Ford Taurus History
History
The 1986 Taurus was a landmark — its smooth 'aero' styling and modern packaging revitalized Ford and reset American family-car design.
It was among America's best-selling cars through the 1990s. After a brief retirement it returned as a full-size sedan (2008–2019, badged as the Five Hundred's successor) before the line ended in 2019.
Generations
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First generation · Aero original
The trend-setting aero sedan and wagon that revived Ford.
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Second generation · Refined aero
Evolutionary update of the original; America's best-selling car for several years.
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1992 Photo: “File:1992 Ford Taurus GL Sedan, front right, 02-06-2023.jpg” by MercurySable99 / Wikimedia Commons , licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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Third generation · Oval styling
Controversial rounded 'oval' styling theme inside and out.
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1997 Photo: “File:1997 Ford Taurus GL Sedan in Toreador Red Clearcoat Metallic, front left, 2025-09-07.jpg” by Elise240SX / Wikimedia Commons , licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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1999 Photo: “File:1999 Ford Taurus LX in Tropic Green Clearcoat Metallic, front left, 06-15-2026.jpg” by Cutlass / Wikimedia Commons — CC0 1.0
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Fourth generation · Toned-down restyle
More conservative styling; became a fleet and rental mainstay.
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2006 Photo: “File:2006 Ford Taurus SEL, front left, 03-24-2023.jpg” by MercurySable99 / Wikimedia Commons , licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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Fifth generation · Full-size revival
The Five Hundred renamed Taurus, moving the nameplate to full-size.
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2009 Photo: “File:2009 Ford Taurus SEL in Cinnamon Metallic, front left, 05-23-2026.jpg” by Cutlass / Wikimedia Commons — CC0 1.0
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Sixth generation · D3 full-size
Full-size sedan including the revived twin-turbo SHO; ended North American production in 2019.
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2015 Photo: “File:15 Ford Taurus Limited.jpg” by HJUdall / Wikimedia Commons — CC0 1.0
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Body styles
- Sedan
- Wagon
Notable special editions & performance variants
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Taurus SHO
Super High Output performance sedan — a Yamaha-built V6 in the originals, a twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 with AWD in the modern cars.
Related models