What makes a car company, big or small, succeed? The cars it makes and the numbers of those cars that sell. Take the case of Ford. When Henry Ford dreamed of an economy car he wished to see parked in every American’s garage, he wasn’t far off from what Ford means to Americans today. Not to say that the other two of the original Detroit Three (GM and Chrysler FCA) are not doing as well, but Ford's innovation and early success have made it an automotive leader.
Of course, while Ford has released many a jewel, it has also been hit with huge recalls over the years ...and brought out epic fails as well. Yet, more than a century later, the company still aptly competes among the top ten automobile giants in the world, and here are the cars that made that happen.
15 The One That Sparked It All: The Ford Model T (1908-1927)
Nothing says success more than numbers, and the Ford Model T, with 16.5 million units sold from 1908 to 1927, is right at the top of the hill, even if there was a major recall centered around it. For Ford, and for the American automobile industry, the Ford Model T was a game-changer.
14 The Ferrari Beater: The 1966-1969 Ford GT40
While the Mustang was doing well as the common man’s car with a penchant for power, Ford and Ferrari’s contest got so ugly, Ford decided to make its own racer. Thus came the GT40, a car that also had support from Carroll Shelby and racers like Ken Miles to beat Ferrari from 1966 to 1969.
13 Shelby’s Legacy: The Mustang GT350, GT500, & GT
With the GT40 completely decimating its rivals, it was but natural that the general public wanted a slice of that winner’s pie as well. And over the years, the street-legal versions arrived – the GT, GT350 and the GT500. The 1966 GT350 was a 306-horsepower Mustang with a Shelby’d V8 for ultimate effect.
12 A Bird In The Hand: The Ford Thunderbird (1955-1997)
Ten generations from 1955 to 1997, and then the 11th gen from 2002-2005 – the T-bird played some great innings in its life. But nothing matched the sheer elegance of its debut generation, launched to curb the rising popularity of the Chevy Corvette. Later, the T-bird went its own way, a bit less on speed, but a lot of luxury and road presence.
11 America’s Darling: The Ubiquitous Ford F-Series (1948-Present)
According to Ford, in 2018, they were selling a Ford F-Series truck every 29.5 seconds – which means, by the time you finish reading this article, one more might have been sold. From the 1948 entrance of the F-Series to the 1975 debut of the F-150, more than 40 million F-Series trucks have been sold to happy drivers.
10 The Unstoppable Stallion: Ford Mustang (1964-Present)
Despite the oil crisis, stricter emissions, and the underpowered Ford Mustang II, the iconic muscle car by Ford has been on non-stop streak. Some love it, others don’t, but this nameplate has been going strong since 1964. And there are no signs of it coming to a halt anytime soon, with sales now approaching the 10 million mark.
9 The Ultimate European Car: Ford Escort (1968-2004)
We may not have liked the boring, almost egg-like car that was the Ford Escort, but the Europeans lapped it up. So much so that in Europe, more than 18 million units of the Ford Escort sold in its lifetime while, back home, sales were as dull as the car itself. Sometimes no-one appreciates the homeboys.
8 The Mafia Roller: Ford LTD (1965-1986)
More than Italian cars, it was the big and luxurious American cars that the mafioso seemed to prefer - and none more so than the high-rolling Ford LTD, whose very name was ambiguous, at best. 22 successful years led to more than 5 million of these being sold, and that’s a lot of big, long cars on the road.
7 America’s Panda Car: The Ford Crown Victoria (1991-2011)
Having a 20-year-run for a sedan is a thing of respect, more so when the Crown Victoria usually came with sirens blaring. The quintessential American cop car, and a taxi as well, the Crown Victoria was a non-luxury sedan that came powered by a V8. At retirement, this V8 jetted 239 horses, so for a no-frills car, that was serious speed.
6 America’s Classic SUV: The Ford Explorer (1990-Present)
Though the Ford Explorer had some shaky years in the ‘90s (despite great sale numbers) because of the exploding Firestone tires it wore, things soon got better for it. It may not be a best-selling vehicle but sales tallies are at more than 7.6 million. Plus, the nameplate is alive and kicking and only expected to get better.
5 A Retired Nameplate: The Ford Taurus (1985-2019)
The Ford Taurus and its better-known counterpart, the Ford Taurus SHO (which is not a play on "show" but stands for Super High Output) was what classic American cars were all about. Sturdy, dependable, and with the SHO models giving you all the power that you needed, some 8 million of these were sold globally before the Taurus' 2019 retirement.
4 The Surprise Entry: The Ford Transit (1965-Present)
For most of us, the Ford Transit is invisible. Why? Because this is the quintessential delivery van - a light commercial vehicle that has no place with regular drivers or car owners. And yet, it has sold massively, touching the 9 million mark (though not quite there yet). As we said, numbers don’t lie.
3 UK’s Star Performer: The Ford Fiesta (1976-Present)
Let’s face it, we may not always buy what Ford is trying to sell. So, Ford sells it elsewhere. Take the Ford Fiesta, for example, a subcompact car no one wanted in America but everyone hankered for in the UK, Europe, and Asia. Since its 1976 launch, over 16 million of these have been sold all over the world, making it yet another chartbuster in Ford’s playlist of cars.
2 Another Star Is Born: The Ford Focus (1998-Present)
A 13-million sale track record from 1998 to now isn’t bad, which is why we have to include the Ford Focus on our list as well. In 2013, more than a million Focuses (Foci?) were sold around the world. This means that for 2013, one Ford Focus was sold every 30 seconds of the day, every day, for the whole year. Beat that GM!
1 The Ultimate American Sedan: The Ford Fusion (2005-2020)
This one is a freshly retired nameplate because, frankly, no one wants to buy a sedan anymore ...no matter what power and luxury it offered, hybrid or otherwise. But the fact remains, this is a great car with terrible timing. Probably why sales crossed the 3 million mark by a little before it was gracefully retired.