What is the Most Famous Ford?

Ford makes history from the Model-T to the Mach-E. But, no one seems to agree on what is the most famous Ford. It truly depends on who you ask, so we did just that.

Recently Hagerty's shared 15 of TV's most famous vehicles. Ford made the list with the V8 Mustang II Cobra from Charlie's Angels. Farrah Fawcett played by Jill Monroe drove the Cobra, making it a Hollywood star. It maintained its star status well after Fawcett left the show and contest as one of the most famous Ford's among TV and 70's enthusiast.

Carlife Nation had a historical approach ranking the Model T, the Ford V8 and the Lincoln Continental in its Top 3 of most famous Ford's. The Model T, of course, “the car that started it all, marks the birth of the Ford legacy with its debut in 1908." The Model T took over the scene and remained the leader in production, “It was a car designed for ordinary people and transformed the world over the next 19 years as Ford produced over 16 million models, marking the longest production of any vehicle until 1972 when the Volkswagen Beetle took the honor.”

In second place on the Carlife list was the Ford V8. According to the Henry Ford Museum, “Ford's low-priced V-8 engine, introduced in 1932, had a difficult start. In addition to problems perfecting the engine's one-piece cast block, the Ford V-8 debuted in one of the worst years of the Great Depression. While the company routinely built more than a million cars a year in the 1920s, it wasn't until 1934 that the one millionth V-8 appeared.”

In third place was the Lincoln Continental. “Henry Ford gets credit for designing the Model T, but Henry’s oldest son, Edsel, gets credit for the 1939 Lincoln Continental. Lincoln is the luxury branch of Ford, so we feel that this milestone vehicle deserves a spot on our list. As Edsel Ford rose to prominence with his father’s company, he was inspired by vehicles in Europe that he dubbed “continental” in style with their distinctive rear-mounted spare tires, long hoods, and short trunks. With over 200 orders placed upon its debut, the Lincoln Continental signified the ultimate in worldly luxury.”

“The Ford Motor Company has been building cars since 1903. Through sheer longevity if nothing else, the carmaker is bound to have built some great ones over the decades,” according to Car and Driver. “Our top pick for the number-one Ford of all time? Did you really have to ask? Over a period of 20 years, Ford built about 16.5 million of these bare-bones, four-cylinder machines at assembly plants around the world. With the Model T, Ford really did put the world on wheels. Next they ranked the 1964 GT40, “mixing European chassis components with production-based American racing V-8s. Built to beat Ferrari at its own game.” This arguably became as Hollywood famous as the V8 Mustang II Cobra from Charlie's Angels as the story Ford vs Ferrari hit the big screen. And lastly they too ranked the 1932 V-8. ”The Model T put the world on wheels, but it’s the 65-hp ’32 V-8 that brought power and style to the people. The flathead Deuce is the eternal hot rod."

It is thrilling to be at the forefront of what we deem one of the most famous Ford's, with the F-150 Lightning. April 2022, marked the launch of the all-new, electric F-150 Lightning pickup – a milestone moment in America’s shift to electric vehicles. F-150 Lightning trucks are being built for customers across America. F-150 Lightning is the fastest-accelerating F-150 yet and the only full-size electric pickup available now with a starting price less than $40,000. Built at the ultra-modern Rouge Electric Vehicle Center within Ford’s historic Rouge Complex, F-150 Lightning is the only electric vehicle that is Built Ford Tough. Ford F-Series has been America’s best-selling truck for 45 years in a row and is second only to the iPhone in revenue among all American consumer products, according to a 2020 study.

“Today we celebrate the Model T moment for the 21st Century at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center,” said Ford Executive Chair Bill Ford. “The Rouge is where Ford perfected the moving assembly line, making it a fitting backdrop as we make history again. The stunning anticipation for F-150 Lightning is a credit to the work of our Ford engineers and designers, and the UAW team members who are building these trucks with pride.”

And finally we have to note our team strongly felt the 1965 Mustang belongs on a most famous” list. If it isnt the most famous, we were pleased to see the Hagarty's had labeled it “America's Most Popular Classic Car.” “Noting that Boomers were fast approaching car-buying age in the early 1960s and that more Americans were getting second cars,” according to Hagerty, “the folks at Ford got clever and combined the compact Falcon platform with an exciting long-hood, short-deck body. They then gave it a cool name. And then there was the media blitz. It was so huge that the ’65 Mustang became as much a piece of Americana as automotive history.” In 1965, Mustang utilized more than 100 of Ford’s existing functional patents. Those patents reflect some of the touches customers loved back then, including a rear-seat speaker and a power convertible top. Everyday conveniences we now take for granted were also involved, like Patent 3,271,540 – the origin of Ford’s self-canceling turn signal. They were reminding us yet again that whether through its vehicles, technology, or patents, Ford does make history.

What is your vote, or which of your favorite Fords got left off the list? Contact J.C. Lewis Ford today, 912.226. 0360.

Photo: ABC