8 Species of Fords Now Feared Extinct
The Ford company is one of the most well-known companies in the automotive industry, and it has played a major role in the evolution of the business. Here are some Ford vehicles that you may have heard of, but you no longer see on dealership lots.
1. Ford Model T
If you're a fan of the Ford brand, then you've heard about the Model T. In 1908, Ford made the first Model T, and it was one of the most affordable vehicles on the market, which is why it stayed in production until 1927. In its 19-year (very little changed) production, Ford sold 15 million Model Ts, which makes it still one of the best-selling vehicles in the world. The Model T was inexpensive, simple, and reliable when introduced, and got cheaper still over the years, until it sold for just $300. In a market filled with expensive vehicles for the well to do, the Model T won the heart of the mass and it quickly put America on wheels.
In the end, the simplicity of it nearly sank the company, because Henry Ford refused to update and evolve as times changed and cars got better. To recover, Ford basically started all over again, after taking a few months off, with a car so different they even reset their naming convention, and called it the Model A. The Model T is extinct because it only had 20 hp, a 2 speed transmission, a top speed of 45 mph, and got 20 mpg on a good day. It also had little weather protection, and no crash safety.
2. Crown Victoria
The last of the Ford Crown Victorias are still out there lumbering along as taxis and police cars, but they are no longer makign them new. Of course, the pictured car is the 1955 Fairlane Crown Victoria with its unique tinted plexiglass roof panel, and not the last of the 2012 cars. The first and last Crown Vic share little besides the name, and the fact that they were rear wheel drive, body on frame sedans with V8 power.
3. Thunderbird
In 1955, Ford introduced the beautiful-looking Ford Thunderbird 2-seat "sports car", and it continued in various styles and sizes (with just a short gap) until 2005. In 1958, Ford added rear seats to the sports car and it became a personal luxury car, since it was never as sporty as the Corvette anyway. The T-bird grew and grew, until downsizing and fuel economy became an issue, leading to the "aero bird" of the 1980s, which dominated NASCAR. After a short hiatus, in 2002, Ford brought back the Thunderbird again as a retro styled luxury 2-seater, and sporty styling, but the market had moved on, and the plug was pulled in 2005.
4. Edsel
Introduced in 1958, the Edsel had bad luck, bad engineering, and was an extremely unique-looking vehicle, that people disliked from day one. Ford had spent a fortune developing this vehicle, calling it the car of the future, and hoping to slot it in next to Mercury, between Ford and Lincoln. However, the majority of people considered it to be ugly, and some of its "futuristic" features (push button transmission) proved problematic. The Edsel was also priced higher than a Ford, as it sold for $3,580, and was released just in time for an economic recession. Ford lost over $250 million on the Edsel project and in 1960, only two years after its debut, the Edsel chapter was closed.
5. Mercury
Mercury was the middle child at Ford for a long time, being exactly in the middle between your basic Ford and your loaded Lincoln. Introduced in 1938, Mercury saw plenty of successes over the years, but in 2011 it was decided to eliminate the whole division. Let's face it, even the most basic cars from Ford have more features than a Mercury would have had 20 years ago. There is no denying that the Mercury Marauder was one of the greatest car names ever devised.
6. Ranchero
Ford's first trucks were built on their car chassis in the age of the Model T and Model A, but in 1957 they introduced the Ranchero as a whole new idea. Farmers and other people who bought trucks wanted something that could work during the week, and take them to church or town on the weekend, so they make their full sized car into a coupe with a bed out back. Chevrolet was a few years late to the party, but their El Camino ended up being a much bigger seller. The last of the Ford Ranchero car/trucks (in the United States) rolled out in the late 1970s, though there was a small run of Fox body Fairmont Durangos made in 1980 to test the waters. The current Ford Flex would make a great light duty truck.
7. Ranger
The Ford Ranger came about in the early 1980s as a response to the minitrucks from Toyota and Nissan that were all over the market. These tough little trucks were always affordable, and these days have proved durable too. Last seen here in 2011, Ford and its dealers just did not think there was room for a less expensive truck on the same lot as the best selling F-150. Ford has announced the return of the Ford Ranger for 2020, but until then, this model remain extinct.
8. Bronco
When Ford introduced the Bronco the whole idea was to build a Ford Mustang for off-road. Someone had their finger on the pulse of the nations, because the Bronco was an immediate success. SUV style and design moved away from truck based models with harsh rides,a nd so after the 1996 model the F-150 based Bronco was no more. Although the Bronco has been off the market for 21 years, Ford has announced that it will be making a comeback in 2020. However, we will not believe it until we see it driving down the road.
Ford help with service of your truck check out the how to section of Ford-Trucks.com