When Henry Ford started out on his journey into the motoring world back in 1903 he probably never imagined that his name would be linked to one of the world’s most popular car manufacturers some 117 years later. Here we look at five of the best Ford models of all time.
Number 5. Escort
When Ford released their original Escort back in the late sixties it was nothing fancy. It was plain and simple. Beyond that though, it was seen as a thing of beauty – particularly in the UK where the general population were pleased to have the option of a reliable engine combined with real wheel drive. Brits have loved Ford ever since and the Escort model did alright too as it sold for over 40 years from the initial release.
Number 4. Model T
If it was on the market today, the odds are that you’d steer well evident among the crowd on the Model T. Like a European football fan attending an American Football match from the teams in the BetAmerica odds for the NFL and expecting a spherical ball and 22 men on the pitch: it wouldn’t match your expectations, but you would be definitely curious enough to try it.
Despite its classic charm a top speed of 45mph would just be too hard to swallow. It wasn’t designed with 2020 in mind though and back in 1908 it was the first real car that was affordable to ‘normal people’. Don’t just remember it as the motor that swept across the States though because it also performed pretty well in the 1923 Le Mans endurance spectacle. It was the game changer.
Number 3. Capri
Ford struck the sweet spot in the late sixties as they revamped the widely bought Cortina to produce a sleeker, sexier model in the Capri. The sportier number was intended to be the muscle motor for the British market. Whilst it was well received, it never quite took off as they’d hoped but the history books look back on it somewhat kinder.
That’s especially true where motorsport is concerned and Zakspeed had great success with the Capri as they won nine of 14 races in the adapted mk3.
Number 2. Anglia
The Ford Anglia might not be in production today, but it had a decent run. 28 years to be precise. When it first launched back in 1939 it had immediate appeal to those families with more modest incomes.
Yes, it was a small car, but it was still big enough to become the entry level family car offering plenty of storage and with 1.6m produced it’s hard to argue with the popularity. Once at the end of it’s time, it also served as the springboard for the Escort, which as we’ve already mentioned, also proved a big hit across multiple decades.
Number 1. Ford Mustang
It took great restraint on our part not to mention the Mustang during our overview of the Capri. Ford enthusiasts may well have cottoned on but for those that didn’t, the Capri was supposed to be Europe’s version of the Mustang, which had taken North America by storm to become the must have motor. The Mustang was adored. It still is today.
The Mustang was launched back in 1964 and Ford have sold over 10 million versions. It’s turned up in a few movies over the years too with Steve McQueen’s chase scene from Bullitt perhaps the most memorable. It’s not just a classic though with the Mustang very much part of Ford’s modern-day plan. The mach-e will be launched in 2021. Based on sneak peaks and its predecessors, us Ford lovers are in for a real treat.
With vehicles like the Thunderbird, Focus, Mondeo and GT not even featuring it’s fair to say nailing down our top five was a hard task. We think we’ve nailed it though. Regardless of whether you agree or not, nobody can question the legacy left by Henry Ford.