10-22-06 BigThreeNews.com: On Friday, October 27th, 2006, the last Ford Taurus rolls off the assembly line in Atlanta, GA. The event will mark a 21 year run of cars that started their journey redefining Ford and the American car. The irony in its demise is that in the Taurus’s final days it has become the definition of what the America car is trying not to be.

When the 1986 Taurus hit the market it was an overnight success. It immediately became the darling of the automotive press, winning many awards and accolades. It deserved every one of them. In a sea of Chevrolet Celebrities, Oldsmobile Cierras and Chrylser K-Cars the Taurus stood out in every category. It was what Ford would call today, a “Bold Move”.

The Taurus was remarkable at the time because it was the first American car to have genuine European styling, engineering, quality and handling dynamics. The replacement for the Fairmont, it was the first front-wheel drive entry for Ford in the mid-size segment. The car had a distinctive modern shape with a lot of attention paid to aesthetics both inside and out. The interior had higher end materials, finishes and fit compared to anything from America at the time. What was most noted was that the Taurus shared not a single light switch, door handle, or radio with any other Ford - it was truly new from the ground up.

The 1986 Taurus only had a 140hp 3.0 liter V6 but in the mid-1980’s that was more than most. With its advanced chassis design and suspension it was compared often to Audi sedans of the era relative to handling and refinement. A 4-cylinder model with a 5-speed manual was offered for a while but later dropped.

In 1989 driving enthusiasts were rewarded with the handsome and brawny SHO. Featuring a high end 220hp 3.0 DOHC V6 built by Yamaha and a 5-speed stick, the SHO was warmly received. We test drove one at the time and had much good to say about the car. It stuck to the road like glue and was nearly as fast as a Mustang GT. The Yamaha engine was a work of art with its smooth castings and attractive intake tract.

It really appeared that Ford was on a roll, but in 1992 Ford’s first redesign of the Taurus took the car down a decidedly more stodgy and mundane path. The interior lost much of its rich high end look, taking on more of a monotone rental car flavor. The SHO continued on now with a 3.2 liter engine and an available automatic transmission.

It was in 1996 however that the whole thing went to hell. Ford rolled out a landmark redesign of the Taurus that was roundly, or ovoidly criticized. The new car had overly emphasized proportions and toy-like styling that polarized most. Oval was the theme in every view and angle. The headlights were ovals, the windows were ovals, and every feature of the interior was an oval including the radio. An oval radio? People either loved it or hated it. While a new 24-valve DOHC 3.0 V6 option offering 200hp was offered, the car was no longer the fun to drive, dynamically exquisite Taurus that came before it.

We owned one of the 1996 models for a short time and can only report that it was a dreadful and ill-conceived shadow of its former self. The transmission was a wandering box of parts that never had a clue what to do. It handled like a big rubber tank, was uncomfortable on long trips and was as refined as a ride on lawn mower. And then there was the styling. It really needed a dorsal fin on the roof and gills on the doors to complete the look of a sad fish out of water.

A new SHO was offered in late 1997 that featured a gem of a DOHC 32-valve V8 from Yamaha. The 3.4 liter power plant was likely one of the best engines offered in any American car during its production. Unfortunately it was only offered in the Taurus and only came with an automatic transmission. To further add insult to injury, the V8 powered SHO only had 230 hp - a feat easily managed by a less expensive V6.

The fish out of water Taurus was given a rushed facelift in 1999. While the resulting model with Ford’s “New Edge” styling eschewed much of the interior and exterior overtures that earned the car the social outcast status, the damage had been done to the Taurus nameplate. Most mainstream sedan buyers now considered the Taurus a laughing stock that might be good enough to rent on vacation but not be seen around town in as their own car.

In the past couple years, the Taurus has in fact become mostly a fleet sales car. Its long in tooth styling and image are of no consequence to rental car companies, taxi drivers, and governments who need cheap cars and lots of them. The one saving grace that has allowed the Taurus to shine in this role is its near indestructibility and that it is dirt cheap to maintain.

We cant forget to mention the Mercury Sable and Lincoln Continental which also shared their underbellies with the Taurus. The Sable went out of production last spring while the nose heavy 4.6 DOHC V8 powered Continental has been gone for a few years now. In both cases they died a slow and unloved death.

As the Taurus heads into the sunset we can only reflect on what it means and how it illustrates the fact that fortunes can change, tastes can change, and something so sweet can so easily sour. What once was Ford’s shimmering icon of success is now an dusty icon of their failures. Luckily the Ford showroom is beginning to glow with newer, younger models that hope to fill the shoes of the once loved Taurus.