Ford Five Hundred Sedan
The Ford Five Hundred was Ford's attempt at a more modern twentieth-century full-size car. This is a 2005 model, from the first year of its availability.
Riding on a 113-inch wheelbase, the Five Hundred had a 203-horse three-liter V-6 and a six-speed Aisin F21 automatic transmission, along with independent suspension for both front and rear axles. J Mays, of New Beetle fame, aided with the styling.
Reception to both the performance and the styling was lukewarm at best, and Ford CEO Alan Mullaly had styling changes, a new 263-horse V-6 engine five deciliters bigger in displacement, and a new six-speed automatic gearbox. Appalled at he absence of the Taurus when he took over at Ford, Mullaly had the newly configured Five Hundred bear the Taurus name. The Five Hundred name must have originally been chosen to evoke memories of the Galaxie 500 and Custom 500 among older Ford buyers.
I photographed this 2005 Five Hundred with my flip phone in 2019, yet another picture demonstrating that some people want to hang on to their (much) older sedans, SUVs be damned.
Ford Five Hundred Sedan
The Ford Five Hundred was Ford's attempt at a more modern twentieth-century full-size car. This is a 2005 model, from the first year of its availability.
Riding on a 113-inch wheelbase, the Five Hundred had a 203-horse three-liter V-6 and a six-speed Aisin F21 automatic transmission, along with independent suspension for both front and rear axles. J Mays, of New Beetle fame, aided with the styling.
Reception to both the performance and the styling was lukewarm at best, and Ford CEO Alan Mullaly had styling changes, a new 263-horse V-6 engine five deciliters bigger in displacement, and a new six-speed automatic gearbox. Appalled at he absence of the Taurus when he took over at Ford, Mullaly had the newly configured Five Hundred bear the Taurus name. The Five Hundred name must have originally been chosen to evoke memories of the Galaxie 500 and Custom 500 among older Ford buyers.
I photographed this 2005 Five Hundred with my flip phone in 2019, yet another picture demonstrating that some people want to hang on to their (much) older sedans, SUVs be damned.