Ford is regarded as one of the world's top car manufactures, and it certainly is one of America's leading brands. Not just in cars, but out of everything to come from the United States. And why wouldn't it be? The Ford Model-T is one of the most iconic cars ever produced, and the dawn of the motorized vehicle that we know and love today.

What is quite astounding about Ford is the number of vehicles they have produced in their long illustrious history and the variety of vehicles that they have produced as well. You have the Model-T of course, a fairly mundane motor vehicle. Then you have the legend that is the Ford GT40, one of the most incredible racing cars of all time.

Then there is the Ford F150. A bit polarising in some areas, but still nonetheless good. These are just some of the cars to come from the company. But not everything you produce can be good. And to be fair, there have been some stinkers.

Cars like the oddly named Ford Probe, and the incredibly ugly Aerostar. Some of these cars should never have seen the light of day, as they do rather taint the legacy of the company. Even the legendary Mustang has blotted its copybook once or twice.

So what you will find here is a fairly comprehensive list of some of the best and worst to come from Detroit's doors. Some are absolute gems, some you will never want to lay your eyes on again.

24 No Sense: Ford Probe

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The Probe is a poor enough car without looking at all the technical and more physical details, just by the name it was given. Calling a car ‘Probe’ is certainly not the best idea Ford ever had. But the Probe wasn’t just a funny name. Based on the Mazda G Platform and designed as a rival to that company's RX-6, the Probe was not a successful car. It was a poor car to drive and suffered numerous issues, most notably with the electrical systems and the engine. The car was only produced for five years with production ending in 1993. The Probe was originally going to be in the Mustang family. It’s a good job for all it wasn’t.

23 No Sense: Ford Aerostar

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The Ford Aerostar surely goes high on the list of ugliest cars to ever hit the road And that styling alone is a big enough reason to put the Aerostar into this section of the list. Left wondering at why the car is styled in such a boxy way? Well, the car was not aimed at just being a passenger minivan, but it was also the basis for cargo vans. This explains why it does indeed seem to have van-like styling, and only the windowed rear half changes the cargo van look. This attempt at a form of crossover is never going to work, and the Aerostar was plagued with these terrible looks over its production run.

22 No Sense: 1993 Ford Aspire

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The Aspire falls into the same category as the Probe, by that I mean cars with unfortunate names. And judging by the actual car itself, there isn’t very much to Aspire. There was no outstanding issue with the Aspire. No severe electrical issues, no big engine problems. Nothing like that. But what was wrong with it was that it was just not very well received by buyers. The model is actually still going today, although it still does not look like anything particularly special and retains the rather drab look that the 1993 edition had. Nothing terribly wrong with the Aspire, but nothing very good about it either.

21 No Sense: Ford Festiva

via Consumer Guide

The Ford Festiva is a derivative of the Aspire, and indeed you can sense in the looks department that some similarities are shared. The Festiva is in effect the US variant of the Aspire. And other than a name change, there wasn’t much else to shout about. But unlike the Aspire, it had some more fundamental issues. The car was very unoriginal, and featured more deep-rooted problems than the Aspire. Engine and transmission issues were rife, with this severely impacting the car's lifespan, on the wrong end of the scale of course. The car was marketed on its safety, but that didn’t detract from the fundamental flaws that it had.

20 No Sense: 2002 Ford Thunderbird

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We all remember the original Ford Thunderbird, and what a wonderful car that was (more on it later by the way). So in 2002, Ford attempted to revitalize the Thunderbird with a car aimed at recreating that era's styling, but with a modern twist to it. For the most part, you’d say they achieved that goal, although it’s not really up to my personal tastes. But then the problems started to emerge. And the biggest was that of the engine. Carcomplaints.com have listed numerous engine failures on this car, it reportedly breaking down rather soon in its lifespan. This impacted sales, and as such the 2002 Thunderbird was not the huge success Ford had hoped it would be.

19 No Sense: Ford Ka

via buyacar

I have multiple problems with the Ford Ka. I think it is a pointless little car and one of the worst looking things I’ve ever seen. It also looks like if I was involved in a reasonably sized accident, I might not exactly fair as well as someone in another car. But on the whole, the Ka did very well, suited people's city car needs and it wasn’t that dangerous. Although it does look awful. But the biggest problem was rather basic. The name. Not as bad as Probe or Aspire granted, but Ka? Created in Brazil and successful in South America, it was actually named the Figo in South Africa. At least that’s an improvement on Ka.

18 No Sense: Ford Mustang II

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I’ve discussed the Ford Mustang II before, but it still warrants being on this list of Fords. The Mustang II is, by deducing this from its name, the second generation Ford Mustang. Now, I don’t need to tell you that this edition of the Mustang is not as good looking as the previous generation. But I do need to tell you that its performance was also pretty bad. Some versions featured a more European style V6 engine, which isn’t going to work in a big, brash muscle car. The handling was also very pig-like, not having the more deft touch of the first and later generations. The Mustang II is very much the mistake in the workbook that’s scribbled out.

17 No Sense: Ford Flex

via Car and Driver

The Flex is yet another Ford with an unfortunate name. Something they very much seem to have a habit of doing. It’s also been graced with some not so wonderful good looks, making it surely one of the worst looking cars Ford have produced. But the biggest issue is that it suffers from the same issue that the Aspire has, in that it is quite an underwhelming car with no really good qualities for it to shout about. In production since 2009, the Flex is somehow still in production as of 2018, so something is clearly being done by Ford to see that it has remained in production nearly ten years on.

16 No Sense: Ford F-250

via Car Spec Reviews

Yes, there is a Ford F-250 to go with the highly successful Ford F-150. You’d be very much forgiven for believing that the formula for Ford’s success with the F-150 would leave it in a good position when it comes to the F-250. Well, that hasn’t worked out. High expectations were laid onto the ‘250, but plethora of problems for this supposed high duty pickup truck mean that it has not lived up to those expectations. Like several cars on this list, the engine is the big factor in ruining the cars chances. If you want a good pickup from Ford, you really are much better off buying the F150.

15 No Sense: Ford Pinto

via USA Today

The Pinto holds the unfortunate title of ‘the worst Ford ever produced.’ Unofficially of course, but there is good reason for this unfortunate claim to fame. Its notorious design resulted in several cars blowing up during low-speed collisions, and lives were tragically lost this way. The gas tank issue causing this, however, could have been solved inexpensively. The solutions were to either use a rubber bladder/liner produced by Goodyear, add an extra steel plate to the rear of the car just behind the bumper or to add a simple plastic insulator to the differential that would've kept the bolts from ever making contact with the fuel tank. Ford didn’t bother with any of these solutions.

14 No Sense: Ford Maverick

via RAC

The Maverick only had a short production run, being produced from 1993 to 1998 and it was a joint project with Nissan. The Japan-based company fronted all the cash for the project, as well as putting in most of the work for the car. Nissan’s version of the car was called the Terrano, and from the outset its sales figures were much higher than that of Ford’s Maverick. The Terrano had a much better price point and warranty package, the biggest advantages over the Maverick. Ford in the end clearly regretted their involvement, so they pulled out of the whole deal and Nissan reaped the rewards, selling the car until 2006.

13 No Sense: 2004 Ford GT

via motor1

Now I want to start off here and say that I do like the 2004 Ford GT. Its retro lines and styling, coupled with the beautiful color schemes, make it an incredibly attractive car. The problem though is that I have always got the feeling that this version of the Ford GT was not that well refined, compared to the 2018 model, and certainly nowhere near as good as the original GT40 it was a successor to. Its fuel mileage was particularly poor, highlighted In an episode of Top Gear not long after the car's launch, and it was only available in very limited numbers. The current model is a much more refined edition.

12 Worth Dollars: Ford F-150

via motor1

The Ford F-150 appears to be as polarizing at times as the Chevrolet Silverado. Both are pickup trucks that sell incredibly well. Both have been around for a long time. And both are heavy duty trucks. But the Ford does certainly seem to have an edge. Modern Silverados are not made to the same standard as equivalent F-150s, and many have remarked how an older Silverado would do you much better than a newer one. Silverados also do not seem to be as heavy duty as the F-150, despite what Chevrolet’s TV commercials may try and say otherwise. If you want a dependable, well made and trusty pickup, then look no further than the F-150.

11 Worth Dollars: Ford Focus RS

via Car Magazine

Whilst the standard Ford Focus may have its own little issue, the Focus RS is one of the best of the modern ‘hot hatches’ that you can buy. And that isn’t just down to its very sleek lines either. A beefy 2.3 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine pumps out a very nice and mouthwatering 350 bhp, more than enough for this little thoroughbred. A top speed of 165 mph and a 0-60 of just 4.5 seconds is certainly nothing to be ashamed about! And with it being the same EcoBoost engine as the Mustang, it’s hardly surprising the Focus RS performs so well. Hands down, one of the best cars the company has produced in the modern age.

10 Worth Dollars: 1955 Ford Thunderbird

via Historics

We have already looked at the 2002 Ford Thunderbird, and how it wasn’t quite what Ford hoped it would be. Happily though, the original Ford Thunderbird is a much better car, and a darn sight prettier than the 2002 revival model. The 1955 Thunderbird was aimed at competing against Chevrolet’s Corvette, which itself wasn’t a great car. Ford soon went from a two-door arrangement to a four-door, making the 1955 model incredibly rare. That decision itself was to move the car away from a sports car to a personal and everyday car. Its 198 bhp V8 engine was great for the time, and it remains one of Ford’s best ever cars.

9 Worth Dollars: Ford Escort RS Cosworth

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Thanks to the Group A rally homologation rules, it was stipulated that 2,500 copies of said rally car must be produced for the road. The Escort RS Cosworth was one of those cars from Group A produced for the road. More than a match for the Toyota Supra, BMW M3 and the legendary Audi Quattro, the Escort RS produced 227 bhp and with a huge amount of downforce from its rear spoiler, it would very nicely stick to the tarmac. Of course, it was somewhat tuned down from the rally car, you wouldn’t want to take that on the roads! Nonetheless, the Escort RS was a little gem of a car.

8 Worth Dollars: Ford Cortina

via Classics World

Some models of the Cortina have had mixed reviews. Of course, not every model of a car can be great, but the Ford Cortina is one of the most iconic of Ford’s cars from the 1960s right through to the early 1980s. The Ford Cortina Lotus became a very successful rally car, and the Cortina itself became something of a TV icon. The Cortina has often been the car of choice for British policemen in cop shows, perhaps most notably as the car of choice for DCI Gene Hunt in the epic show ‘Life on Mars' from the BBC. There is indeed something quite British about the Cortina.

7 Worth Dollars: MK1 Ford Escort

via Car from UK

You’d be hard pressed to find any car enthusiast who does not have a soft spot for the MK1 Ford Escort. And you only have to look at it to instantly fall in love. It was a successor to Ford’s Anglia, and in essence was almost a shrunken Cortina. It does indeed look a bit like a Cortina’s child. Sensible and stylish for everyday use, it also became a rallying star whilst also proving to be a very successful touring car. Its success has spawned six generations and over 4.1 million cars being sold. The MK1 truly was genesis. And what I’d give to own it.

6 Worth Dollars: Ford RS200

via silodrome

If you were feeling that things were taking a bit of a rallying theme, you’d be right. Though that isn’t intentional. However, unlike the Escort RS, the RS200 was born under the legendary Group B rallying rules. What else featured in Group B? A certain Lancia Stratos and Audi Quattro. In racing/rally spec, the RS200 chucked out anything from 350 to 450 bhp, although the road versions were a much more moderate 250 bhp. A horrible rallying crash by an RS200 cut short the Group B era, although today’s rally cars, whilst much safer, are even faster and do in a way pay homage to that incredible era. It’s perhaps fitting that the first title winners of rallying’s new age in 2017 were M-Sport. What car do they run? A Ford.

5 Worth Dollars: Ford Mustang (First Generation)

via Wikipedia

You can’t really go wrong with Fords when it comes to the first generation Ford Mustang. This is the car everybody thinks about when the Mustang is mentioned in conversation. It is arguably the gold standard for the muscle car, and nothing really compares to that distinctive V8 rumble. Over the first 18 months of its production run, 1 million Mustangs were pumped out of Ford’s factory. It was such a huge demand that Henry Ford had to pioneer assembly line production to meet the huge demand for the car. Since that time, various generations have come and gone, and it has gone through ups and downs. But the original Mustang is the one we shall all remember, and the one we all cherish closest to our hearts.