While the hardtop blocked out the elements better than a ragtop and looked good when up, it was big, heavy and devoured trunk space. It was part of the Fairlane 500 lineup, and Ford sold more than 20,000 that year. Ford never sold that many again and the car was gone after 1959, but the Skyliner is a highly sought-after collectible today.


Essentially a gilded version of the compact Ford Falcon, the Mustang made its debut in April 1964 as an early 1965 model. In addition to beautiful styling, it had European-inspired sports-car features, such as bucket seats and a floor shifter. Initially it came as a hardtop coupe or a convertible; a fastback coupe joined the lineup a few months later. Racer Carroll Shelby also modified the Mustang, creating the GT350 and later the GT500, both of which boasted more power and better handling. The Mustang was an instant commercial hit, and its good looks and performance traits would make it an automotive icon.


An answer to the International Harvester Scout, which itself was an answer to the Jeep CJ, the 1966 Bronco was Ford's first SUV. Built on its own purpose-built platform with a short 92-inch wheelbase, the Bronco was offered as a wagon with a full roof, a roadster without a top or doors, and as a sports utility, which was a 2-seater with a small pickup bed, a removable top and a windshield that could be folded down. A 170-cubic-inch straight-6 was the only engine. A full-size Bronco was added in 1978 and the nameplate would last until 1996.


In addition to Shelby-prepped versions, Ford built racing and high-performance Mustangs of its own. Styled by renowned General Motors and Ford designer Larry Shinoda, the Boss 302 was striking to look at and a demon on the track. The Trans Am series racing rules limited engine size to 5.0 liters, and the 302-cubic-inch V8 engine produced an underreported 290 horsepower. The Boss 302 took second in the 1969 Trans Am season and first in 1970. The Boss 429 offered more power but didn't handle as well and couldn't match its littler sibling's racing pedigree.


Like the 1949 Ford 37 years earlier, the Taurus was an important car at an important time. Facing stiff competition from Japanese automakers, Ford had to rethink the midsize car and the result was the 1986 Taurus. It marked Ford's switch to front-wheel drive and a major shift in design philosophy. Borrowing from the Japanese, it was roomy inside, aerodynamic, and with 4-cylinder and V6 power it offered good fuel economy. The Taurus was well-received by buyers and the media, earning the 1986 Motor Trend Car of the Year award and becoming the best-selling car in America in the 1990s.


The smaller Bronco II gave way to the Explorer in 1991, kicking off the SUV craze of the 1990s and 2000s. The Explorer came as a 4-door, spurring the switch from wagons and minivans to SUVs as the vehicle of choice for families. The only engine that first year was a 4.0-liter 155-horsepower V6, and later versions would add V8 power. The truck-type body-on-frame architecture made the Explorer inefficient in terms of space and fuel economy, and in the first decade of the 21st century SUVs would give way to crossovers, which employ a more efficient car-type unibody design.


Ford introduced its first performance pickup truck, the Lightning, for the 1993 model year, but the 1999 model added real power. Rather than the first Lightning's 5.8-liter 240-horsepower V8 engine, the '99 version featured a supercharged 5.4-liter V8 that turned up the wick to 360 horsepower. A sport suspension and a lower ride height improved handling, while a limited-slip differential and wide tires on 18-inch alloy wheels enhanced traction. The Lightning continued through 2004, and then gave way to the SVT Raptor in 2010 as Ford's performance pickup.


The Ford GT40 bested Ferrari to become the first American racing car to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, winning four years in a row from 1966 to '69. Almost 40 years later, Ford built the GT in homage to that legendary race car, using the same mid-engine layout and a very similar look. A supercharged 5.4-liter V8 spun out 550 horsepower, launching the car to a top speed of more than 200 mph. Built for two model years, only 4,038 GTs were produced, and it remains Ford's one and only supercar.


Even though the Mustang soldiered on while Chevrolet gave up on the rival Camaro after 2002, Ford had let the Mustang get old. It was still based on a chassis developed for the 1978 model until its 2005 redesign. The new car featured fantastic styling that recalled the original. While the car was new for 2005, the engines were the same. The Mustang came into its own for the 2011 model year when Ford introduced new 3.7-liter 305-horsepower V6 and a 420-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 engines. A redesigned Mustang for the 2015 model year debuted in the fall of 2013.


The end of 2013 marks the 37th consecutive year that the Ford F-Series has been the best-selling pickup truck in America, and the 32nd year as the best-selling vehicle overall. The current generation made its debut in 2009 and was immediately recognized as the best truck on the market. Ford improved the F-150 markedly in 2011 with the release of four all-new engines that enhanced both power and fuel economy. Ram and General Motors have since met or exceeded the quality of the F-150 with newer designs, but they still can't match the Ford's sales, and an all-new F-150 is due in a year or so.

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/15-ca...tor-company#17

mmarshall

No Lincolns or Mercurys? I can think of several that could be on this list, including the 1961 Lincoln Continental's award-winning styling (a favorite of President John F. Kennedy), the 1949-51 Mercury coupes that were a big hit with roof-choppers, and the 1956 Continental Mark II, a super-luxury hand-built wonder that, at the time, was the most expensive car with an American nameplate.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Looks like the article wanted to focus on just the Blue Oval rather than nameplates also under the Ford Motor Company. If it were expanded then I agree there are some Lincoln's and Mercury's that could grace this list.

LexFather

I''ll never forget that first Explorer as a kid. I thought it was cool compared to a van and it seemed every other person had one. Looked great. That was a true game changer!

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Heck yeah. The stuff dreams were made of!

FrankReynoldsCPA

Hell yeah!



In all seriousness though, I do love Ford.

hlee12

mmarshall

Those classic Ford Explorer/Mercury Mountaineer rollovers were not just the vehicle's fault (though the ancient truck-based Twin I-Beam front suspensons dated back to 1964 Ford pickups), but also some flaws in the design of the Firestone Wilderness tires they came with. It also involved a disagreement between Ford and Firestone on which tire PSIs to use (confusing the owners), and also owner-neglect in overloading their vehicles, driving too fast on hot roads in the desert where destructive tire heat built up to very high levels, and not checking their tires often enough. Ford and Firestone parted company after this fiasco (they had been buisness partners for almost a century). I've talked about this extensively in other CAR CHAT threads.

FrankReynoldsCPA

I'm aware of all of that, I was just trying to interject a little humor

That reminds me, IIRC, the tire that I had blow out on me in September while driving my dad's 92 F350 was a Firestone. What a real PITA.

I agree wholeheartedly with what you said about people overloading their vehicles. That's one of my BIGGEST frustrations with a lot of drivers. Absolutely ignorant of weight limitations and put way more in their vehicle than they ought to. After all, it fits, right? My veins start twitching when I see a minivan towing a u-haul trailer.

mmarshall

Nothing wrong with that.............I sometimes do a little of it myself.

I was going to suggest, at first, that, since it was on an heavy-duty F-350, it was (likely) one of those same off-road Firestone Wilderness tires that were failing on the Explorers....just in a larger size. But, on second thought, as far as I know, those old Wilderness tires, for obvious reasons, are no longer in production...unless your dad's truck just happened to still have a set of them on.

And what irked me about that issue was that the media really didn't have much to say about that part of it, either. They all but ignored the part of it where people were inspecting, loading and driving their vehicles with their heads up their a**es. It was primarily portrayed in the press as a conflict between Ford and Firestone over tire PSIs (brought in part by customer complaints about the Explorer's stiff, truck-like ride), the dated front suspensions, and the tire's lack of a built-in safety-margin on hot roads and low PSIs. In essence, they blamed Ford, Firestone, but not negligent owners....when, in reality, it was a combination of all of those three things.

mmarshall

Back to the original 15 list, I wonder a little why the Lightning and the Ford GT are on the list. The original GT, in the mid-60s, did make Ford a big name in track-racing when it beat the Ferraris on some of the big-name circuits, but probably did little to actually stimulate Ford sales on the street. In fact, during that period, the American public was still captivated and in love with the original 1964-66 Mustang, which probably impacted Ford more than any single car the company has produced in my lifetime (I was born in the 50s). Almost anyone could afford a lightly-optioned Mustang, but few could swing the price of a $200,000 Ford GT.

The Ford Lightning, admittedly, was a neat truck for those who wanted a macho pickup look/image combined with the ability to go out on Friday/Saturday nights and run the quarter-mile at the local drag-strip. But, outside of that, like with the competing Dodge RAM SRT-10, Chevy Silverado SS, Dodge Shelby Durango, and earlier muscle-trucks/SUVs from GM like the Cyclone and Typhoon, these vehicles were about as useful, by truck standards, as one of Janet Jackson's bras. You couldn't tow anything with them (towing was prohibited by the manufacturer). Gross vehicle (passenger/cargo) weight was lowered, despite the added power from the turbos. Their lowered ground-stance (done in the name of a lower center of gravity and better handling) limited their ability to go over road-obstacles that other trucks could clear with ease. And, most of them didn't even offer AWD, so that compeomised their use in winter (though uou could fill the beds with snow for added weight/traction over the rear wheels). The low sales of this type of truck (which was not surprising) just verified their lack of flexibility.

FrankReynoldsCPA

The tires were only a few years old. Might have been Michelin tires. It blew because of dry rot on the sidewall actually.


It's funny how much blame was placed straight on Ford. U-Haul actually enacted a policy refusing to rent trailers or sell hitches to people who were using Explorers, yet they'll let any jackass with A Dodge Caravan tow one.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using IB AutoGroup

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

While the GT may not have spurred sales, it's just as important as the LFA is to Lexus. It's a halo car to prove the company's performance prowess and pedigree. Few have ever stood up to Ferrari and

Aron9000

I question the inclusion of the Lightining pickup. Its a cool truck, but just a niche player in a niche that never really caught on.

Where is the late 40's woody wagons on that list?

The later fake wood 1950's/60's/70's Country Squire wagons? They sold A TON of those, half the population spent too much of their childhood in mom's lumbering station wagon.

I'd also argue for the 80's/90's/00's Crown Victoria sedan as being a very significant product for Ford. Everybody has been pulled over by one. Or rode in the back seat(hopefully to the airport, not to jail). The headlight pattern of that car reflected in my rear view mirror is permanently seared into my brain.

xioix

I feel the GT40 changed Ford more than the GT