Originally conceived as an answer to the first Chrysler minivans, the Aerostar is an old school rear-drive van that's at its best when it's harnessed for hard work. It can haul--and tow--heavier loads than the front-drive crowd, and gets the job done with a fair degree of comfort and style.

Measured against other cars in this class, it's reasonably roomy and does have its appeal. It's well-suited for use as a second or third family car, with safety features that take some of the worry out of handing it over to younger drivers. And it's an excellent commuter vehicle - comfortable, durable and cheap to operate.

Until the mid '90s, the Ford Bronco was famous for being a rough-and-tumble off-road vehicle that had been tackling trails and fording streams since the 1960s. It was also one of the first sport-utility vehicles: a versatile truck then described by Ford as being able to serve as a family sedan, sports roadster, snowplow or farm and civil defense vehicle.

The undisputed market leader in the full-size passenger van segment is the Ford Club Wagon, the passenger version of the Econoline van. The Club Wagon, the only full-size passenger van with body-on-frame construction, has always been head-and-shoulders better than the Chevrolet and Dodge full-size vans, which are built with unitbody construction techniques.

From 1960 through 1967 Mercury, a division of the Ford Motor Company, produced the Comet. The Comet was initially built atop a Ford Falcon frame that was stretched and became Mercury's intermediate/compact entry vehicle. With a 114 inch wheelbase many thought it would be considered an intermediate, but Mercury classified it as a compact.

Ford Contour combines sporty driving dynamics with the comfort and practicality of a four-door sedan. It doesn't have the rear-seat space of a Taurus, but Ford improved rear legroom and revised the styling. Contour SVT pours on the coal with a higher output version of the Duratec V6, a sports suspension and bigger brakes.

From 1952 to 1958 the Ford Courier was marketed as a "sedan delivery" designated body code 78A, and was based on the contemporary sedan and station wagon designs. During the 1957 and 1958 model year, a windowed variant of the Courier was marketed for fleet orders and a number were produced primarily for Government services.

Ford Escort ZX2 is a hot-looking compact coupe with a rakish design. Yet its handsome interior reveals a roomy back seat and surprisingly large trunk. ZX2 provides responsive handling and good road manners and its engine delivers decent power. At the same time, the ZX2 is a practical car, with plenty of room in the back seats for friends.

The EXP's body rode on the Escort's 94.2 inch wheelbase, with that car's front-wheel drive running gear, four-wheel independent suspension, and dashboard. The EXP was longer, lower, and sportier than the Escort. Performance wasn't the cars strong suit. The EXP weighed about 200 pounds more than Escort but carried the same 1.6 L CVH I4 engine rated at 70 hp.

Ford Fairlane was produced from 1955 through 1969. The original body design was the full sized Ford body which started out as a family vehicle and slowly evolved into many different available models and body styles. The exterior paint and trim options, seemed endless with elaborate cloth woven seat covers and a rainbow of paint combinations.

The Ford Fairmont was an all-new, rear wheel drive compact car introduced in 1978 and sold through 1983. Coupe, sedan, and wagon bodies appeared at introduction, joined slightly later by a specialty coupe with a different roofline known as the Futura. The Fairmont Futura featured an unusual two-piece vinyl roof with an upswept central roof band.

Ford Falcon - With standard features such as the exhilarating 6-cylinder Barra 182 engine, Control Blade IRS (sedan only), Sequential Sports Shift (on the optional automatic transmission) and an Intelligent Safety System which boasts a multitude of advanced safety features, the Falcon XT is not only a driver's car. It's also a car that the whole family can enjoy.

The Ford Festiva was introduced for 1988. Three trim levels were offered: L, L Plus, and LX. The Festiva's 1.3-liter 4-cylinder engine switched from carburetion to fuel injection in 1989-90. For '90, a 5-speed manual transmission was standard and a 3-speed automatic optional. Festivas got a fresh grille and taillamps for 1990, and motorized front shoulder belts replaced manual belts.

The Ford Galaxie has effortless V8 performance, bulletproof mechanicals and great value make 30-year old Galaxie increasingly desirable with true-blue collectors. Size has everything to do with the on-going appeal of these cars. Although the newest are now more than 30 years old, a well-maintained Galaxie offers comfort and performance to rival cars half its age.

The Ford Granada name was retained, but the Monarch name was replaced by Cougar in Mercury's lineup. Styling of these cars resembled a slightly bigger and more formal version of the Fairmont, with upgraded interior trim. Base power for the Fox-body Granada was a 2.3 L I4, with an optional 200 cid straight six and 255 cubic inch V8.

The Lightning is based on the short-wheelbase, standard cab, flareside, two-wheel drive version of the F-150; in other words, the littlest one. Under the hood goes a 5.4-liter SOHC V-8, suitably pumped up with a supercharger and intercooler, and cranking out a not-inconsiderable 380 horsepower at 4,750 rpm and 450 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,250 rpm.

The LTD designation is considered by some an abbreviation of "Luxury Trim Decor" and by others as a limited body style classification for the Galaxie. There is evidence that it originally stood for "Lincoln Type Design." It was to be called the Galaxie 500 LTD, in reference to the introduction of the Chevrolet Caprice and the similar Dodge Monaco and Polara.

The first Ford Maverick was a rear wheel drive compact car that was built from 1970 to 1977 in the USA. The original model was a 2-door sedan priced at $1,995. The Maverick was designed to be inexpensive and easy to build, and easily repaired by shade tree mechanics. The Ford Maverick was styled with a long hood, fastback roof, and short deck on a 103" wheelbase.

Ford Pickup Trucks - 1948 thru 1979 1948 was the year that Ford introduced the "F" prefix for use in designating the load capacity of its lighter duty trucks. The 1/2 ton was called an F-1, the 3/4 ton truck was referred to as an F-2 and the F-3 designation meant a one ton carrying capacity Pickup. The "F" series continued through F-8 for heavy duty trucks.

The Probe appeared in 1988 and lasted until 1997 in the United States. It was based on a series of futuristic concept cars of the early 1980s, the likes of which have been seen in films like Judge Dredd, Back to the Future Part II and Total Recall. It was a coupe based on the Mazda GD platform, and was powered by a 2.2 L SOHC I4 cylinder Mazda F2 engine.

The Ford Ranchero was a coupe utility produced between 1957 and 1979 based on full-size, compact and intermediate automobiles by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market. Variations based on the original 1960 US Falcon for home markets in Argentina and South Africa were produced through the late 1980s. A total of 508,355 units were produced.

The Ford Tempo is an American-built two-door coupe and four-door sedan produced by the Ford Company from 1984 to 1994. It was the successor to the Ford Fairmont, and was replaced in 1994 by the Ford Contour. The Tempo was part of a rejuvenation by Ford to offer more environmentally friendly, fuel efficient, and more modern styled models to compete with the imports.

Most Torinos were conventional cars, and generally the most popular models were the 4-door sedans and 4-door hardtops. However, Ford produced some high performance versions of the Torino by fitting them with large powerful engines, such as the 428 CID and 429 CID "Cobra-Jet" engines. These cars are classified as muscle cars.

Ford ZX2 offers sporty styling, responsive handling, brisk acceleration, and everyday comfort and practicality for one or two people. Its back seat and trunk are fully usable. Yet the ZX2 is easy on fuel, and costs less than some base-level sedans. Gone is the smooth, grille-less look, replaced by a dark horizontal slash between the headlights.