The Ford 500/Taurus name switcheroo is yet another reason that FoMoCo may continue to lose market shares through stupidity. In '05, Ford brought out the 500, a fullsized car by today's standards as an eventual replacement for the Crown Vic/Grand Monkey. Quite a bit larger, more luxurious and expensive than a Taurus, the 500/Merc Montego was a much nicer car. But evidently someone in production forgot to tell marketing that Ford had a new product. With VERY minimal TV and media marketing, most folks didn't even know of the 500's existence. When sent to a Merc dealer last summer to buy a new Montego, I asked the sales manager where it was. I thought a Montego was a crossover. When he laughed and pointed at a black sedan, I about died .....
I'm paid to drive these things and even I didn't know.
Anyway, awhile after the hoopla over the last "Taurus Classic" rolling off the line last summer, some genius in Ford Marketing decided to revive the name and hang it on the 500, which hadn't exactly broken any sales records. Even though the cars are as different as a Focus and a Grand Marquis in every aspect including price, the same genius in Marketing though that the name recognition would boost the 500's sales. I'm guessing that it might draw potential customers were loyal to Tauri for years to Ford showrooms and drive them back out of the door just as quickly when the see how much more the "New Taurus" costs. BTW folks, to avoid confusion the Fusion is the real Taurus replacement.
Jan
