Any business requires hard work, perseverance, and even a little bit of luck. Most industries are in a constant state of evolution in order to maintain their relevance in their industry and with their consumers. This constant state of change forces business owners to always be thinking about their next move and anticipating the trends of their consumers and potential consumers. This is one of the things that make any business difficult. There are a lot of difficult industries, but one of the most difficult industries in which to maintain success with any sort of longevity is the auto industry.

The automobile industry is an ever-changing industry that's always evolving in order to keep up with the needs of its consumers, the state of the world, and the invention of new technology. Automobile companies are always looking into ways that they can improve their brand and improve their sales. Currently, many automakers are pushing towards change and reinventing themselves in order to be able to maintain relevance in a world that's evolving as well. This is leading to some amazing advancements and changes for many automakers.

One such automaker is the American giant Ford. This family-owned giant has been a serious player in this industry since its beginnings in 1903. Ford is making some major changes in their company and in their lineup of vehicles, changes that are going to make things interesting for the company going forward. These changes will help consumers to understand where Ford is headed in the future. Here are 24 interesting facts about Ford and their vehicles that all drivers should know about before they buy their next vehicle.

24 Long-Lasting Vehicles

One of the most important qualities that a person looks for is a car that's going to be reliable and will last for a long time. They want a great car that they can maintain the way that they need to and will thus last them for years to come.

According to AutoRaptor.com, Ford is one of four brands of automobiles that regularly last long enough to see their odometers turn over to 200,000 miles.

This is a great judge of a great car, and Ford plans on making sure that this is going to be a quality that many drivers realize about their cars.

23 A Company With Serious Value

A company's worth and longevity within its given industry are telling signs of satisfied customers and the company conducting itself with respect. Ford has been in business since 1903 (2018 was their 115th anniversary). Statista.com is a site that records amazing statistics about all sorts of businesses. They reported that Ford is the most valuable of all the American car brands and is the fifth most valuable car brand in the world. In 2017, Ford reported 156.8 billion in revenue, which was an increase from 2016. This sort of success is an indicator of the way that Ford does business.

22 Overhaulin' The Lineup

There has been a recent shift in the types of cars that people are buying and the types of cars that are becoming increasingly popular. Through their research, Ford has realized that fewer and fewer people are going out to buy sedans the way that they used to.

USAToday.com revealed that over the next couple of years, Ford will be phasing out three of their sedan vehicles: the Fiesta, the Fusion, and the Taurus.

The showrooms of Ford dealerships will be looking a lot different to shoppers in the next couple of years as these vehicles are removed from the lineups.

21 The Popularity of Turbos

As time has gone on, more and more car companies have decided to add factory turbos to their vehicles. American drivers are lovers of a car that has a little extra to the gas pedal. Ford is a company that has taken this seriously and has added turbos to a lot of their vehicles. CarandDriver.com laid out a great graphic that shows the percentage of Ford vehicles that have turbos: 100% of Expeditions and GTs, 75% of Focuses (including ST and RS models) and Fusions (including Fusion Sports), 66% of Edges, Escapes, Explorers, Fiestas (including ST models), F-150s (including Raptors), 50% of Ecosports and Flexes, and 33% of F-Series Super Duties and Mustangs (including the GT 350 models).

20 Hybrids and Electric Vehicles

Alternative fuels are a big deal in the auto industry right now. When most people are asked about brands that produce hybrids and electric vehicles, most of them will name Toyota, Nissan, or Tesla before they name any others.

As reported by Cars.USNews.com, Ford is the "second leading seller of affordable electric vehicles in the U.S."

They offer numerous alternatively fueled vehicles, including hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and full battery electric vehicles. Ford has become a major producer for these alternatively fueled vehicles for United States consumers.

19 The Internet Is Everywhere

The internet is an integral part of everything that we do and the way that much of our current technology functions. Automakers like Ford are making sure to accommodate this trend in the way that they're building their cars. According to CarBuzz.com, Ford wants to equip 90% of their vehicles with internet capability by 2020. Specifically, they want to equip the vehicles with WIFI hotspot technology. This technology will be able to allow up to 10 different devices to connect to the internet through the WIFI hotspot within the vehicles. Ford is doing this with their FordPass Connect technology.

18 The F-150 Hybrid

The next couple of years is going to be a big deal for the Ford Motor Company. In 2020, they plan on releasing a truck that's going to break the mold; they're releasing a 2.7-liter plug-in hybrid version of the famous F-150. According to PickupTrucks.com, this isn't the only plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that Ford is currently in the process of testing. It's suspected that a Lincoln Aviator and a Ford Escape are also in the works for a 2020 release date. Ford made big promises about their alternative-fuel goals, and they seem to be making good on those promises.

17 FordPass Connect

As we stated earlier, this is the app that's going to create a WIFI hotspot in many of the new Fords that'll be rolling out in the next couple of years. This isn't all that this is going to allow Ford owners to be able to do.

This system will allow Ford drivers to interact with their vehicle in a way that they've never been able to before.

CarBuzz.com lists things like remote start, checking fluid levels, wireless device charging, locking and unlocking the vehicle, and even getting live traffic updates through this Ford app. It allows owners to be linked with their vehicle via their smartphone.

16 SYNC 3

Infotainment centers are incredibly important in new vehicles. They're a lot like the FordPass Connect in their use of smartphones and the internet. CarBuzz.com describes the Sync 3 as being compatible with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. This infotainment center isn't new to Ford vehicles, but it's been improved in comparison to the previous versions. It allows the driver to utilize voice commands to manage the phone functions like texts, calls, music, navigation, and climate control in the vehicle. Between the Sync 3 and the FordPass Connect, the vehicle is fully optimized for the most complex of tech users.

15 The Famous F-Series Trucks

I decided to throw this in here because there are some great new things happening to the F Series trucks in the coming years. The F series debuted with the 1948 model year, and the first F-150 was produced in 1975. As of now, the F-150 has been on the market for 43 years and counting.

It's become the most successful-selling pickup truck line in the United States and has sold more than 40 million vehicles.

It's the standard that all other truck makers want to try and just get close to because it's highly unlikely that anyone's going to beat that number.

14 2018 Motor Trend Truck of the Year

In November of 2017, Ford sent four variations of the 2018 F-150 to Motor Trend for them to put through their award testing. "It was a pretty resounding win," road test editor Chris Walton said. "Nothing really came close." Those were his exact words, according to the MotorTrend.com article. From the improvements under the hood to the new aluminum frame (that other truck companies tried to discredit) to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association 5-Star safety rating, the new F-150 is a great truck. They've worked hard to make great changes in the truck, and these changes have worked.

13 New Engine Options

Different trucks are going to do different types of work, and different drivers are going to need different types of performance out of their trucks. Ford has made sure to accommodate anything and everything that their drivers could possibly need.

They've greatly expanded their engine options to make sure that whatever drivers are looking for, they can get out of one of the options in the 2018 F-150.

The options that the F-150 can come with under the hood are a 5-liter V8, a 3-liter Powerstroke Turbo Diesel, a 3.5-liter EcoBoost, or a 3.3-liter or 2.7-liter V6, as listed by CarInsuranceComparison.com.

12 Changan Ford Automobile Corporation Limited

One of the dreams of Henry Ford was to establish an international automobile company, and that's definitely the case today. Changan Ford Automobile Corporation Limited is a 50-50 joint venture between Ford and Chongqing Changan Automobile Company, Ltd. This company builds and sells Ford-branded vehicles in China. Chongqing Changan Automobile Company Limited is one of the 4 largest auto producers in China, as described by Investopedia.com. This is just one of the ways that Ford has expanded throughout Asia and the rest of the world.

11 Getrag Ford Transmissions GmbH

This is another company that Investopedia.com listed as one of the companies that are working in tandem with Ford. This is a joint-venture company that was created by the partnering of the Ford Motor Company and Getrag International.

This company is producing manual transmissions for Ford vehicles across Europe.

They have manufacturing plants in Germany, England, France, and Slovakia. This is one of the ways that Ford has made sure to establish its presence in Europe. In 2015, Getrag International was bought by a Canadian company, but they're continuing the partnership with Ford under the same name and brand.

10 AutoAlliance (Thailand) Company Limited

This is a company that Investopedia.com sites as the result of a joint, 50-50 business venture between Ford and Mazda. This company is producing both Mazda and Ford trucks and is a hub for the marketing of these vehicles throughout Southeast Asia. The Ford Motor Company has found extremely profitable ways to make their presence felt in every corner of the globe. It's one of the reasons why they're looked at as a successful business model for longevity and success. Henry Ford would be extremely proud if he could see what his company has become at this point in time.

9 Ford Motor Land Development Company

This is another of the companies that Investopedia.com describes as a wholly owned and operated subsidiary of the Ford Motor Company. This is a real estate company that was created in 1970 in order to develop the land and acreage that surrounded the company's corporate headquarters in Michigan. "The company also provides planning and engineering services, facility management services, and dealership design services in support of Ford's international operations," according to Investopedia.com. They manage more than 5 million feet of office space in both Dearborn and Allen Park, Michigan.

8 2018 Ford F-150 Raptor

CarandDriver.com did an extensive test on the new Raptor, and they referred to it as the "alter ego" of the F-150. It's powered by a twin-turbocharged V6 that cranks out around 450 horsepower. This gives it plenty of power to run through whatever off-road terrain that anyone would want to throw at it.

It also comes with a 10-speed automatic transmission and goes 0-60 in 5 seconds.

It has a widened wheelbase and is ready to have a great time. In fact, some say the Raptor is the ready-for-play version of the original F-150.

7 2018 Shelby GT 350

CarandDriver.com discusses how Ford brought back the Shelby GT 350 and the 350R for the 2016 model year after they had been discontinued after the 1970 model year (46 years). These 526 horsepower Mustangs are a great way for the present to pay tribute to the past. The 2018 models are mostly unchanged from those of 2017, as much of the improvements were made for the 2017 model year. This occurred as a result of issues that were corrected from the rebirth in 2016. The only changes for 2018 are color options, which include a discontinuation of Grabber Blue and Avalanche Gray. These colors were replaced with Kona Blue, Orange Fury, and (fittingly) Lead Foot Gray.

6 2019 Ford Focus Changes

As was previously stated, CarBuzz.com reported that Ford has extensive plans to overhaul much of their lineup, including discontinuing multiple models. One of the models that'll be experiencing changes is the Ford Focus.

It seems like they're just releasing the fourth generation of this vehicle, but in all reality, this car is going to be a completely redesigned and re-engineered vehicle.

The ultimate goal for the 2019 Focus and its variants is that it'll be a new compact car that'll appeal to the global automobile market, not just drivers in the United States. It's meant to meet the needs of modern drivers and buyers.

5 2018 Ford Focus RS

According to CarandDriver.com, 2018 will be the final year of the RS model of the Ford. This falls under their plan to overhaul the line and completely redo the Ford Focus. The 2018 Focus RS has a seriously turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that creates 350 horsepower. It runs on a responsive all-wheel-drive suspension and a 6-speed manual transmission. There's a limited-edition version of this vehicle, and there were only 1,000 of them sold in the United States and 500 in Canada. It's one of those cars that Ford did well, but they're evolving their business to accommodate the needs and desires of modern drivers. This is one of the cars that won't be included in the line of the redone Ford Focuses.