After 21 years of sales and nearly 7 million units sold, Ford will end production of its popular Taurus sedan next week, the Associated Press reports. It’s a sad, slow death for the once best-seller; the original Taurus, though dated by today's standards, was actually quite controversial and futuristic. In 1985 the Taurus made its debut and consequently went on to save Ford from financial turmoil - immediately selling 263,000 units during that first year. That number rose to 410,000 units in 1992 after the Taurus overtook the Honda Accord to become the best selling passenger car in the U.S., a title it held for five straight years.The demise of the Taurus, credited with moving America away from boxy V-8 powered gas-guzzling bedrooms-on-wheels to aerodynamic, more efficient cars with crisper handling -- began after Ford abandoned development of the car in favor of SUVs in the mid-1990s.
Media reports also say that workers at Ford's plant in Hapeville, GA are particularly upset over the Taurus being discontinued. And who wouldn’t be? Not only will the plant be closed, the workers lose their jobs, but the team’s efforts at becoming a world class workforce (even raising quality levels at the plant after Ford announced it would be closed) also, would have been all for naught.
Earle Chafim, a 22-year electrician who repairs welding robots said workers met company goals, yet Ford still decided to shutter the plant.
"The biggest part I hate is we got the No. 1-selling car in the company, we won so many awards for being No. 1, it's a shame. We're still outselling other cars, and we're not even taking orders anymore," he said.
Ray Daniels, a 33-year company veteran, blamed Ford for not updating the Taurus and keeping the name.
"If they'd kept the name, we'd still be here," he said.
Apparently, Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas, can't understand too how the company strayed so far from the Taurus. He wasn't with Ford when those decisions were made, but said he knows well that Ford's 1980s turnaround was led by appealing products, something he's trying to duplicate now.
Too late the hero? Let’s just hope that Ford comes up with a car that could surpass what the Taurus has accomplished – and that’s a tall order, especially at these times.