Editing Ford Taurus (section)

==First generation (1986)==
{{Main|Ford Taurus (first generation)}}
[[File:1991 Ford Taurus GL sedan -- 09-07-2009.jpg|thumb|1991 Ford Taurus GL sedan]]
[[File:1st Ford Taurus wagon -- 04-11-2012 rear 2.JPG|thumb|left|1986–1991 Ford Taurus wagon]]
[[File:1990 Ford Taurus GL.jpg|thumb|1990 Ford Taurus GL]]

The first-generation Taurus was launched in 1985 as a 1986 model to strong fanfare and sales, replacing the slow-selling mid-size Ford LTD. (The full-size [[Ford LTD Crown Victoria]] remained as part of the Ford lineup.) The release of the Ford Taurus was one of the most anticipated ever, mostly because it was a first in car design and also the start of new quality standards for Ford. At the time of the Taurus's debut, Ford had been producing mainly rear-wheel drive cars, and [[Chrysler]] and [[General Motors]] were offering more front-wheel-drive vehicles up to mid-range including the [[Chrysler K platform]] and A-body [[Chevrolet Celebrity]]. With the introduction of the [[Ford Escort (North America)|Escort]] and [[Ford Tempo|Tempo]], Ford was making a transition to front-wheel drive. The Taurus displayed a rounder shape than its contemporaries, often likened to a "[[jelly bean]]" or "flying potato",<ref name = "jellybean">{{cite magazine |last = Schneiderman |first = R.M. |date = October 27, 2006 |magazine = Forbes |url = https://www.forbes.com/2006/10/27/ford-taurus-demise-cx_rs_1027autofacescan01.html |title = Ford Taurus, R.I.P.| access-date = June 29, 2007}}</ref> inspired by the design of the [[Audi 100#C3, 1983–92|Audi 5000]] and Ford's European sedan, the [[Ford Sierra]], an updated appearance of a styling approach used in the late 1940s to early 1960s called "[[Ponton (automobile)|ponton]]" styling.<ref name = "Taub"/> Instead of a [[Grille (car)|grille]], the Taurus mainstreamed the smooth grille-less "[[bottom breather]]" nose. The aerodynamic design of the Taurus made the car more fuel-efficient, allowing Ford to meet more stringent [[corporate average fuel economy]] (CAFE) standard applied by the [[United States]] government.<ref name = "Taub"/> The Taurus's success ultimately led to an American [[automobile design]] revolution; Chrysler and General Motors developed aerodynamic cars in order to capitalize on the Taurus's success.<ref name = "Taub">{{Cite book |title = Taurus: The Making of the Car That Saved Ford |first = Eric |last = Taub |date = November 1991 |isbn = 0-525-93372-7 |publisher = [[E. P. Dutton]] |url-access = registration |url = https://archive.org/details/taurusmakingofca00taub }}</ref> It also benefitted from sharing a similar appearance to the limited-production [[Ford Mustang SVO]] introduced two years earlier in 1983.

The first generation was available with either a V6 or an inline four-cylinder engine and came with either a [[manual transmission|manual]] (MT-5)<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.mcall.com/1986/10/04/taurus-mt-5-room-performance-and-superior-value-road-test/|title = Taurus Mt-5 - Room, Performance And Superior Value Road Test|last = KUCINSKI|first = LEONARD|date = October 4, 1986|work = The Morning Call}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.ford-taurus.org/taurusinfo/Specials/MT5.php|title = Taurus MT5|date = January 11, 2007|website = Ford Encyclopedia|publisher = Taurus Car Club of America, Inc.}}</ref> or [[automatic transmission]]. (The Taurus's twin, the [[Mercury Sable]], has never offered a manual transmission in any of its incarnations.) Like its exterior, the Taurus's interior was ahead of its time, and many features originating from it are still used in most cars today.<ref name = "Taub"/> Its interior was designed to be extremely user-friendly, with all of its controls designed to be recognizable by touch, allowing drivers to operate them without taking their eyes off the road.<ref name = "Taub" /> For example, the switches to the power windows and power locks were designed with one half of the switch raised up, with the other half recessed, in order for its function to be identified by touch.<ref name = "Taub" /> To further enhance this quality, the car's [[dashboard]] has all of the controls in the central area within reach of the driver. The left side of the dash curves slightly around the driver to make controls easily accessible, as well as creating a "cockpit" feel.

The interior offered numerous trim levels, from spartan or luxurious, as well as various seating configurations,<ref> &mdash; e.g., with a traditional column-mounted shifter and front bench seat, with bucket seats and a center console with a floor-mounted shifter, or with bucket seats and a console with a column-mounted shifter. These options were also extended to the Sable and, beginning in MY 1988, the [[Lincoln Continental]] as well. Models available with a manual transmission were available with bucket seats, center console and floor-mounted shifter.</ref> The most trim level, the L, featured an AM radio and a front cloth bench seat, while the LX, the more luxurious model, came with more numerous features as standard equipment.

The Taurus was well received by both the public and the press. In addition to numerous other awards, the Taurus was made the 1986 [[Car and Driver 10Best|Car and Driver Ten Best List]] and was named the 1986 [[Motor Trend Car of the Year]].<ref name = "COTY86">{{Cite journal |last = Hanson |first = John |title = Car of the Year 1986: It is Going To Be a Bull Market For The Ford Taurus |journal = [[Motor Trend]] |issue = February 1986 |pages = 23–36 }}</ref> Production reached over 200,000 for the 1986 model year and the millionth Taurus was sold during the 1989 model year.<ref name = "Taub" /> By the end of model year 1991, first generation production had reached more than two million.<ref name = "TCCA numbers">{{cite web |publisher = Taurus Car Club of America |url = http://www.ford-taurus.org/taurusinfo/Specs/Production.php |title = 1986–1997 Ford Taurus production numbers| access-date = September 12, 2008}}</ref>