Ford Taurus

The Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Now in its sixth generation, it was originally introduced in the 1986 model year, and has remained in near-continuous production for more than two decades. It has had a Mercury-branded twin the Sable, as well as a performance variant, the Ford Taurus SHO; in addition, it served as the basis for the first-ever front-wheel drive Lincoln Continental. It was a front-wheel drive mid-size car until 2007, and has been a "global" full-size car since 2008, and available in front- or all-wheel drive since 2008. The original Taurus was a milestone for Ford and the entire American automotive industry, bearing an influential design that brought many new features and innovations to the marketplace. Since its launch in 1986, Ford had built 7,519,919 Tauruses through the 2007 model year, making it the fifth-best-selling North American nameplate in Ford's history; only the F-150, Escort, Model T, and Mustang have sold more units. Between 1992 and 1996, the Taurus was the best-selling car in the United States, eventually losing the title to the Toyota Camry in 1997.