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By Matthew C. Keegan
March 20, 2008
After twenty years of production the Ford Taurus prepares to sail off into
the great car lot in the sky. R.I.P.
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 best selling car in all of America.
When Ford introduced the Taurus along with its cousin the Mercury Sable in the
mid 1980s the car represented a radical departure from the standard American
car of the day. Fairly large, front wheel drive, and very aerodynamic, the
Taurus quickly rose to the pinnacle 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 ten years after the Taurus and Sable were first
released. The new style, perceived by some to be ugly, quickly cost Ford sales
as newer and more modern Toyota Camrys and Honda Accords out gained the line.
Slight changes in style incorporated with the 2000 model year took some of the
edge off, but by then the Taurus was considered to be too old and outmatched
by the competition.
I purchased an all new 1994 Taurus and kept the car for seven 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 interior room to be expansive,
and I enjoyed the overall style of the car. I was also one of the first people
to purchase a Taurus in the then new Hunter Green color, an attractive deep
green that was admired by many.
When 2001 rolled around, I elected to lease a Saturn L series instead of going
with the Taurus. I needed something similar in size with the Taurus and at
that time Saturn had a lease deal that could not be beat. In addition, I still
wasn’t impressed with the Taurus which I felt had been out-engineered by other
cars 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 is unchanged from the previous year’s model. The slow selling Sable was
mercifully put to rest one year earlier.
For Ford, concentrating on trucks and SUVs meant neglecting much of their car
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 every four 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 cars including the Five Hundred and Fusion
are now part of the line up. These two new models represent a fresh change for
Ford and a promise that the attention once given to the Taurus would be given
to the new models. For that, I am glad.
Author Information:
Copyright 2005 -- Matt Keegan is a contributing writer for
Auto Parts Canada,
a wholesaler of fine
Ford parts and accessories
for your vehicle.