Cars and Drivers

The Best Selling Ford Vehicles of All Time Are Shocking

Austin Smith

Published: March 12, 2024 10:30 am

Last Updated: March 12, 2024 12:31 pm

If there’s one car company that just about everyone knows, it’s Ford. Founded by legendary industrialist and business magnate Henry Ford in 1903 with $28,000 cash (about $912,000 today), the Ford Motor Company is today the second-largest U.S. automaker (behind General Motors) and the sixth-largest in the world based on 2022 vehicle production of 4.2 million vehicles, with a 2022 revenue of $158 billion. 

Ford currently sells vehicles under brand names Ford and Lincoln, its luxury vehicle division; it also sold cars under the Mercury brand from its creation in 1939 until its discontinuation in 2011. Ford remains family-owned to this day, and from its very first car (the Model A) to its newest vehicle (the 2024 crossover SUV Explorer EV), many Ford models have become household names. From the paradigm-changing Model T to the workaday Focus to the muscle car Mustang, these are the 25 best-selling Ford vehicles of all time. 

#25: Ford Puma

Source: Ford Motor Co.

• Year Released: 1997
• Units Sold: Over 1.2 million

Produced by Ford Europe from September 1997 to July 2002, the Puma was a small three-door coupe built in Cologne, Germany. It was launched with a high-profile marketing campaign that featured actor Steve McQueen, and was named Top Gear’s Car of the Year for “the incredible feeling and driving sensation.” It was sold only in Europe and production ended in 2001, but its name was revived by Ford for a crossover model in 2019.

#24: Ford Fusion

Ford Fusion SE 2.0 Ecoboost 20... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by RL GNZLZ

• Year Released: 2005
• Units Sold: Over 1.4 million

The Fusion was produced by Ford from 2005 until its discontinuation in 2020; it was a classic mid-size car positioned between the compact Focus and the full-size Taurus. A gasoline-electric hybrid was released in 2010, and a slightly larger second-generation Fusion was released in 2013, with new driver assistance technologies based on sensors, cameras, and radar. As the brand shifted away from four-door cars and more towards SUVs, crossovers, and pickups, production ended in 2019. 

#23: Ford Cortina

Ford Cortina On the Beach (2212343121) by Martin Charles Hatch

• Year Released: 1962
• Units Sold: Over 1.5 million

A medium-sized family car, the Cortina was released in 1962 and was the United Kingdom’s best-selling car of the 1970s. Produced in five generations until 1982, it was only sold in the United States until 1971, when it was replaced by the Pinto. While the UK remained its primary market, it was also sold in Pakistan, Ireland, Indonesia, South Africa, and other right-hand drive markets. The Cortina was phased out and replaced by the Sierra in 1982. 

#22: Ford Expedition

Source: shaunl / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• Year Released: 1997
• Units Sold: Over 1.5 million

A full-size three-row SUV introduced in 1997 as the successor to the Bronco, the Ford Expedition was the company’s first four-door SUV. It’s similar to the Chevy Tahoe and Suburban in that it’s sold in multiple lengths, and it seats 8 passengers. Since 1997, Lincoln has marketed the Expedition as the Navigator, the first full-size SUV sold by a luxury car brand. 

#21: Ford Ka

Source: Shutterstock

• Year Released: 1996
• Units Sold: Over 1.8 million

The small Ford Ka went through a couple different iterations in its 26 years in production. The first two generations were hatchbacks, and the third was produced as a five-door hatchback and as a four-door sedan. Ideally suited for driving in the city due to its small size, it was primarily sold in Brazil, but also sold well in the United Kingdom.

#20: Ford EcoSport

Source: Courtesy of Ford

• Year Released: 2003
• Units Sold: Over 2 million

A subcompact crossover SUV, the EcoSport was produced in two generations. The first-generation model, launched in 2003, was produced in Brazil and sold primarily in that country. The second generation was produced in India, Thailand, Russia and Romania, and it didn’t enter the North American market until 2018, four years before its discontinuation due to decreased sales after the 2022 model year. 

#19: Ford S-Max

Source: Shutterstock

• Year Released: 2006
• Units Sold: Over 2 million

Produced by Ford Europe exclusively for the European market, the S-Max was designed to be as sporty as a sedan but as spacious as a minivan. Introduced in 2006, it was the first Ford to feature what’s called their Kinetic Design styling scheme, which includes angular headlights, twin trapezoidal grilles, and large wheel arches. It was discontinued in April 2023.

#18: Ford C-Max

Source: ford.com

• Year Released: 2003
• Units Sold: Over 2.5 million

Introduced in 2003 as the Ford Focus C-Max, the C-Max is a hatchback compact multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), which is primarily a European car size that sits between mini MPVs and large MPs (also called minivans). It was introduced in the United States in 2012 as its first hybrid-only line of vehicles. 

#17: Ford Edge

Source: juanelo242a / Flickr

• Year Released: 2007
• Units Sold: Over 3 million

The first mid-size crossover SUV marketed by Ford in North America, the Edge is positioned size-wise between the smaller Escape and the larger Explorer. The third generation, released exclusively in China in 2023, has three rows of seats and has both hybrid and gasoline powertrains. 

#16: Ford Galaxy

Source: Shutterstock

• Year Released: 1995
• Units Sold: Over 3 million

A four-door seven-seater produced by Ford of Europe from 1995 to 2023, the Galaxy was the first Ford minivan to be produced and marketed outside of North America. Ford announced its plans to discontinue the Galaxy in January 2022. 

#15: Ford Falcon

Source: Different_Brian / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Year Released: 1960
• Units Sold: Over 3.5 million

The first compact car marketed by any of the Big Three American auto manufacturers, the Falcon was released in three distinct generations during its 10 years of production in North America from 1960 to 1970. The Falcon was an influential car available in a wide variety of body styles ranging from two-door sedan to four-door station wagon. North American production ended in 1970, but from 1972 to 2016 a separate Falcon was sold in Australia. 

#14: Ford Escape

Source: THEPALMER / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• Year Released: 2001
• Units Sold: Over 4 million

A compact crossover SUV sold since 2001, the Escape is sized between the smaller EdoSport and the larger Edge. The 2004 model was the first hybrid-electric vehicle from Ford. The fourth-generation Escape is available with gasoline, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid options. It’s also sold in Australia, China, and Taiwan.

#13: Ford Crown Victoria

Source: DarthArt / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Year Released: 1992
• Units Sold: Over 4.6 million

The Crown Victoria was Ford’s largest sedan, one notch above the Taurus. It’s perhaps most famous for its use as a police car; in fact, a unique model called the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor was created specifically for law enforcement use. It was also the primary car of New York’s taxi fleet for over a decade. The Crown Victoria actually shared the same chassis as the Mercury Grand Marquis and the Lincoln Town Car, both also made by Ford. It was phased out in 2012. 

#12: Ford Mondeo

Source: Shutterstock

• Year Released: 1993
• Units Sold: Over 5 million

Also called the Ford Contour from 1994 until 2000, the Mondeo was a “world car” (as the name might imply), which means that it was designed to be sold in many international markets with little changes, like the Volkswagen Beetle or Toyota Corolla. Though once sold throughout the Americas, Middle East, Asia, and Europe, today it’s only sold in China and marketing in the Middle East as the Taurus. 

#11: Ford Model A

Source: Shutterstock

• Year Released: 1927
• Units Sold: Over 5 million

Produced between 1927 and 1932, the Model A replaced another Ford icon, the Model T. Incredibly, one million were sold within two months of its release, and 4,858,644 has been made by the time production stopped five years later. The Model A ranged in price from $385 (about $6,800 today) for a roadster to $1,400 (about $2,500 today) for a town car, making it affordable to many. It also came in many styles, from coupe to cabriolet to truck, and it’s notable for being the first Ford to use standard driver controls like conventional clutch and brake pedals, throttle, and gearshift.It was also the first car to have a windshield made of safety glass. 

#10: Ford Ranger

Source: rutgervandermaar / Flickr

• Year Released: 1983
• Units Sold: Over 7 million

Introduced as a compact pickup in 1983 and reintroduced to North America as a larger mid-size pickup after an 8-year hiatus in 2018, the Ranger is the only Ford pickup that’s offered for sale outside of the Americas. It’s currently offered in the U.S. in two configurations: 2+2-door SuperCab with a 6-foot bed and a 4-door SuperCrew with a 5-foot bed. 

#9: Ford Taurus

Source: Photo By Getty Images

• Year Released: 1986
• Units Sold: Over 7 million

A hugely influential car upon its 1986 release, the Taurus was the first Ford designed and manufactured using what’s called statistical process control, which (in short) emphasizes statistical methods to ensure efficiency. Six generations of the car (which was mid-size until 2007, and then full-size until its 2019 discontinuation) were produced over the years, but it was discontinued after losing market share to Japanese mid-size sedans and with Ford’s shift towards developing SUVs. 

#8: Ford Explorer

Source: Artistic Operations / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Year Released: 1990
• Units Sold: Over 7 million

Ford’s first four-door SUV, the mid-size Explorer is slotted in size between the smaller Edge and the larger Expedition. It’s been offered in multiple chassis and powertrain layouts over the years, and the fifth generation was repackaged as a crossover SUV. Lincoln markets the sixth-generation as the Aviator. In 2020, 

#7: Ford Transit

Source: courtesy of Ford Motor Co.

• Year Released: 1965
• Units Sold: Over 8 million

True to its name, the Ford Transit is Ford’s primary light commercial vehicle. It’s available in a variety of configurations ranging from cargo vans to passenger vans. Some versions are longer with higher roofs and some are used as school buses. In 2022, Ford unveiled the battery-powered E-Transit cargo van, which alone has three body lengths, two wheelbases, three roof heights, and three chassis.

#6: Ford Mustang

Source: SvetlanaSF / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Year Released: 1964
• Units Sold: Over 10 million

One of the most iconic cars of all-time and the quintessential “muscle car,” the Mustang has been in continuous production since 1964, making it the longest-produced of all Fords. The most successful vehicle launch since the Model A, it sold 2 million units within two years of its launch. The sixth-generation Mustang has an option for a 5.0 L Coyote 435 hp V8 engine, and the seventh generation Mustang was unveiled in 2022. In 2019 the electric crossover Mustang Mach E – a completely separate model – was unveiled. 

#5: Ford Focus

Source: Ford.com

• Year Released: 1998
• Units Sold: Over 16 million

First produced in 1998 as the realization of then-CEO Alexander Trotman’s “Ford 2000” plan to globalize model development and sell one compact vehicle nationwide, the Focus was first introduced to the European market as a replacement to the Escort. It was awarded the 1999 European Car of the Year award, and the following year it was introduced in the United States. In 2022, as part of a pivot toward crossover and electric vehicles, it was announced that the Focus will be discontinued by 2025. 

#4: Ford Fiesta

Source: Heritage Images / Getty Images

• Year Released: 1976
• Units Sold: Over 16 million

A supermini icon that went through seven generations, the Fiesta was the smallest car yet made by Ford when it was unveiled in 1976. Designed to be even smaller and less expensive than the Escort (and later the Focus), it achieved worldwide popularity, especially in the UK, where it was named its best-selling car of all time in 2014. Along with the Focus, in 2022 it was announced that the car would be discontinued, and the final Fiesta left the production line in July 2023. 

#3: Ford Model T

Ford Model T (CC BY 2.0) by Greg Gjerdingen

• Year Released: 1908
• Units Sold: 16.5 million

Quite possibly the most famous and influential car of all time, the Model T was the first mass-produced automobile, the first car that was affordable to the masses, and the first car to be made via an assembly line as opposed to individual handcrafting. Named the most influential car of the 20th century in the 1999 Car of the Century competition, the Model T in many ways wasn’t just a car: it popularized auto travel by providing inexpensive transportation to the masses, was a symbol of the rising middle class, and served as a symbol of the country’s age of modernization. The Model T was the most sold car in history before being surpassed by the Volkswagen Beetle in 1972. 

#2: Ford Escort

Source: Richard-P-Long / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Year Released: 1968
• Units Sold: Over 20 million

First introduced in Europe in 1968 as a small family car, the Escort was frequently the best-selling car in Britain throughout the 80s and 90s before being phased out and replaced by the Focus starting in 1998. In the US, however, the Escort was the name of a range of cars sold from 1981 to 2003 as the direct successor to the Pinto. The Escort was the country’s top-selling car for much of the 1980s and Ford’s first world car, but in 2000 it began to be slowly replaced in North America by its next world car, the Focus. 

#1: Ford F-Series

Source: shaunl / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• Year Released: 1948
• Units Sold: Over 40 million

A line of pickup trucks manufactured by Ford since 1948, the F-Series are the best-selling Fords of all time. The full-size F-150 is larger than the midsize Ranger but smaller than the larger Super Duty, which is also included in the line. The F-150 is currently in its 14th generation, and the F-Series’ sales have been simply astronomical: it’s been the country’s best-selling pickup truck line since 1977 and its best-selling vehicle overall since 1981.