Last Ford Taurus model rolls off the assembly line in Chicago

It was the end of an era at Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant on March 1, 2019, as the final 2019 Ford Taurus rolled off the assembly line, the last of over 8 million Taurus models built at the plant during the last 34 years of almost constant production.

Introduced in 1985 at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the first generation Ford Taurus was a revolutionary design, discarding the industry’s reliance on boxy, squared-off shapes in favor of a sleek, shapely and sculptural design that would set the bar for car design for the next decade. Just as revolutionary was the 1985 Taurus’ 140-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 engine, which featured one of the industry’s first applications of multi-port fuel injection.

In 1989, the Ford Taurus changed the industry again with the introduction of the Ford Taurus SHO. The acronym stood for Super High Output, with the models delivering on that promise thanks to a 220-horsepower, 24-valve high-performance V6 built in unique partnership with Yamaha. The engine, known internally at Ford as “The Shogun,” allowed the Ford Taurus SHO to rocket from zero to 60 in 6.7 seconds, with a top speed of 143 miles per hour. At the time, the Ford Taurus SHO was the fastest and most powerful four-door sedan under $20,000, with the only sedans offering more power in 1989 being the $51,000 BWM M5 and the $71,000 BMW 750iL.

The success of the Ford Taurus kept building, and by 1992, it was America’s best-selling car, with Ford-affiliated NASCAR teams running Taurus bodies starting in 1998. It remains Ford’s fifth best-selling vehicle of all time, with only the F-150, Escort, Model T and Mustang selling more examples. The nameplate was briefly retired in 2006 before the sixth-generation Taurus was introduced in 2008.

“Taurus broke new ground at its start and we’re thankful for its role in our portfolio,” said Mark LaNeve, Ford vice president, U.S. marketing, sales and service. “Those same kinds of innovations will continue for today’s customers with Ford Explorer and the rest of our lineup.”

Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant and Chicago Stamping plant, where the Ford Taurus has been built since 1985, will be retooled in a $1 billion dollar investment that will add 500 new jobs, with the plant turning to production of the next-generation 2020 Ford Explorer, 2020 Police Interceptor Utility, and the 2020 Lincoln Aviator. It’s part of a move that will see Ford replace 75 percent of its current vehicle lineup by the end of 2020, expanding truck and SUV offerings with vehicles like the 2020 Ford Ranger, the all-new 2020 Ford Bronco, a still-unnamed off-road crossover, and a Mustang-inspired high-performance electric SUV.

We’re sad to see the Ford Taurus go, because we’ve sold a lot of them at this dealership since 1985. Still, we’re excited to see all that’s new coming from Ford, and if the revival of the Ranger and Bronco names is any guide, something tells us this won’t be the last we see of the iconic Taurus nameplate.

Ready to get in on all the exciting new things happening at Ford? Then stop in today at McLarty Daniel Ford of Bentonville, check out the all new 2019 Ford Ranger, and our award-winning lineup of Ford trucks, cars, vans and SUVs! Best of all: we can show you how you can take one home today! Come see us!

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