Ford Motor Co plans to end production of its Taurus sedan early next year, killing off a one-time bestseller that contributed greatly to its bottom line for more than a decade.
The car’s imminent demise, first announced to assembly line workers in a union newsletter earlier this month, was confirmed by a source familiar with Ford’s production plans on Thursday.
Ford declined to comment, saying it does not discuss future product plans. But the news is a reminder of a bygone era.
The mid-size sedan debuted in 1985 and was America’s best-selling car for years. But it lost that title to Toyota Motor Corp.’s Camry in 1997.
“We all know the plans are to stop running the Taurus during the first quarter of 2006,” United Auto Workers union Local 882, representing workers in Ford’s Atlanta assembly plant where the car is built, said in its April newsletter.
A call to the UAW Local 882 was not returned.
“Over the years, Ford did not give Taurus enough attention,” Joseph Barker, manager of North American sales analysis at CSM Worldwide, told Reuters.
“It didn’t make the necessary investment in the car at a time when it was up against increasing pressure from Camry and (Honda’s) Accord,” he added.
