Ford Cars & Trucks

The Ford Motor Company has been an intrinsic part of both American industry and society since shortly after its launch in 1903. With one of the earliest applications of mass production in the auto industry, founder Henry Ford brought transportation to the masses with his Model T; elevated automotive design with its successor, the Model A; and brought efficiency to the farm with the Fordson tractor and F-Series pickup. During World War II Ford was a significant part of America's Arsenal of Democracy, but in the war's aftermath found itself losing market share against a dominant GM and surging Chrysler-Plymouth-Dodge. A reorganization by the founder's grandson, Henry Ford II, reestablished Ford in both the U.S. market and overseas. The rebound was fully established with competitive product, while wins in competition provided the automaker with a high-performance exclamation point.

Of the three U.S. automakers confronting the economic downturn in 2008, Ford was the only one to not accept government handouts or loan guarantees. Having mortgaged everything - including the brand's iconic logo - Ford worked toward a more efficient melding of its international offerings. To that end the U.S. consumer now enjoys a fully competitive midsize Fusion, an efficient and attractive Focus hatchback and the fun-to-drive Fiesta. Ford's most popular model is - by a large margin - its F-Series pickup, while any variant of its Mustang ponycar is the most fun to drive. Shelby variants of the Mustang, along with heavily optioned versions of the F-Series, are the Ford lineup's most expensive.