Ford Five Hundred
The Ford Five Hundred is a full-size automobile that was manufactured and marketed by Ford from the 2005 to 2007 model years. Deriving its nameplate from the previous "500" suffix used by Ford during the 1950s to the 1970s on its top-tier trims (Custom 500, Fairlane 500 and Galaxie 500), the Five Hundred was introduced alongside the Ford Fusion as two model lines intended to replace the Ford Taurus. Within the Ford model line, the Five Hundred was slotted between the Fusion and Crown Victoria. Within Lincoln-Mercury, the model line was marketed under a revived Mercury Montego nameplate.
| Ford Five Hundred | |
|---|---|
2005 Ford Five Hundred Limited AWD | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Ford |
| Production | July 12, 2004–April 12, 2007 |
| Model years | 2005–2007 |
| Assembly | United States: Chicago, Illinois (Chicago Assembly) |
| Designer | George Bucher (2001) J Mays |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Full-size car |
| Body style | 4-door sedan |
| Layout | Transverse, FF layout / F4 layout |
| Platform | Ford D3 platform |
| Related | Mercury Montego Ford Freestyle/Taurus X |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 3.0 L Duratec 30 V6 |
| Transmission | ZF Batavia CFT30 CVT 6-speed Aisin F21 automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 112.9 in (2,868 mm) |
| Length | 200.7 in (5,098 mm) |
| Width | 74.5 in (1,892 mm) |
| Height | 61.5 in (1,562 mm) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Ford Taurus (fourth generation) Ford Crown Victoria |
| Successor | Ford Taurus (fifth generation) |
The Five Hundred was an inaugural model of the Ford D3 platform. In several firsts for the full-size Ford line, the platform was front-wheel drive (with optional all-wheel drive), and used unibody construction; for the first time since the Model A, no V8 engine was offered. For the first time since 1978 discontinuation of the Custom 500, Ford offered two distinct full-size nameplates. The Five Hundred was produced solely as a four-door sedan, with the Ford Freestyle taking on the role of the Ford Taurus station wagon.
For 2008, Ford renamed the Five Hundred as the Ford Taurus as part of a model revision (the Montego, as the Mercury Sable), with the Freestyle becoming the Ford Taurus X. Outside of North America and South Korea, the Five Hundred nameplate remained in use until production of the generation ended after 2009.
The Five Hundred was assembled by Ford at its Chicago Assembly facility (Chicago, Illinois) alongside the Freestyle and Montego. Excluding export sales, 241,402 Ford Five Hundreds were produced.