The 3.0l Dohc Taurus Engine: a History

The 3.0L DOHC Taurus Engine: A History

When Ford released its first generation Taurus in 1985, no one could have known that in a few short years it would become the bestselling vehicle in the United States.

It started off humbly enough. Ford, in an attempt to compete with General Motors and Chrysler who had begun offering a wide array of front wheel drive vehicles, released a mid-size passenger vehicle to help the company along in its transition from Ford car engines with rear wheel drive to better, more modern Ford car engines with front wheel drive. What set this car apart though was its shape. While other cars of its time were boxy and wagon-like, the Taurus Ford was based on a rounded design model intended to improve aerodynamics and fuel efficiency.

At the time, the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standard (a vehicle pollutant restriction program by the United States government) was beginning to be applied more strictly. Along with its new fuel efficient Ford car engine, the Taurus Ford’s innovative jelly bean shape allowed it to meet the new requirement easily, as opposed to its more squared contemporaries. This avant garde contour was a catalyst that started an automobile design revolution in the United States and led to the smoother, more rounded vehicle models that roam today’s streets.

The combination of cutting edge design technology, a fresh, buyer preferred, front wheel drive Ford car engine, and an intuitive, user friendly interior made this car a smash hit. 2 million first generation Taurus Fords were sold and the car was given Motor Trend’s prestigious ‘Car of the Year’ award for 1986, as well as making Car and Driver magazine’s ‘10 Best Cars of 1986’ list. But that was just the beginning.

In 1992, after a drastic cosmetic and mechanical update—which included an upgrade of the Ford car engine in all models to V6 with automatic transmission across the board—the Taurus Ford became, by a wide margin, the official bestselling car in the...