• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

2

Amazon's record Prime Day masks a darker truth: Americans are spending more and getting less

3

Ray Dalio just finished a 10-day trip to China. He says global leaders know America ‘doesn’t have what it takes to fight to maintain its empire’

1

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

2

Amazon's record Prime Day masks a darker truth: Americans are spending more and getting less

3

Ray Dalio just finished a 10-day trip to China. He says global leaders know America ‘doesn’t have what it takes to fight to maintain its empire’

Goodbye to the Ford Taurus, the Chariot of my Childhood

By
Sarah Gray
Sarah Gray
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Sarah Gray
Sarah Gray
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 26, 2018, 7:17 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

The venerable, family, four-door Ford Taurus is joining a list of sedans that Ford plans to phase out.

On Wednesday, the automaker said it would discontinue most its sedans in North America over the next two years.

“Fiesta and Taurus could be eliminated from Ford’s offerings as early as next year, but the Fusion could remain in the company’s lineup for several more years,” according to The Washington Post.

The Ford Taurus, introduced in 1986, was the best-selling car in the United States from 1992 to 1996. In 1997, after five years at the top, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord bumped the Taurus down to third, according to the New York Times.

My father and I counted at least five Ford Taurus (including several Taurus station wagons) as having cycled through our family while I was growing up—overlapping some of the car’s peak years—including my first car. “They were workhorse cars,” my dad said, noting their large trunks and decent mileage. He gave up sports cars after having kids, and described the Taurus as “reliable” and “child-proof.”

I grew up in the back seat of a Taurus, eventually shifting to the driver’s seat. As a child, I loved the Taurus station wagon, affectionately called the “dragon wagon.” My driving experience with my mom’s hand-me-down white Taurus is, of course, inseparable from the exhilaration of having my own set of wheels. The car reliably got me to wherever my teenage whims took me (mostly school and ballet class).

The Taurus has had multiple generations of design—including the third version in 1996 that was ridiculed for its oval shape. And in 2006, the Taurus was briefly discontinued, but then revived as a Ford Five Hundred. The Taurus name returned shortly after.

But now the car has come to the end of the road.

CEO Jim Hackett is following some of the playbook of Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, who killed off some Dodge and Chrysler sedans.

“We’re going to feed the healthy part of our business and deal decisively with areas that destroy value,” Hackett said during a Wednesday earnings call with analysts, according to Bloomberg.

“[B]y 2020, almost 90 percent of the Ford portfolio in North America will be trucks, utilities and commercial vehicles,” Ford said in a statement on Wednesday. “Given declining consumer demand and product profitability, the company will not invest in next generations of traditional Ford sedans for North America.”

Ford said it would refocus its car making efforts on “the best-selling Mustang and the all-new Focus Active crossover coming out next year,” the company said. It will also continue to produce sport utility vehicles and trucks.

Ford sold 33,000 Taurus in the U.S. in 2017, excluding a version of the Taurus sold as a Ford Police Interceptor Sedan (with both models combined, it sold 41,000). In 1999, Ford sold 115,000 of the model, although it’s unclear whether those numbers are combined with Police Interceptor sales.

By comparison, in 2017, Ford sold 238,000 Ford Explorers.

My family still drives Ford cars—my mom a Fusion, my sister a C-Max. Though I understand the market forces pushing Ford away from sedans, it’s a shame to see the reliable car of my childhood come to an end.

About the Author
By Sarah Gray
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Sundar Pichai
SuccessCareers
Google CEO tells graduates to stop obsessing over first jobs because ‘very few moments are make or break’ in life—a lesson he learned in Vegas
By Preston ForeJune 25, 2026
50 minutes ago
Softbank CEO dismisses Elon Musk’s extraterrestrial data center idea in favor of maximizing Earth-side construction now: ‘He who strikes first wins’
AITech
Softbank CEO dismisses Elon Musk’s extraterrestrial data center idea in favor of maximizing Earth-side construction now: ‘He who strikes first wins’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 25, 2026
1 hour ago
TIAA CEO Thasunda Brown Ducket
SuccessFortune 500: Titans and Disruptors of Industry
TIAA’s CEO made $26,000 in her first job but still maxed out her 401(k). She has advice for Gen Z
By Emma BurleighJune 25, 2026
1 hour ago
VivaTech entrance in Paris.
NewslettersEye on AI
Europe’s AI wake-up call: cybersecurity threats, sovereignty fears, and a growing demand for ROI dominated VivaTech
By Beatrice NolanJune 25, 2026
1 hour ago
The Iran war is accelerating the EV transition faster than any climate policy ever did—but it’s still just not that much
EnergyElectric vehicles
The Iran war is accelerating the EV transition faster than any climate policy ever did—but it’s still just not that much
By Catherina GioinoJune 25, 2026
2 hours ago
ll
Economysummer
Deviled eggs, seltzer and a burger you can’t quit: The GLP-1 crowd is (halfway) reinventing the American BBQ
By Nick LichtenbergJune 25, 2026
2 hours ago

Most Popular

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
Success
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 24, 2026
1 day ago
Amazon's record Prime Day masks a darker truth: Americans are spending more and getting less
Retail
Amazon's record Prime Day masks a darker truth: Americans are spending more and getting less
By Nick LichtenbergJune 24, 2026
1 day ago
Ray Dalio just finished a 10-day trip to China. He says global leaders know America ‘doesn’t have what it takes to fight to maintain its empire’
Asia
Ray Dalio just finished a 10-day trip to China. He says global leaders know America ‘doesn’t have what it takes to fight to maintain its empire’
By Nick LichtenbergJune 24, 2026
1 day ago
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
9 hours ago
After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
Success
After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 23, 2026
2 days ago
Trump’s international student crackdown kicked off a domino effect that could shave nearly $500 billion off the economy
Economy
Trump’s international student crackdown kicked off a domino effect that could shave nearly $500 billion off the economy
By Tristan BoveJune 24, 2026
21 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.