Ford Taurus (third generation)

About Ford Taurus (third generation)

The third-generation Ford Taurus is an automobile that was marketed by Ford for the 1996 to 1999 model years, having entered production in June 1995. While the chassis underpinnings were largely carried over, the redesign gave the Taurus its first complete exterior redesign since its 1986 introduction. As a mid-size car it slotted between the compact Ford Contour and full-size Ford Crown Victoria in Ford's North American model range. The third-generation Taurus was again offered as a four-door sedan and as a five-door station wagon, marketed alongside the Mercury Sable. In contrast to the evolutionary 1992 update of the second generation, the third generation sought to recreate the class-leading design introduced by the 1986 Taurus, also in response to the 1992 introduction of the Chrysler LH cars. Following the 1986 introduction of the Taurus, the model line had gained two significant competitors — the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord (the latter of which, the Taurus had overtaken as best-selling car in the United States) alongside traditional GM and Chrysler-brand competition.