Kinda looks like the last model Ford 500, doesn't it?
Did they think renaming it would boost sales?
Kinda looks like the last model Ford 500, doesn't it?
Did they think renaming it would boost sales?
Yeah, it is the new 500.
Yeap. It was Alan Mulally's idea. He thought people would recognize the Taurus name more. For the same reason why Pontiac came out with the GTO and Toyota calls it's small car "Corolla" even thought the Corolla has had around 9 generations.
You want to hear something else? There is going to be a Mercury Sable again. Guess what it looks like? Yeap. The Taurus.
I think Mulally is correct, too.
Jeff
even comes with a 7 passenger version
I do too. Not many of us remember the old Ford 500. Or do we?
The rental agencies will surely recognize the name. They bought most of the Taurus's the last few years of production.
It might sell now because they claim to have a decent engine in there now.
I do Tomes
That's because it just is the 500 renamed because if you ask anyone today (most folks) they would have no idea what a 500 is today. Same reason that Chevy brought back the name Impala (one of my all time favorite names). Tomes
Jeff wrote in news:yJWki.9407$qu4.5220@trndny06:
I'm not so sure.
A boring car by any other name is still forgettable.
"Taurus" was a new, untested name once too, remember. But it came attached to a ground-breaker of a car that stunned the North American market and sold like the dickens.
Ford needs to put some pizzaz into their cars. Cadillac headlights, Honda taillights and ten pounds of chrome hanging off the front end won't do it.
First year (1985) sales were 1,000 units a day for every day of the year...
The last 500 I recall was um, 1970? 1971? Or perhaps earlier...
(Semantics aside...)
1974:
1965
Actually, the Milan is the Mercury equivalent of the Fusion.
Mercury's version of the Five Hundred is called the Montego.
These must be sold in the U.S. only. I have yet to see either here in Canada.
The Five Hundreds are available for sale in Canada:
Surprisingly, the Mercuries aren't.
Jeff
The only Ford 500s that had the CVT standard, were AWD models, although it was a no charge optional on FWD models. All 2008 Taurus' have the same six speed, double OD, tranny that is used by the FWD V6 Lexus, except it is made in the US instead of Japan.
The 2008s have the new, high torque, 263 HP 3.5 SEFI DOHC V6. CAFE rated at
28 MPG. The Taurus, unlike the much more expensive mid size Camry, is a FULL size, triple five star rated car. The only one in its classThe 2008 Mercury Sable uses the same full size body but has a different front and rear fascia, as well as a unique upgraded interior. It too sells for much less than a smaller, similarly equipped, Camry. In fact even the AWD full size Taurus and Sable sell for less than the smaller similarly equipped FWD only Camry.
First reported sales of both are exceeding 2007 500 sales, according to Wards.
The 2007 Taurus was offered as two specially equipped fleet models only, but they were not only available to fleets. Anybody could and did buy them, you simply were not eligible for the $600 fleet discount on a retail sale. The
2007 Taurus was Fords best selling car.mike
Yeah, when I said "either", I was referring to Milan and Montego.
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