The Ford Five Hundred was a full-size, front- or all-wheel-drive sedan built in Chicago and sold in North America and Mexico for the 2005 to 2007 model years. It was meant to rethink the traditional American sedan with a high roof and elevated seats, but it was renamed the Taurus after only three years.
Ford Five Hundred at a glance
| Maker | Ford, Chicago Assembly |
|---|---|
| Model years | 2005–2007 |
| Internal code | D258 |
| Platform | D3, a revised Volvo P2 |
| Platform mates | Mercury Montego, Ford Freestyle |
| Design | George Bucher, under J Mays |
| Layout | front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive optional |
| Gearbox | continuously variable transmission |
| Engine | 203 hp |
| Seating | high H-point, sold as Command View |
| Production | from 12 July 2004, on sale September 2004 |
| Sales | 241,000 in three model years, 65% of the target |
This page is based on English Wikipedia only.
History of the Ford Five Hundred
A sedan shaped by Volvo
The Five Hundred came out of Ford’s acquisition of Volvo Cars in 1999, the need to use the technology it had bought, a falling market share and the company’s Way Forward restructuring. It was shown as a single concept drawing at the 2002 New York Auto Show and in production form at the 2004 North American International Auto Show together with its platform mates, the Mercury Montego and the crossover Ford Freestyle: the so-called Chicago D3s, named after Chicago Assembly and the D3 platform, a revised version of Volvo’s P2. The 2000 Prodigy concept influenced the styling, including the horizontal three-bar grille that became a Ford theme.
Command View seating
The Five Hundred was styled by George Bucher under design vice-president J Mays, who chose the name to recall the “500” top-trim suffix used on cars such as the Galaxie 500. Ford marketed it with the tagline “Elevating the Sedan”, pointing to its height and elevated seating, sold as Command View seating, along with optional all-wheel drive, a continuously variable transmission, extensive safety equipment and a large interior. The 203 hp engine and the unassuming styling drew criticism, and the Chicago launch included a guerrilla advertising campaign using mock Chicago slang such as “Da Comfort” along the Magnificent Mile.
Short life, new name
Production began on 12 July 2004 and sales in September 2004. The car reached only 65 per cent of its projected 120,000 sales a year, with 241,000 sold in North America over three model years, and needed heavy discounts by its second year. Ford facelifted it lightly and renamed it the fifth-generation Taurus for 2008 and 2009. The Five Hundred name continued in use outside North America.
Design and features
- High-roof body: elevated Command View seating and a large interior.
- Volvo-derived platform: the D3, a revised version of Volvo’s P2.
- All-wheel drive and CVT: options unusual in this class at the time.
- Three-bar grille: a styling theme taken from the Prodigy concept.
Ford Five Hundred versions
- Front-wheel drive: the standard layout.
- All-wheel drive: the optional version.
- Mercury Montego: the Mercury twin on the same platform.
- Ford Freestyle: the crossover built alongside it.
- Taurus (2008–2009): the renamed and facelifted car.
The Five Hundred replaced the Taurus in Ford’s North American range and was itself renamed Taurus in 2008. More Ford vehicles are in the Ford collection.
Video: 2005 Ford Five Hundred
Video by MotorWeek on YouTube.
Sources
- Ford Five Hundred, English Wikipedia: origins, platform, design, sales
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