The Ford Cars Archive

What’s in the Ford Cars Archive

The Ford Cars Archive contains a compendium of model information, illustrations, specifications and factoids for the Ford Car Line Only. Significant in the archive will be the increasing development of Car Models Fact Sheets for each model and year – a one-stop shop of all the critical information on that brand’s year and model. The Car Models Fact Sheets are a single page for each model where we gather all the information on that vehicle that is available. It will not be a static page, but rather a living document that we will add to as information comes to light.

Please click the Tabs below and select any available model and year to see what we have collected to date.

About The Ford Car Brand

Ford Motor Company, an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan. Founded by Henry Ford I and incorporated on June 16, 1903. Between 1903 and 1908, Ford produced the Models A, B, C, F, K, N, R, and S. Hundreds or a few thousand of most of these were sold per year. In 1908, Ford introduced the mass-produced Model T, with millions sold over the next 20 years.

In 1927, Ford replaced the Model T with the new Model A. Ford launched the first low-priced car with a V8 engine in 1932, initially called “Model 18”. The I-4 was retired after 1934 where Ford became exclusively a V-8 car line right through 1940. Fords were offered in numerous body styles from Roadster to 4-door sedan until 1938 when the roadster was retire.

In 1941 ford introduced a 90 HP 226 CID I-6 to compliment the V-8. After WW II, Ford V-8s adopted the former Mercury 239 CID V-8 with the I-6 remaining as before. This continued until 1952 when ford introduced its first OHV I-6 with 215 CID and 101 HP. The V-8 would become OHV in 1954. Ford offered its first true hardtop in 1951 called the “Victoria” lagging behind GM and Chrysler by a few years. The 1955-57 Thunderbird 2-seater took the market by storm, outselling the Chevrolet Corvette by anywhere from 7 to 9 to one.

Fords sold well from 1955 through 1964 in some years outselling rival Chevrolet. In 1962 Ford introduced its lighweight V-8 at 221 CID, it soon grew to 260 CID, then 289, then 302, 351, and even 400 CID. The Ford Mustang was introduced to the public on April 17, 1964, during New York World’s Fair. Ford was heavily involved in racing in the 60s and offered many performance cars to the public during that period. The Mustang when to a modified Pinto chassis in 1974 and stayed in this configuration through 1978.

In the late 1970s, Ford moved to lighter unit bodied cars across its entire car line. Significant was the introduction of the new Mustang introduced in 1979 on what would be called the “Fox” body. The V-8 powered Mustang GT returned in 1982. The now famous Ford Taurus FWD car was introduced in mid-1986. Ford introduced its new “Modular” V-8 in 1994.

In the 2000s, Mustang sales remained strong and in 2004, Ford introduced the first supercharged Cobra, called by many the “Terminator”. An all new 3-valve” V-8 was introduced in 2005, with cars and truck receiving different versions. The Taurus was renamed Ford 500 and sales dropped. It would later be returned as the Taurus once again and sales rebounded.

On April 25, 2018, Ford announced that it would discontinue passenger cars in the North American market in the next four years, except for the Mustang, due to declining demand and profitability. In 2020 Ford Announced the new all-electric Mustang Mach-E followed by the Ford Lightening all-electric pickup.