Ford Taurus Price Guide

The Ford Taurus of 1985 was one of the most significant American cars of the late twentieth century. It was a front-wheel-drive mid-sized sedan that bet Ford’s entire future on an aerodynamic design that industry observers called either revolutionary or “the flying potato.” The Taurus outsold the Honda Accord to become America’s best-selling car in 1992 and saved Ford from the financial crisis that had threatened the company through the early 1980s.

The Car

The 1986 Taurus used a 2.5-litre four-cylinder and 3.0-litre V6 in a front-wheel-drive body that broke comprehensively with the boxy American sedan convention. The SHO (Super High Output) of 1989 used a Yamaha-built 3.0-litre V6 producing 220bhp, one of the most powerful front-wheel-drive sedans in the world at the time. The Taurus continued through multiple redesigns until 2019, never recapturing the original’s commercial dominance.

Buying

The SHO is the collector’s Taurus; Yamaha V6, genuine performance, and historical significance. Standard Taurus models are of limited interest outside the US.