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35 Car Models That Ford Probably Regrets Making

Cameron Eittreim December 2, 2020

8: 1955 Ford Thunderbird

The first generation of the Thunderbird was a unique car in a lot of aspects, but there was also a lack of features. The performance of the Thunderbird was not very strong, especially at a time when expensive V8 engines ruled the roost. The convertible aspect of the car did make it stand out from the ordinary convertibles on the road.

The road manners of the Thunderbird was a great part of the car, as handling was extraordinary. In addition to the road manners of the Thunderbird, there was also a comfortable interior, which was ahead of the time. The Thunderbird improved as time went on but it wasn’t enough to lead the car into the next generation.

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7: Ford Bronco II

The original Ford Bronco was a hit for the carmaker, but the smaller version of the SUV was just confusing. Instead of opting for a four-door version like the competing Blazer, the Bronco II went for a compact design. The SUV had a lot going for it had the design have been tweaked just a bit. The interior was very cramped and the quality was mediocre at best, which didn’t do the SUV any justice.

Reliability was iffy at best, and the base engine was lacking in the same type of power that the Blazer had. Still, the Bronco II has managed to catch on with a secondary market that has an appetite for vehicles like this one.

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6: Focus SVT

Every automaker was trying to get on the bandwagon of hot hatches during the early 2000s. The Neon SRT-4 was the most popular of the compact performance cars but Ford wasn’t going to be outdone. The Focus SVT was a good concept on paper, but when it came down to the actual product, the car was lacking.

The Focus SVT had a lot of design flaws that affected the reliability of the car. Also, the SVT Focus was only available in the hatchback variation, and this just wasn’t a feasible option for a lot of buyers. The Neon had four full doors which lead more buyers to go in that direction.

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5: 2003 Ford Thunderbird

By the 2000s, the retro car revival was in full swing, and Ford was going to jump on the bandwagon as well. The retro-inspired Thunderbird was a pretty unique offering, to say the least, with a unique design. The two-seater design was a departure from previous generations of the Thunderbird and the underpinnings were based on the Lincoln LS sedan.

Consumers were not persuaded to buy the Thunderbird because of the high price tag. The lack of options and the fact that it was only a two-seater. These have managed to hold their value after all these years but for the most part, this generation of the Thunderbird was avoidable.

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4: RS200

One of the cars famously owned by Tim Allen, the RS200 is a purist rally car in every sense of the word. A unique design has made the RS200 a reputable car in the rally scene and on the auction block. The small form factor of the car and the short wheelbase also have a lot of drawbacks. The engine was also not the most reliable which lead a lot of enthusiasts to go the way of the Lancer EVO or the STI.

Nevertheless, this was a piece of Ford history. The company has long held a presence in the international rally racing circuit, and naturally, the RS200 stands out from the crowd. But this is such a limiting car that there are better options to choose from.

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3: Excursion

A car that was designed to compete with the Chevy Suburban, the Excursion didn’t have a lot that was particularly special about it. The thing was lacking the same kind of refinement that the GM offerings had, and this made it less popular. The interior was massive and the SUV was based on the heavy-duty offerings from Ford. But the lack of a more refined motor and the lack of fuel economy sent buyers the other way.

Ford has had a tough time competing with GM in the full-size SUV segment, especially when it comes to a vehicle as large as the Excursion. The thing had a lot of potentials and there has since been a resurgence in used models. But for the most part, the Excursion just failed to catch on with consumers.

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2: Ford Windstar

After Chrysler innovated the minivan segment, every automaker was trying to hop on the train. But the Windstar wasn’t what you’d expect from a minivan and it just didn’t compete with the Caravan on a real level. The Windstar had a lot of shortcomings in addition to reliability issues, and its cookie-cutter styling wasn’t doing much for it either. Ford was trying to appeal to a market Chrysler was already dominating.

The van had a lot of innovative firsts, but at this point in the industry, it was too late. The Caravan was the dominant minivan for the majority of the time. The Windstar just couldn’t add up to the hype Ford had put around it.

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1: Ford Freestar

With the Freestar Ford was trying to innovate again, but at this point, the Freestar fell on deaf ears. Although the van was more refined than the outgoing Windstar, it also looked a lot like the outgoing model. The Freestar had a lot of shortcomings when it came to reliability as well, and the van just failed to catch on with consumers.

After this, Ford moved onto crossover vehicles like most of the automakers did. Chrysler dominated and created the minivan segment, and only the Japanese rivals have managed to make a dent in companies’ market share.

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35 Car Models That Ford Probably Regrets Making

8: 1955 Ford Thunderbird

7: Ford Bronco II

6: Focus SVT

5: 2003 Ford Thunderbird

4: RS200

3: Excursion

2: Ford Windstar

1: Ford Freestar

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