Ford Taurus LX
The first Taurus traded boxy family-car shapes for a smooth, rounded body. Its V6 and gearbox sat sideways up front and drove the front wheels, leaving a broad cabin that could seat six.
1986 Ford Taurus LX cover · IFCAR · Public domain (PD-self)
More than a set of wheels.
Ford put the all-new Taurus on sale on December 26, 1985, after designers, engineers and manufacturing specialists developed it as one team. The rounded body, flush glass and carefully organized cabin looked startling beside many square-edged American sedans. Buyers responded: Ford sold more than 200,000 Taurus sedans and wagons in the first model year, and the car became the United States' top-selling nameplate in 1987. This profile stays with the first-year U.S. LX sedan, not the later SHO or wagon.
Look a little closer.
The Henry Ford preserves a red-and-silver 1986 Taurus LX sedan whose interior was designed by Mimi Vandermolen; the museum displays it as an example of thoughtful, people-centered design.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
A shape that reset expectations
The Taurus used a low, rounded nose, flush surfaces and an aerodynamic silhouette at a time when many American sedans still looked upright and square. The Henry Ford describes how the once-unusual shape became so influential that similar forms later seemed ordinary. Its launch on December 26, 1985, is why an apparently mid-decade car belongs to the 1986 model year.
Source: The Henry Ford — Mimi Vandermolen and the 1986 Ford Taurus ↗Designed around people
Interior designer Mimi Vandermolen pushed for controls that were logical, seats that supported different bodies and details that were easier to reach. Ford's period material also highlighted child-proof rear locks, large pedals, foot rests and service points marked in yellow. The innovation was not one gadget; it was treating everyday use as an engineering problem.
Source: Ford Motor Company — 1986 Taurus fleet brochure ↗Road-test numbers, not factory promises
Car and Driver's contemporary LX test car weighed 3,251 lb and reached 60 mph in 9.8 seconds. Its 17.4-second quarter-mile at 79 mph, 194-foot stop from 70 mph and 0.76-g skidpad result describe that magazine's particular car, tires, surface and procedure. They are useful period evidence, but they should not be presented as guaranteed performance for every Taurus.
Source: Car and Driver — Tested: 1986 Ford Taurus LX ↗Where these facts come from
- The Henry Ford — 1986 Ford Taurus LX Sedan
- The Henry Ford — Mimi Vandermolen and the 1986 Ford Taurus
- The Henry Ford — Sales Brochure for the 1986 Ford Taurus
- Ford Motor Company — 1986 Taurus fleet brochure
- Car and Driver — Tested: 1986 Ford Taurus LX
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed October 1, 2026.