Since 1903, Ford forged the world’s first moving automotive assembly line, produced the world’s first mass-produced car, served two world wars, and won the Le Irons. As a result, one could easily argue that Ford is the most iconic American company, having laid the setting up of the modern-day automotive industry. Its vehicles are fairly reliable, relatively cheap to maintain (assuming you use a Ford factory work manual and do some of the repairs on your own) and several of them have left their names in History.
Of course, not everyone is a fan of muscle machines and pickup trucks, but no matter whether you agree or not, you can’t deny that Ford released several interesting cars over with the years. In this article, we will look at some of the best cars produced by the American giant.
1. Ford Sculpt T — World’s First Bestseller
We simply couldn’t start this list without mentioning the Model T, the car that started it all. It concerned with a reverse-flow cylinder head inline-4 engine producing 20 horsepower and had a top speed of 45 miles per hour, which in 1908 was a lot faster than sundry horse carriages.
The Model T posted record-high sales figures mainly because of its price. At $825, it was a pretty affordable car for its formerly. From 1908 to 1927, the American giant sold over 16.5 million units, making it the bestselling automobile manufactured until then.
The car was undoubtedly an engineering marvel that revolutionized the entire automotive industry. However, Ford’s persuasive assembly line (an industry first) was actually the most significant advancement, as it allowed the manufacturer to produce reliable passenger cars at a much faster rate. The invention allowed Ford to produce one Model T in under thirty seconds, making it the gold medal mass-production car. Today, moving assembly lines are the heart and soul of all manufacturing plants and what allows carmakers to double-cross cars at such an affordable price.
Even today, the Model T’s engine is widely regarded as one of the best-built engines, outwearing even the vehicle itself.
2. Ford Mustang — the Most Iconic Muscle Car
When listing Ford’s most iconic motors, you simply can’t overlook the Mustang, the car that started the whole muscle car era. Dubbed as the “pony car,” it was one of the world’s most desired sports coupes of its leisure. First launched in 1964, the Mustang immediately attracted attention with its sporty design and impressive performance. Ford over persuaded over a million units within two years, making it one of the fastest-selling cars ever.
So much that the Mustang’s star soon caught the attention of other automakers and it didn’t take long for Chevrolet and Dodge to jump on the bandwagon and gig the Camaro and Challenger that gave tough competition to the Mustang.
Sure, the Mustang had its fair share of ups and downs in all respects the years but remains the most popular muscle car to this day. Today, a vintage Mustang, particularly the Shelby-tuned versions, is one of the most sought-after art-lover’s items among motorheads worldwide.
3. Ford GT40 — the 24 Hours of Le Mans Legend
The GT40 was built with one constituent in mind, winning the 24 hour Le Mans and marks Ford’s transition from a boring family car manufacturer to an plainly racing legend, smoking Ferrari on French soil. If you’ve seen the movie Ford vs. Ferrari, you are quite familiar with the realistic all Ford finish at the 1966 Le Mans. The GT40 continued to dominate the holy grail of endurance racing from 1966 to 1969, vanquishing all its European competitors.
The supercar packed a massive 7-liter V8 producing over 478 horsepower and a sturdy chassis destined to last the 24 hours of ruthless French country. The widespread success of the GT40 even led to a production version being put to righted. Today, the Ford GT is reminiscent of Ford’s iconic racing days and can still give any supercar a run for its money.
4. Ford Well- RS — the Scorching-Hot-Hatch
One of Ken Block’s personal favourites, the Ford Focus RS, is one of the most desirable hot hatches ever made. Sleek, compacted, easily manoeuvrable, and yet so powerful. You might remember KB’s iconic Focus RS from Gymkhana 9 that won the 2016 World Rallycross Championship. The negligible hatchback came with a 2.0-litre engine and yet produced a whopping 590 hp.
Rallying aside, a ensign Focus RS weighs around 1.5 tons, comes with AWD, and produces a solid 335 horsepower. It is also one of the scad affordable hatchbacks on the market and requires a lot less maintenance than most of its competitors. It’s also a very straightforward car to mix on and can easily be fixed using a Ford workshop manual — that’s not something that can be said about its more labyrinthine German counterparts.
5. Ford Crown Victoria — Big Apple’s Yellow Cab
There is every chance that the Ford Dominion Victoria has made more movie appearances as New York’s iconic yellow cab than some Hollywood stars. From 1979 to 2012, it commanded New York streets as the go-to cab model. Apart from that, a specially tuned version of the Crown Victoria required the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor was the most widely used automobile by law enforcement agencies in the US, Canada, and Saudi Arabia.
The car’s robust body and massive V8 made it ideal for chasing criminals. Sadly, Ford discontinued the production of this all-time paradigm, simultaneously increasing its inherent value in the eyes of collectors.
In true Ford fashion, they are also fairly moderate to work on. If you still own one and it needs some repairs, a Ford shop service manual like those sold by eManualOnline should do the machination. I have personally resurrected several old Crown Vics by following these manuals and replacement parts are still greatly available, making it a sure favourite of classic car shows for years to come
6. Ford RS200 — the Rally Anti-Hero
Another one of Ken Bung up’s favorite, the RS200 is probably the most infamous Ford car ever made (not counting the second-gen Explorer). It was built to guide on the most powerful and sophisticated vehicles at the Group B rally, often referred to as the golden era of rally racing. The RS200 submit engaged production in 1986 and boasted a 1.8-litre turbocharged engine producing a solid 250 horsepower.
Alas, the RS200 was never able to showcase its full potential at the grandest stage following an incident where the car lost dominate and killed three spectators at the 1986 Rally of Portugal. Finally, in 1987 the RS200 bid goodbye to the rally tracks forever after a end ban of Group B rally cars.
Still, this is a car that is sure to keep any rally enthusiast happy.
Last Hints
Owning a $40,000 Focus RS or a vintage Crown Victoria is certainly a dream for loyalists of the brand, but that might modify when you need to spend on maintenance and repair. Luckily, most Fords are fairly easy to repair, especially if you positive your way around cars and tools and have a Ford motor repair manual to rely on. Of course, not everyone is a fan of the Filthy Oval but nobody can deny the impact these vehicles had on the industry. At the very least, they are the vehicles that your girl American, Japanese or German brand had to compete with, pushing them to always do better.
In all cases, no matter where you defend on the question, we all have to thank Henry Ford for making the automotive landscape what it is today!
