40 Best Ford Vehicles Ever Built, Ranked in Order

Photos: Best (And Worst) Ford Vehicles Throughout History - Explored Planet
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Photos: Best (and Worst) Ford Vehicles Throughout History
Noor Muhammad | Trending | 27 Apr 2026
Ford has been in the spotlight ever since the Model T debuted in 1908. It’s one of the greatest marques in automotive history and a pioneer of innovation in personal mobility. Ford 's introduced more iconic vehicles than any other auto manufacturer.
However, that doesn’t mean the company's never made mistakes. From vehicles marred with severe engineering flaws and serious safety issues to wacky cars resulting from weird executive decisions, Ford has also made some crazy bad cars over the decades.
Best: 2017 Ford Focus RS
Gerlach Delissen / CORBIS / Getty Images
With a turbocharged 2.3-L inline 4-cylinder spitting out 350 horses under the hood, the 2017 Focus RS is a platinum-grade compact hatchback that leads all others in its class and is simply one of the best Ford cars in recent times!
The 2.3-L EcoBoost engine (the same that has been used in the 2017 Mustang) works in conjunction with a six-speed manual transmission and a torque-vectoring AWD system to enable this beast of a hatchback to hit speeds as high as 165 MPH and manage a 0-60 time of just 4.6 seconds!
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Worst: Ford Thunderbird (1980-82)
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Soernieins / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
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The 1980 Thunderbird was another example of Ford messing up an iconic vehicle. The car was one of the best in the company's entire lineup until 1979 (its 25th anniversary), when it underwent a terrible change, largely due to the fuel crises of the '70s.
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Ford drastically cut its size and practically turned it into a Fairmont. This transition from a luxurious full-sized icon to a mid-sized skinny vehicle wasn't appreciated by consumers, and the sales plummeted.
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Best: Ford Flex (2008-19)
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Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times / Getty Images
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The Ford Flex first rolled off the assembly line in 2008 and it stands out among its contemporaries with its unique boxy design that combines retro flair with modern sensibilities. Its spacious interior comfortably accommodates up to seven passengers, while its innovative features, like the SYNC infotainment system and available all-wheel drive enhance, make the driving experience enjoyable.
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The concept behind the Flex was inspired by classic station wagons and the desire to create a versatile vehicle with ample cargo space. This fusion of style, functionality and nostalgia makes the Flex a truly distinctive choice on the road.
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Worst: Ford Edsel (1958-60)
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Named after Henry Ford's son, the Edsel was Ford 's "jack of all" aimed at attracting all demographics. But, as it usually is with such projects, it turned out to be a master of none and a terrible automotive mistake.
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Plagued by problems ranging from oil leaks to stuck buttons, the Edsel was an outright disaster. Ford spent around $250 million to roll out 18 different variations and had to bear an estimated $350 million in losses.
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Best: Ford Thunderbird (1955-57)
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Ford launched the Thunderbird in 1955 to compete against the Chevrolet Corvette in the two-door sports car segment. However, it initially decided to brand the vehicle as a "personal luxury car", shifting focus from its inherent sportiness to its comfort and convenience features.
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The Thunderbird ended up being a great success, outselling the Corvette by more than 23-to-one in its year of launch. The '55 version was equipped with a 4.8 L Y-block V8 engine that produced 198 horses and catapulted it to 60 MPH in 11.5 seconds - a decent time back then.
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Worst: Ford Pinto 1971
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Reg Burkett / Daily Express / Hulton Archive / Getty Images
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Not just Ford 's, the Pinto is considered the worst car ever made by any manufacturer. It had a horrible build quality and would burst into flames in pretty much every rear-end collision. Even though it killed a number of people right after its debut in 1971, Ford ended up selling more than three million units during its nine-year run.
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Ford could have prevented the tragic deaths by a number of solutions, but it chose to pay millions in damages instead, as they cost less than what the modifications would've. The Pinto went on to become a classic case study in business ethics.
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Best: Ford Mustang (1965-73)
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The first-generation Mustang is unarguably one of the best Fords of all time. It started the pony revolution and made the term "muscle car" a household name in North America.
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The 1965 Mustang (introduced in April '64) was powered by a 4.7-L V8 powerplant that produced 271 horses at the crank and catapulted it to 60 MPH from a standstill position in nine seconds.
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Worst: Ford Focus (2012-16)
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The third-generation Ford Focus is notorious for its poor reliability. The 2012-16 variants, in particular, were part of numerous recalls caused by Ford 's new automatic "PowerShift" transmission and a malfunctioning exhaust system.
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The 2014 Focus is considered one of the worst Fords ever made, with complaints of excessive vibration, grinding noises, jerky shifting and even complete failure to get into gear at all. The 2012 version also had a critical electric power steering fault.
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Best: Shelby GT350 (1965-66)
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MrWalkr / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
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The Shelby GT350 was a performance version of the first-generation Mustang and also the first collaborative project of Ford with legendary automotive designer Carroll Shelby.
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The Shelby GT350 was more lightweight and aerodynamic and was devoid of all convenience features that could be a hindrance in its conquering the tracks. It was equipped with a modified 4.7-L V8 powerplant that produced 306 horses at the crank, enabling a 0-60 time of 6.6 seconds.
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Worst: Ford Bronco II (1984-90)
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The Pinto's SUV version, the Bronco II, was notorious for rollover accidents caused by a short wheelbase, narrow track and tall center of gravity. Even though the stability issues did surface during the design and verification phase, Ford gave the green signal for production after the stability reports "disappeared" in a "document handling procedure."
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The rollover accidents happened even at speeds as low as 20 MPH, killing at least 800 people over the years. Ford ended up paying $113 million to settle 334 injury and wrongful death lawsuits, though it kept claiming the rollovers were caused by "bad driving or unsafe modifications to the vehicle."
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Best: Ford Galaxie (1959-74)
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Ermell / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
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The Ford Galaxie, introduced in 1959, stands as a timeless icon of American automotive history. With its sleek and powerful design, this classic vehicle captured the imagination of car enthusiasts.
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Its notable features included a range of V8 engine options, offering impressive performance on the road. Its spacious interior provided comfort and luxury, while its distinct tail-fins and chrome accents added a touch of elegance.
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Worst: Ford Mustang II (1974-78)
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Dennis Elzinga / Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0
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The Mustang II was Ford 's failed attempt to sell more vehicles. Mustang sales had dropped as they grew bigger over the years and the country's solution was to eliminate…

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