Rare Rides Icons: The Ford Taurus, Modernizing Family Transportation (Part X)

The Ford Taurus proved immediately upon its launch in 1986 that it was what consumers wanted from a midmarket, midsize family car. As we’ve discussed, there were several trims available, and many standalone options that were most often packaged into Preferred Equipment Packages for easier ordering. The first generation Taurus was such a breath of fresh air that it would prove to be the most successful generation ever. Let’s take a look at its impressive sales figures and accompanying pricing information.

The Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable were the modern front-drive replacements for the LTD and Marquis, respectively. The two outgoing vehicles were almost exactly the same. In their last year on sale as the mainstay models in 1985, the LTD sold 205,526 examples and the Marquis managed 101,498 — roughly half. Sales of the new Taurus and Sable the following year showed what a difference (presumably) styling made to consumers.

Buyers were very eager to accept the Taurus, but proved more reluctant with the Sable’s space age front clip and more glassy overall design. In 1986, 236,346 examples of the Taurus were sold, but only 95,635 Sables. The gap widened throughout the rest of the first generation. The first-year sales success meant Ford sold 2,066,507 passenger cars and 1,381,438 trucks, and Ford made a better profit than General Motors for the first time since 1924.

Taurus was on an uphill climb with sales, and demand surged for 1987 after the model won its accolades from all the most important outlets. There were 374,763 Tauruses made in 1987, and the Sable managed 121,313. Rather than half the companion sales to its equivalent Ford model, Sable dropped to a third.

In 1988, Taurus pulled even further ahead of the Sable, when it moved 387,577 examples. Sable sold very slightly worse than the prior year, at 121,285 cars. It was 1989 that proved the strongest Taurus year in the first generation, when 395,261 were sold. Sable improved its fortunes slightly at 130,657.

At the 1990 refresh (dashboard, airbag), the sales of the first generation began to slide as it aged. Taurus was down to 333,011 sales that year, while the Sable was just above six-figure sales at 103,749. For its final year in 1991, the Taurus saw a 10-percent decline to 303,833 sales, while Sable had a smaller 7-percent slip to 96,698.

Turning attention to pricing in 1986, there was a generous spread across the four trim levels: L, MT5, GL, and LX. The most basic L sedan was $9,645 ($29,651 adj.), hitting the “under 10k” mark for economy-minded buyers. It was a small jump over the top-trim Tempo LX, which asked $9,175 ($28,206 adj.) that year. There was a notable jump to the L wagon, as it made the V6 standard and added an automatic transmission: $10,763 ($33,088 adj.).

The MT5 sedan was muddled between the L pricing, and asked $10,276 ($31,591 adj.) for a sedan, or $10,741 ($33,020 adj.) for the wagon. Stepping up to the GL showed a similar difference of about $500 ($1,537 adj.) between the sedan and wagon. The sedan started at $11,322 ($34,806 adj.) and the wagon was $11,790 ($36,245 adj.).

For those more premium customers, the Taurus LX made the biggest overall jump between trims; the sedan started at $13,351 ($41,044 adj.). A wagon asked $13,860 ($42,609 adj.). Out the door pricing on all of these trims was likely a thousand or two higher, once the PEPs and a standalone option or two were selected by the dealer. Remember, alloy wheels (~$300, $922 adj.) were an option on all models, and air conditioning ($762, $2,342 adj.) was only standard on LX.

Skipping to 1989 when the MT5 trim was eliminated and the exciting SHO joined the lineup, the L sedan asked $11,788 ($32,798 adj.). L wagon was still a considerable jump, at $13,143 ($36,568 adj.). The difference in sedans and wagons was about $1,300 ($3,617 adj.) by that point, and a GL sedan asked $12,202 ($33,949 adj.) while a wagon was $13,544 ($37,683 adj.). 

The largest price jump was no longer the claim of the LX, where a sedan was $15,282 ($42,519 adj.) and a wagon asked $16,524 ($45,975 adj.). With its unique engine, styling, and suspension, the SHO commanded a base price of $19,739 ($54,920 adj.), though it did have a long list of standard equipment.

On GL and LX trims the larger 3.8-liter V6 was an expensive option, where it asked $1,072 ($2,982 adj.). That engine was standard on the second year of the Taurus-based Lincoln Continental, which asked an impressive $28,032 ($77,944 adj.) to $30,434 ($84,677 adj.) for a Signature trim.

For its final year in 1991, the first-gen Taurus asked $13,352 ($33,423 adj.) for a basic L sedan, and $14,874 ($37,233 adj.) for a wagon. The gap narrowed between L and GL sedans, and the GL was $13,582 ($33,999 adj.). A GL wagon asked $14,990 ($37,524 adj.) that year.

The LX sedan of 1991 was $17,373 ($43,489 adj.), and the wagon with standard 3.8 V6 asked $18,963 ($47,469 adj.). The base price of the SHO grew to $22,071 ($55,249 adj.), and we can assume the limited-run Plus version was notably more expensive. Touching briefly on Sable pricing here, the packaging may have been a deterrent to some customers even if styling wasn’t the issue.

Just two trims of Sable were available through the run, GS and LS. Roughly equivalent to GL and LX on Taurus, there was no “cheap” way to get a Sable. The base GS sedan of 1991 asked $15,821 ($39,604 adj.), or 15 percent more than the basic Taurus L. A GS wagon was $16,766 ($41,969 adj.), while the LS sedan asked $16,823 ($42,112 adj.) and the wagon was $17,794 ($44,543 adj.). Despite the more premium image the 3.8 V6 was never standard on any Sable, and was a $555 ($1,389 adj.) optional extra.

After the huge success of the first generation, Ford rolled out a new Taurus in 1992. It wasn’t all-new per say, as it used the same platform and even the doors from 1986. Ford had to be very careful not to mess up a good thing, and ensured the new Taurus and Sable were evolutionary rather than revolutionary. We’ll pick up there next time.

[Images: Ford]

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