The 1986 Ford Taurus - Ford's Home Run Hit 

Thanks for your support and please do consider becoming a supporter of my efforts... www.patreon.com/TofersCarTales

This car dropped like a WTF bomb to the automotive and consumer world. NO ONE but Ford was ready for this! And it is INSANE how well-received this car was for the time. Like, I mean, the stars could not have aligned any better! If you were around in the mid-late 80's, you know that EVERYONE wanted a Taurus!

It still have my 92 Taurus SHO and will likely never sell it. It's one of my favorite cars. It's the ultimate sleeper. The 140mph on the speedo was real. Thing is, at any speed the car feels like it's totally in control. Just an amazing car.

It was so futuristic at the time that it starred in Robocop

I really miss seeing these around. When I was a little kid, this car is what I automatically pictured when I heard the word "car". It's a shame that Ford largely gave up on this model, since the Taurus proved that if the American car manufacturers truly gave it their all, they could compete with the Europeans and Japanese.

I drive a ford taurus 1991 in Ukraine now. Despite the age, this car makes people turn around on the roads, and comfort is much higher than many new cars.

My first car was a 1987 Taurus GL sedan that I bought in 1993. I specifically wanted a Taurus because even years after it first came out, it was still very modern looking at the time. Many people ask how a kid could have afforded to what many people assumed was a brand new car.

My dad worked at Ford at the time. We got a 87 lx loaded. Deep red with grey bottom. Many awesome memories with that car. Took my girlfriend, now wife to homecoming in it. Loved that car. So far ahead of its time. The digital dash. Power everything. Factory power moonroof. Ford really hit a grand slam with that first generation!

Thank you for this video! Whenever I tell people how advanced this car was when it first came out people ignorantly deny it and laugh at me. Then I show them a picture of a typical boxy mid-80s sedan and compare its shape and interior to a fully loaded Taurus LX. Seriously, the Taurus came out in late 1985 and it looked liked a mid 90s car. the 1997 Toyota Camry looks like an exact carbon copy of the first gen Taurus.

It's amazing that the design was basically locked in in 1982.

Please excuse the quality of the voiceover. As I just recently wrapped up my Cars of Stranger Things video, I took a moment to watch this video. It was my first and I was learning as I went. About 2/3rds of the way through I realized my cell phone was probably not the best microphone to use. The abrupt change in quality is obvious. I'm learning as I go, and it warms my heart to see this video has been viewed by so many. Thanks to everyone for your support. It means the world to this car obsessed child of the 80's.

This was the Ford of my childhood. A very forward thinking and futuristic car company.

My family had a rare fist gen model, 1986 Taurus MT-5, 2.5 l 4 cylinder with a 5 speed manual. Nice, comfortable and economical car, and the shifter and clutch worked as smoothly as the best from Japan ( I think the gearbox was sourced from Mazda).

I have a 2003 Ford Taurus Wagon with 112,000 miles on it and i love it. It`s one of the best vehicles I`ve owned in 48 years.

My parents bought a 1986 Taurus. The entire family loved that car.

I was a kid working at Universal Studios when these came out. We had a Special Detail in Security for some Undercover Work that required Universal to Corporate Lease some car's from the infamous Galpin Ford Dealership. We got a Red Completely Loaded Taurus which I literally fell in love with. It was one of my favorites to drive around the lot along with the Mustangs and T-Birds. It was unlike ANY of the previous Fords and more like an Audi 5000 of the same period. Thanks for the great video. This is really great stuff for school kids too!

More credit should be given to the success of the 1983 T-Bird restyle. If that car had flopped, the Taurus as we know it would never have been green-lighted.

You are totally right, when Taurus came out,make look all others cars looking 20 years older

The Taurus was so aerodynamic and stylish at the time, it was used as the official RoboCop vehicle

The Taurus was the car that sparked my love of cars when I was 9 years old. I has a magazine ad cut out on my bedroom wall.

Our family bought a new one in 1988, GL with the 3.0L Vulcan motor, a very nice riding and stable feeling car. The only mechanical failures I can remember were transmission around 100K and front wheel bearing hubs a little before that. Motor was bullet proof

Owned two of them. An 1988 and a 1998. The Taurus is what won me over to Ford.

Absolutely the most ground breaking car Ford built since the model t. Still looks current today.

A little over 20 years ago I bought a used 1991 Taurus wagon. This was a vehicle that did everything well. The perfect blend of comfort, style, performance and practicality. One of the best cars I ever owned. Too bad the ex wife got it.

I had the privilege of driving the second 1986 Ford Taurus delivered to the state of Colorado, a station wagon, from the rail yard to Sill-Terhar Ford. The first car was in front of me, the sedan. The dealership owner was on the design team for all the buttons, switches, dials, etc for the interior of the car.

I knew as a small child that the Taurus was very unusual, probably a first in terms of aerodynamic design. Many years there have been many documentaries about this very subject!

What a great video. I remember riding in the rear-facing back seats of my best friends dad's Taurus in the early 90s. When we were seven, I got Green Day's Dookie album somehow and remember the shock his parents faced when "Longview" came on over the cassette player as we drove through the foothills of the Rockies in western Canada. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

This design caught GM way off guard! (which is common for GM)

I had a 1988 GL in high school..I inherited it from my parents....it rusted out....loved that car so much I bought a 1995 GL (last year of the 1st generation) with 150 km's on it 7 years ago....mint condition....3.8 litre, Champagne exterior with tan cloth upholstery...plan on teaching my kids to drive in it !!

This car was in almost every episode of the X-Files. Such a timeless yet short lived design from the late 80s into the early 90s. The SHO is particularly really nice.

Brings back memories. My dad had an '89 Taurus GL. I remember when he bought it. Before the Taurus, he had a very bland, Olds Delta 88, which really looked like an old man car. I was 12 years old in the summer of '89, and he came to pick me up from a week at summer camp in the new whip. I was so impressed, I felt like it was such a cool futuristic ride. Eventually when I was old enough I would end up spending alot of time driving it. Sadly, he eventually gave it to my uncle, who wrecked it. I could have had it, but I didn't want it because I had a little Escort coupe with a 5-speed that I loved. I kind of regret it, but I do still also have fond memories of my Escort. It got me through college and into my first couple years out on my own.

Rip the Ford Taurus 1986-2019

We had three wagons. Each sacrificed itself to save members of my family. Super safe. And reliable.Including the sedan we finally got, the engines were absolutely bullet-proof. Never a wrench to the engines in over 600k miles!

Gives me goosebumps. I remember this quite well.

Tofer please don’t stop making the best videos on RU-vid. I am borne 1982. The disco keeps me comming back

Taurus don't look that old even today.

My father had the "87" Ford Taurus and he taught me how to drive on his Taurus before going for my drivers license. The OG Taurus was built to last and my father had his car for over 22 years before selling since we were moving. So much fun memories of that car and is famous for the original Sci-Fi movie, Robocop.

My Father bought a brand-new Taurus LX sedan in 1986 -- fully loaded with all the digital 1980s dashboard goodies, of course. After he put 190,000 miles on it, I bought it from him in 1990 and put another 68,000 miles on it. It finally died in 1994 with just over 258,000 miles on it when the head-gasket blew. Compared to the crap that American car companies were putting out in the '70s and early '80s, the Taurus was a miracle of engineering and reliability. There's a reason that they sold literally millions of them.

This car set the tone for ALL passenger vehicles moving forward after its introduction. Like it or not the Taurus seemed to signify the ‘computerized’ future that seemed so cool in the late 80s and into the 90s ...sleek ergonomic look combined with technology ...just like everything with life now outdated ...

my dad bought a ford dealership in 1985. Not a single new car on the lot. Taurus came out a few months later. His best selling year 1986 was 451. wasn't till 2014 when we sold 450 he did think we were gonna beat the record he set back then. Technically never did. Probably close to 50% in that year were Taurus's. Insane what that car did for ford. Just wish they could repeat.

Tofer, your production is superb. Thanks for highlighting an era of American auto manufacturing I have dismissed for having lived through. I was thrilled by the Taurus when it debuted but grew to disdain it. Now I remember.

My neighbor (a single mom) used to have a Taurus station wagon and it was the sorriest set of wheels I've ever seen. Typically, my neighbor started her day with pouring a can of oil in her Taurus (I remember her entire front lawn was littered with empty oil cans). Rarely did she spend a day without raising the Taurus' hood and trying to see what was causing yet another headache. Nah. My '93 Olds Cutlass Cruiser (also a station wagon) was very different from the Taurus, to put it mildly. It was classier. It shined. It never let me down. It gave me joy and pride. When the time came, it was really sad to see it go. I hope the new owner took good care of my Oldie.

My 1992 Ford Taurus is currently in the shops right now getting its starter and brakes replaced. I can’t wait to get it back, I love it so much.

When Henry Ford II retired, it made a difference. His choices in the 60s and 70s worked for that era, but Ford needed to advance when it came to design and the public was getting bored with the straight lines and box bodies.

I had two Taurus Wagons for company cars as a Field Service Engineer with Digital Equipment Corp. They were very roomy, ran great, were very quiet with no wind noise and were very fun to drive. They were great cars.

This car WAS a game changer!

In1986 I began my second year as a professional mechanic at the local Ford dealer. The first gen Taurus / Sable was a very well built automobile. In fact most of Ford's offerings, except the Tempo / Topaz, were of good quality. The 3.0 V6 was a very good power plant. One of my aunts bought an 86 Sable 3L V6 with high miles on it, and after a short time developed what I call the 3 liter knock. I told her not to worry as it was a common trait for this engine, just keep the oil changed. Tens of thousands miles later, I bought it from her for one of my kids to drive. I can't remember now why I put it to pasture, but it served all of us well. But as with the other domestics, over time, quality was no longer job one. The last domestic car I bought was a brand new Ford Windstar in 95. By 65,000 miles, and I ALWAYS did the proper maintenance, it was done. The 3.8 leaked oil, burnt coolant, the tranny was toast, and the ABS modulator leaked brake fluid from the electrical connector! It's sad. I made the switch to Toyota in '05 and have not looked back.

As a kid, the composite headlights made such a huge impact on me. I would call other cars with them 'Taurus headlights'. I began thinking every car with sealed beams was old and outdated.

* Please help this channel grow by commenting, liking or disliking and subscribing if you enjoyed! =] *

Thank GOD Ford never implemented that hideous looking traditional grille. Thank you, Tofer, for this fascinating look at the history and development of this milestone of automotive history!

I remember going a getting a brochure... this car was totally off the chain back then....It really changed things.

It still looks modern today. I remember when these came out in 1985. Car and Driver had a major orgasm!

The first gen was an amazing car to look at, and the wagon 🤩🤩🤩, the 80s are great!

To this day, 35 years later, everything has the basic aerodynamic shape as the 86 Taurus.

Makes me nostalgic for my first marriage and youth.

I have an 87 gl with 53 original almost mint condition in my garage as we speak.

1986 Ford Taurus, the official car of making your neighbors' much-bragged-about Cutlass Supreme look absolutely ANCIENT.

That's a catchy little tune. "Tauraus now there's an American that your looking for."

My Grandpa bought a brand new '86 model. Later, he bought another brand new '95 model. My aunt continued to drive his old '86 after he bought the new one in fall '94. She drove it to over 300k miles. They were great cars. If you grew up in the '80s and '90s, you couldn't escape riding in multiple Taurus models over the years.

Excellent video, never knew the humble Taurus was so influential!!!

THIS CHANNEL IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOOD LORD, THANK YOU!

My dad built the body merge section of the assembly line for the first Taurus... I remember the prototypes before they were available to the public.. Cool stuff.

When I was in college, I worked as a runner for ABC Sports, which meant I spent a lot of time running errands for the company. To help that, I frequently got use of a rental car. In 1986, I worked the NYC Marathon for ABC and was given a Ford Taurus to do my job. I was a car enthusiast (though a limited budget one) and was impressed with the car. It was unlike any American car I had driven. It had decent handling, a pretty good interior, and none of it had the cheap feel so common to American cars of the time.

I enjoyed my Taurus SHO. The Yamaha Super High Output motor was awesome.

1st gen Taurus / Sable - my favorite car of all time. I’ve owned several including two 1st gen Sable LS’s. Gorgeous cars with great driving dynamics. The transmission failures were a big problem. My last Sable (an ‘87 I bought in 2006) went through THREE Ford reman transmissions @ $3,000 each! The Sable only had 60K original miles but furiously chewed through transmissions. Finally had to let it go :(

How can you talk about some of Fords dismal failures of the late 70s and early 80s without mentioning the Lincoln Versailles? Lol. What an egregious error on Ford's part. I had the privilege of working as a mechanic at a Ford dealership when the Taurus/Sable was released as a new model for that year. I don't think the Taurus/Sable alone saved Ford, the Ranger pickup also revived sales during that time. We all received extensive new model training prior to the release of the Taurus. Far more than any training we had ever received prior to the release of a new model. In fact the Tempo/Topaz was released with very little fanfare when it was introduced. I was very impressed with the manufacturer support of the Taurus/Sable upon its introduction. Special tools and manuals arrived well ahead of schedule, as well as parts availability. Warranty support was readily available which is important in keeping customers on the road and out of the shop. You have to remember this was all before the age of the Internet when support and information was done over the phone and fax. Ford's only problem with the Taurus/Sable was the AXOD transmission which had an unusually high failure rate. Ford did not allow us to disassemble a failed AXOD; instead they shipped out a new replacement unit and called back the failed unit. This went on for the first couple of years. I might also add this was also the introduction of the 3.0 V6 which proved to be a solid engine. It was also used in the Aerostar van. I don't recall very many problems with this engine despite it being the "new kid on the block". Thanks for the memories.

I had a 1995 Mercury Sable and that thing was a tank! Zero problems and a smooth, quiet ride.

I got a 93 teal Tauras sedan. It was a company car. I was so proud if that car I bought it from the company when it was time to get a new car. I had the car for years... Eveyone complimented the style and color...

1988 taurus lx storm grey color was my first car during my college years, it is unforgettable car👌

I want an 86 taurus sedan! I love retro styling

I definitely had a 1995 probe for 11 years. I loved it

I was in my mid teens when they came out seeing that at the New Car Show I was like wow 😮 The T Bird looked very sharp too.I loved the Turbo TBird 1988 I believe Slate grey and blue tue tone was my favorite ...I loved the design especially the wagon ,I loved the Mercury lighted front end .I would like to find one to restore but I’m sure parts are pretty scarce since the Cash for Clunkers have removed many 80’s/90’s platforms Keep it Up 😎

After my Dayonta died, and after my Contintenal died, I was carless as I moved to Vancouver via plane and without vehicle. with a pregant wife by my side. There was a 92 Ford Taurus on sale for $600CAD in some used lot across the street from where I lived. It felt fine. It looked ok. Drove well. It got my wife and I to where we needed to be and go, starting out life in the big city. I wil forever thank it for that. Sadly though, it lasted all of... I think 6 months when something seized on the rear right wheel, and just about caught fire before we noticed it. Cost of repair was 2k. Decided to scrap the car right then and there. Soon after I hopped into a '13 Dodge Avenger.

That car looks great even after 30+ years.

My 2011 Taurus is the best car I ever owned. Not one problem, at 100k miles now. Easy to maintain, quiet, smooth ride, port injected, six speed tranny with overdrive that keeps engine under 2000 rpm at 80 mph, and the engine still purrs like a kitten today. RIP Taurus

The Chrysler LH platform was also another car with radical styling for the time. They were a hit too and they saved Chrysler.

They still catch my eyes today, even if they were damaged from wrecks. I am still surprised to this day that it was a 1986 and it still looked modern comparing to the 1997 Chrysler Concorde.

Although they look quaint today, when the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable were introduced, they looked futuristic and revolutionary for the time. Those cars got your attention back then.

This brings me back. We had a '90 Taurus L. I loved that car. Had it for 16 years. That vulcan V6 never quit, never broke down. Still ran and drove till I sent it down the road. Rust caught up with it sadly.

I have a 2012 Ford Taurus SEL... I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS CAR!!!!

As your official Taurus NUT (im the guy with 9 S.H.O’s, one MT-5 and two Merkur Scorpio’s) I approve this video haha. Completely relaxing vid with nothing but facts! Thanks Tofer!!

I had a 94. The transmission crapped out. This was a common failure that the aftermarket finally figured out but Ford failed to adopt. As an example, they had a piston made from aluminium that would often fail. To the aftermarket Ford sold a steel version of the same piston, but 5 years later the aluminum piston was still used in the production models. The failure to not make the transmission durable was something that killed market share. The 3.0 Vulcan motor was very robust but the 3.8 had cruddy head gaskets. The only far to often problem with the 3.0 was the water pump slowly failing due to the impeller. Either corrosion or cavitation would cause a loss of coolant flow causing the cars operating temperature to creap up. Not too bad a cost to fix, but if you weren't watching the higher temps could kill the car. The rest of the car's design was pretty good.

Love the 80s Commercial at the end!!

I drive a European Ford Granada Mk.2, not for the fuel economy but for the pure joy :)

To me, the item which remains outstanding is the hidden talent which laid dormant for years until some key management changes freed that talent and set the dreamers in motion. If I'm not mistaken, Ford Motor Company spent some $5B developing the Taurus, and another $3.5B developing its next iteration.

The Taurus styling was way ahead of it's time, it could have been built in the 90s

I had been buying Taurus until 2018 when I finally bought an SHO what a great car Taurus has been. This last one put out over 370 HP and still got 22-26 mpg on the highway...depending on who was driving it LOL!

my dad had a ‘94 taurus in the late 90’s/early 2000’s, and me and my twin sister’s first car was an ‘07 taurus. ironically all three of us are tauruses lol.

This music at the end was so uplifting I wanted to cry 😭

I was a Ford dealer, starting in 11/85, the month Taurus came out. My opinion, the first year 1986 was the best Taurus. They bagan removing content after that. There was a good video for the dealers called Best In Class.

Thank YOU for this Tofer. Really got emotional toward the end when you were talking about the Taurus making every other car look 10 years older- made me feel really proud for Ford and for America. My dad had a 1990 Taurus and loved it. Best handling car we ever had....

Love the history and facts. Amazing videos.

I absolutely ADORE our Tauruses - we have a 2000, a 2005 Five Hundred Limited AWD (basically a Taurus too) and a 2015 Limited AWD. ALL of them are still on the road - with NO problems or issues. BEST CAR EVER MADE! LOVE YOU FORD!

The Taurus Advert song makes me think of South Park. It genuinely sounds like something they'd write and sing!

The 85 to 2006 Ford Taurus were all midsize cars and were truly revolutionary. My Dad had gotten a 1996 in silver metallic sedan body style he had even in the 90s one of the sharpest expensive looking cars out compared to other family members. We loved that car and when I graduated in 2004 he gave it to me as a gift since he knew I loved it and even then was in excellent condition. He replaced that car with the 2001 Mercury Sable LS Premium sedan also in silver metallic color, but that car was the one that had every option available both our cars looked very similar and were often mistaken from one another. My Dads last new car before him and my Mom got their 2018 Escape SE last year was a 2010 Ford Fusion Sport also top of the line with everything both in silver metallic too cause we stick with a color we have good luck with and it just plain out looks sharp when freshly detailed too! Well long story short, we still have the Fusion and it's a fun car to drive, but I miss that Taurus and Sable will never forget them either. The Taurus got me to become a loyal Ford fan here and ever since that's all I'll drive. Even bought a 98 Explorer 2dr for a work beater nothing pretty to look at in a very light blue color starting to rust on the rockers, but it's been extremely reliable shows Ford builds quality vehicles

Buddy of mine just picked up a 2001 mercury sable with 68,000 oroginal miles. I drove it and it runs like new in every regard. Tranmission was replaced he has the paperwork.

Years ago coming home from work listening to the radio,the radio host said so many tarius's were sold it was keeping the economy going strong.

I plan on trying to find a red 1986 Taurus LX Wagon fully loaded and restoring the car as if it was completely brand new.

When I gave my Plymouth Reliant K to my father, I bought the Ford Taurus 1998 GL V6 3.0L model. Had it until the engine practically would not turn on again 12 years later. Nice ride.

🎶Torrrus Taurus🎶 Torrrus Taurus🎶 They really took pride in the fact that it’s an American car.. This car saved Ford numerous times over the years, along with the Mustang and F Series. Unfortunately it’s being discontinued (again) likely along the their Lincoln Continental and the Chevy Impala (by GM) and various other sedans.. Ford has been very smart over the years and they know how to follow the trends according to consumer demand. Ford saw the crossover fad taking off before anyone else and then came the Taurus X crossover which replaced the Freestyle crossover before it too was replaced by a few other nameplates.