During
the early 1920s—a time when Europe was struggling to recover from the
destruction of World War I, and Japan was still discovering indoor plumbing—a
man in Dearborn, Michigan named Henry Ford was attempting to do what no man had
done before. He was going to put an automobile in every family’s garage. His
method? The assembly line. His philosophy? Three standards: affordability,
reliability, and reparability. By continuing with such ingenuity and remaining
at the forefront of technology, Ford is the best choice of automobile for all
Americans.
Beginning
with affordability, Ford has always given Americans the best “bang for the
buck” with all their products. In an effort to not only increase the standard
of living nation wide, but also to stimulate sales, Ford lowered the price of
the Model T to $290 ($3,289 today) and made it possible for every family to be
mobile. Continuing this legacy throughout history, the company has introduced
an affordable option for every endeavor. From the “Everyman’s Boss” Mustang
campaign of the 1960s, we saw a genuine sports car that rivaled the exotics of
Europe. Priced at $3,588 when introduced in 1969, the Boss 302 gave young
motorsports enthusiasts an opportunity to have a sports car from the same
company that beat Ferrari two years prior at Le Mans. It seemed ridiculous to
spend $19500 on a Ferrari Daytona when the same engine in your Boss won at
Mans. This legacy continues even today when the Taurus SHO rivals far more
expensive sport sedans. With its twin turbos, direct injection, and variable
valve timing giving it superior power and efficiency, the $38,000 for a Tauurus
seems a hefty price until compared to its competitors: the $84,000 BMW 750i,
the $75480 Lexus LS, and the $47,280 Cadillac STS. It seems Ford time and time
again gives you the best value dollar for dollar.
A classic man with an iconic car.
The
next point in the Ford tradition is reliability. Having not only some of the
best warranties in the industry, Ford manufactures vehicles that need lesser
maintenance to begin with. Having proving grounds in the deserts of Arizona,
the swamps of Florida, and the extreme cold of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Ford
designs its automobiles to endure and excel in a huge spectrum of conditions. Ford’s
vehicles are also subjected to neglect and abuse during comparison testing so
that they outperform other cars in most all cases. Seeing the infamous “Pad” (a
quarter mile square asphalt lot where handling tests take place) at the
Dearborn Development Center, I can attest without a doubt that even the most
boring of vehicles produced by this manufacturer will stun the average consumer
in durability and handling.
The luxury sedan of tomorrow.
Lastly,
a common problem with automobiles throughout history has been reparability. When
glancing through a Chilton’s service manual for most other manufacturers’
vehicles, phrases commonly pop up that are rarely seen in a manual for a Ford. Phrases
such as “special tool part number” or “dealer service only” often appear. This
is an important thing to note because it means high maintenance bills. As an
ASE certified mechanic, I can honestly say that the easiest cars to work on
have been Fords, Lincolns, and Mercurys (all produced by the Ford Motor
Company). Where routine maintenance items, such as injector replacement, can
involve disassembly of the whole top part of the engine on GMs and some Hondas,
on a Ford it is a simple task of removing a few bolts and snapping the new part
in.
Now
it seems that there are many critics in the world who have yet to see the light
and stand by Ford. There are ramblings of “German Engineering” and “Japanese
Reliability” that domestic manufacturers can simply not compete with. I assert
to you that this is not so. The claim of how German cars have more engineering
put into them is not really an advantage. When a part is over complex, it is
more likely to fail and be difficult to replace. For example, when replacing
the timing belt on a Porsche 944, half of the engine must be disassembled and a
special spanner tool is needed. If this belt is ignored or not replaced every
30,000 miles as the manual suggests, a failure would ruin the valves when they
crash into the pistons. As to the Japanese supporters, the idea that any one
car is inherently more reliable than another is a naïve dream. Though it is
true a good design creates a far more reliable product, proper care and
maintenance do far more good than a little emblem on the hood that looks like a
bull.
It
seems that only a lesser man would choose a non-Ford type vehicle. Even after
the 108 years of competition, trial, and turmoil, the Ford Motor Company has
endured; it still remains at the forefront of the industry and the only
sensible choice for us, the American consumers. So next time you decide it’s
time for a new car and start shopping around, don’t be deceived by the Japanese
paradigm of reliability or the German logic of over-engineering. Instead think
for yourself, compare numbers and quality, and lastly, stop by the Ford
dealership again and see for yourself that the Blue Oval is what you need. Ford:
Drive one.
