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2025 Buick Enclave vs Honda PilotRetro Review: Ford Taurus Station Wagon
Everyone remembers the Ford Taurus station wagon in Christmas Vacation! Now, find out how the Taurus helped save Ford in the 1980s.
A Legendary Ford
When you look back on the history of Ford Motor Company, there are cars that automatically stand out. They have a legacy that stands above the rest. The Model A, for example. In 1903 it became the first car Ford ever sold. Right behind that was the Model T, Ford’s first mass-produced car. Of course, there’s the Ford F-150, too. Actually, the F-Series, the Model T, the Ford Focus, the Ford Fiesta, the Ford Escort (the UK version anyway) all earned spots on the list of the Best-Selling Cars of All Time.
Then there are the Ford models that maybe weren’t so great. The Ford Continental, for example. It lost Ford a lot of money in the 1950s, $1,000 for every Mark II that was built. On the flip side of that is the 1949 Ford Custom. With a streamlined design, it was a commercial success, becoming one of the cars that saved their companies. That’s where the first-generation Ford Taurus ends up, too. It actually helped save Ford in the 1980s.
How the Taurus Saved Ford
1985 was a time of punk rock bands, Nike Air Jordans, and lots of hair spray. Calvin and Hobbes debuted in newspapers nationwide and Mike Tyson made his boxing debut. There were successes like Super Mario Brothers and the first Back to the Future movie.
The mid-1980s was also a time when American car companies were quickly losing ground to Japanese car brands like Honda, Hyundai, Toyota, and Nissan. Then came the Ford Taurus. Launched in 1985 as a 1986 model, the first-generation Taurus replaced the mid-sized Fort LTD. Right from the start, from the very first 1986 Ford Taurus lineup, a station wagon was included. The Taurus lineup quickly became the success story that Ford desperately needed at the time.
The Taurus brought American consumers back to the legendary American automaker. In fact, the Taurus helped bring so many customers back to the brand of the blue oval that the vehicle helped save Ford from bankruptcy. Quickly carving out a spot as a top-selling vehicle, the millionth Ford Taurus was sold during the 1989 model year. Just two years later, in 1991, the 2 millionth Taurus rolled off the production line. There’s no question that the Taurus was a success, but why was it so successful? What exactly was the appeal?
An Innovative Design
How exactly did the Taurus redeem Ford in the eyes of the American consumer? Well, after Ford lost an estimated $3 billion between 1979 and 1982 due to quality issues, Ford put much more focus on producing reliable models. Ford was already using the slogan, “Quality is job 1,” and the Taurus backed that up. The 1986 Ford Taurus happened to be the first car that Ford introduced after those increased efforts on quality (nearly identical to the Taurus was the Mercury Sable, also introduced in December 1985).
It wasn’t just luck that landed Ford a much-needed win, though. Ford developed the Taurus with the goal of being the best in the class. That meant new designs and new features. In developing the Taurus, Ford introduced the world to an innovative sedan design. Dubbed the “jellybean” and the “flying potato,” the Taurus had a rounder shape than other models of the mid-80s. The first-generation Ford Taurus was one of the first American vehicles to utilize flush, aerodynamic headlights and fenders. Inspired by the Audi 5000 and the Ford Sierra in Europe, it looked so futuristic at the time that the sedan version of the Taurus was used in futuristic, sci-fi thrillers like Robocop and The Terminator.
A 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine or 3.0-liter V6 powered the 1986 Ford Taurus. Mated to a four-speed automatic transmission, it went from 0 to 60 mph in 9.8 seconds. The power wasn’t the star of the first-generation Taurus. The entire drivetrain was impressive. Excellent steering, composed handling, a new Ford suspension with springs that weren’t overly stiff, and shock absorbers that successfully dampened bumps in the road all worked together to remind American audiences that Ford could deliver a European-style ride with Japanese-like quality and prices.
Not only that, the Taurus was more fuel-efficient than before. The rounded, more aerodynamic design and features helped the Taurus achieve a 0.32 drag coefficient. The Ford Taurus came with front-wheel drive, a change from what Ford and other automakers were offering at the time. As a result of all of these changes, the Taurus weighed less and gave car buyers the fuel economy numbers they were looking for. An Environmental Protection Agency rating put the 1986 Ford Taurus station wagon at 19 miles per gallon (mpg) in the city and 28 mpg on the highway.
Other new features, like contoured switches so drivers could identify them by touch, were eventually implemented in other models. The Taurus also came with a three-year unlimited mileage warranty that covered powertrain components. With optional seating for up to eight, the Taurus wagon really could fit the entire family.
A Tree-Hauling Family Driver
With the immense success and innovative design of the Taurus came some TV and movie opportunities. The list of cinematic Taurus appearances doesn’t end with Robocop and The Terminator. Various versions of the Ford Taurus wagon, specifically, were used in movies like Species, Hope Floats, Patriot Games, Beverly Hills 90210, and The Walking Dead.
The 1989 model is particularly noted. That specific model was used in both The Girl Next Door, a 2004 comedy, and Home Alone 3, an underrated holiday gem. The ‘89 Ford Taurus wagon is best known for being involved in a very memorable scene of another holiday classic, though.
Anyone who watches National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation every December is sure to remember the opening scene involving the Griswold family in their ‘89 wagon, a beat-up Dodge pickup truck, and a logging truck. You don’t necessarily think of Christmas movies and car stunts, but that’s exactly how Christmas Vacation started.
The opening scene shows Clark Griswold behind the wheel of a 1989 Ford Taurus wagon, driving his family into the countryside of Chicago, Illinois to find the perfect Christmas tree. Along comes a couple of troublemakers in a Dodge junker who start riding the tail of the Griswolds. Instead of letting them pass, Griswold accelerates. Eventually, the Dodge passes and pulls right in front of the Griswold wagon. Clark has to slam on the breaks. Now, it’s on!
Griswold angrily passes the Dodge, but he doesn’t quite leave them in his dust. After all, the ‘89 Taurus only made 140 horsepower with 160 lb-ft of torque with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder and three-speed automatic transmission. That pesky mint Dodge pickup pulls up and passes Clark again, but this time, Clark is distracted by his scolding wife.
After reassuring Ellen that he’s in complete control, Clark and his 1989 Ford Taurus pull off a move out of the Fast and the Furious (12 years before the Fast and the Furious was even released) by scooting over right underneath the flatbed of the logging truck. Some more quick maneuvering ended up with the Taurus emerging from underneath the truck, going off the side of the road, and launching right into the parking lot of the Christmas tree farm.
It’s not every Christmas movie that starts off with a fairly action-packed car sequence. The scene is, of course, a long way off from the 10 Best Car Chases in Movie History, but it was certainly memorable. Prominent placement in a Christmas classic like this means the 1989 Taurus wagon is seen every year by millions of people.
The End of the Taurus Wagon
Like all other good things, the Ford Taurus wagon eventually came to an end. It was actually replaced by the Ford Freestyle wagon, which was branded a crossover SUV. The Taurus lasted as a five-door station wagon from 1986 to 2005. By that point, the Taurus was a fourth-generation vehicle. The last 2005 Ford Taurus wagon was finished up on December 8, 2004. By that point, the sedan and wagon had fallen behind the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry as the best-selling cars in America. Even the Taurus sedan was benched in 2006 before it was revived for a fifth generation in 2007 as a 2008 model.
Ford struck gold with the Taurus initially, but many analysts, consumers, and commentators noticed that Ford didn’t continue investing in the Taurus, so what was once an innovative, fresh vehicle that was ahead of its time in the mid-80s became an underperforming sedan and wagon by the 2000s.
The Ford Taurus was eventually entirely discontinued in North America as of March 1, 2019, but it continued on in China and, as of 2023, the Ford Mondeo is marketed as the Ford Taurus in Persian Gulf countries like Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
One correction here. The Taurus wagon you speak of had the 3.0 Vulcan V6, not a 4 cylinder engine.