Ford Five Hundred

Ford Five Hundred
2005 Ford Five Hundred Limited
Overview
ManufacturerFord
ProductionJuly 12, 2004–April 12, 2007
Model years2005–2007
AssemblyUnited States: Chicago, Illinois (Chicago Assembly)
DesignerGeorge Bucher (2001)[1][2]
J Mays[3]
Jan Vulcan, Chief Engineer[4]
Body and chassis
ClassFull-size car
Body style4-door sedan
LayoutTransverse, FF layout / F4 layout
PlatformFord D3 platform
RelatedMercury Montego,
Ford Freestyle
Mercury Sable (fifth generation)
Ford Taurus (fifth generation)
Ford Taurus (sixth generation)
Ford Taurus X
Ford Flex
Lincoln MKS,
Lincoln MKT
Volvo S80
Volvo S60
Volvo V70
Volvo XC70
Volvo XC90
Powertrain
Engine3.0 L Duratec 30 V6
TransmissionZF Batavia CFT30 CVT
6-speed Aisin F21 automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase112.9 in (2,868 mm)
Length200.7 in (5,098 mm)[5]
Width74.5 in (1,892 mm)
Height61.5 in (1,562 mm)
Chronology
PredecessorFord Taurus (fourth generation)
Ford Crown Victoria
SuccessorFord Taurus (fifth generation)

The Ford Five Hundred is a four-door, five-passenger, front-engine, front- or all-wheel drive, full-size, high-roof sedan[6] manufactured and marketed in North America by Ford in a single generation for model years 2005-2007. It was a direct byproduct of Ford's 1999 acquisition of Volvo Cars; a strong market shift in automotive tastes away from sedans to minivans and SUV/CUVs — and a concerted effort by Ford to rethink the traditional sedan/wagon formula.[7]

Presented as a single concept drawing[8] at the 2002 New York Auto Show, the Five Hundred was formally presented in production form at the 2004 North American International Auto Show along with its co-developed platform-mates, the Mercury Montego and the crossover Ford Freestyle — the so called Chicago D3's, for the plant where they were manufactured (Chicago Assembly) and the platform they shared, the D3 platform, a revised variant of Volvo's P2 platform.

Ford chose to continue its fourth generation Taurus, critical to the company's fleet sales, and overlap that production with the new sedan, using the Five Hundred nameplate and emphasizing its optional all-wheel drive and continuously variable transmission, extensive safety features, large interior volume and high H-point seating, the latter marketed as Command View seating.

Internally designated the D258 model, the Five Hundred was styled by George Bucher, Chief Designer,[1][9] under the direction of Ford Vice President of Design, J Mays[10] the latter who gave the Five Hundred its name,[4] recalling the "500" suffix Ford had used to designate a model's top trim level, as with the Galaxie "500".

The Five Hundred's 203hp engine and conservative styling became points of criticism, and sales fell markedly short of company projections — requiring substantive discounts by its second model year.[11] The Five Hundred was swiftly facelifted and given a new nameplate for model years 2008-2009 — as the fifth generation Ford Taurus.

Having entered production on July 12, 2004[12] and gone on sale in September 2004, the Five Hundred reached 65% of its projected annual sales of 120,000[13] — or total domestic sales of 241,000 over three model years. The Five Hundred nameplate continued in use outside North America.

  1. ^ a b "Ford Five Hundred". Car News and Reviews. 2008. Archived from the original on April 9, 2015.
  2. ^ Patton, Phil (April 11, 2004). "Fanfare for the Common Car..." The New York Times.
  3. ^ Patton, Phil (November 5, 2013). "J Mays, Noted Ford Designer to Retire". The New York Times.
  4. ^ a b Tamara Audi (January 13, 2024). "It Took Teamwork to Craft Crucial Sedan". Detroit Free Press.
  5. ^ Newberry, Stephan (2005). The Car Design Yearbook 3. Merrell. ISBN 1-85894-242-X.
  6. ^ "2005 Ford Five Hundred SE Sedan 3.0L V6 6-speed Automatic Features and Specs". Edmunds.com. March 10, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
  7. ^ Dave Vanderwerp (October 1, 2004). "2005 Ford Five Hundred - Ford's attempt to fill some very large shoes". Car and Driver.
  8. ^ Bob Gritzinger (April 3, 2002). "What's A Five Hundred? Ford's 'Next Big Thing' Is An SUV-Like Car". Autoweek.
  9. ^ Phil Patton (April 11, 2004). "Fanfare for the Common Car". The New York Times.
  10. ^ Phil Patton (November 5, 2013). "J Mays, Noted Ford Designer, to Retire". The New York Times.
  11. ^ Nick Bunkley (June 29, 2006). "With Inventories Bulging, Detroit Rolls Out the Incentives". The New York Times.
  12. ^ Binder, Alan K., ed. (2005). Ward's Automotive Yearbook 2005. Ward's Communications, Inc. p. 112.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference DULL2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).