Branded for Life? A New Taurus Heads Upmarket†

Wall Street Journal, August 5, 2009 — The federal “Cash for Clunkers” program lured consumers out of their bunkers and into showrooms. Now, car makers need to get their cars on all those hastily assembled shopping lists—a challenge Ford Motor Co. is confronting right now with the launch of its new Taurus.

Ford is repackaging the Taurus—a brand considered so uninspired a few years ago that Ford retired it—as a technology-laden, European-style sports sedan with features normally found on luxury brands and a price tag that can push above $37,000—the lower reaches of BMW 3-series territory. It’s a risky, costly venture.

Ford's Mulally Sees a Taurus in His Future†

CEO Hopes to Revive Sedan That Once Was Best-Seller; High Price, Large Size Are Obstacles

Wall Street Journal, June 23, 2009 — Ford Motor Co. is launching a revamped Taurus this summer, a big bet by Chief Executive Alan Mulally that he can revive an ailing model that once defined the American family sedan.

In late 2006, Mr. Mulally took Ford's helm in part because of his respect for the onetime success of the Taurus. But Mr. Mulally was shocked, he said, that the company had decided to pull the plug on the brand by the time he arrived, and he quickly reversed the move.