The best-looking Fords ever sold

Here’s our pick of the best-looking Ford models from around the world, arranged in chronological order. And please note we use the phrase ‘best-looking’ and not ‘most beautiful’; here we’re talking about cars that we reckoned that looked great considering the duty the car in question had to do. Many designers can make a low-slung coupe look great – but it’s rather harder for a SUV or family runabout. Climb aboard:

The utilitarian simplicity of the Ford Model T that went on sale in 1908 barely changed throughout the car’s long life. Its clean lines established the general layout and style of most cars to come for the next three decades with flowing wings, prominent radiator, and the engine at the front.

Loathe to spend money on unnecessary development, Ford kept the Model T as basic as it could get away with. As a result, the price came actually down during its production life and it helped Ford produce more than 15 million by the time the last T rolled off the line in 1927.

The Model A was charged with replacing the Ford Model T, so no pressure, then. Fortunately, the Model A mixed just the right level of affordability with handsome looks and rugged durability – all key elements set out by the earlier Model T.

Produced in multiple countries around the world, the Model A’s appealing lines were applied to a huge variety of body shapes including saloon, convertible, coupe, roadster, pick-up, and station wagon estate. By the time it was replaced by the Model B in 1932, the Model A had posted sales of 4.85 million and firmly entrenched Ford as a global car maker noted for good looking, low-cost cars.

The ‘V8’ name was never used by Ford in period for its Model 18, but the name stuck with customers and drivers as it summed up in an instant what engine powered this unadorned, nice looking car. It also went very well with the 221cu in (3.6-litre) V8 ‘Flathead’ motor that made this the world’s first mass production V8-powered car.

A tiny number of V8s were produced in the UK totalling 911 and there was also a V8-40 model with V-shaped radiator grille. A mark of well regarded these cars were in period is they quickly became a staple of the post-war US hot rod and custom scenes.

Taking its styling inspiration from the V8-40 that was due in 1933, Ford in Europe launched the Model Y in 1932 with clean lines and an understatedly sporting V-shaped front grille. There’s wasn’t much sporting about the 933cc straight-four engine, but that didn’t put off 157,668 people choosing the Model Y up to the end of production in 1937.

Most Model Ys were sold as the Tudor saloon which had two doors and the usual flowing wings of this era of car. If you wanted more practicality, there was the Fordor saloon, which was a pun on the ‘four door’ name, but these sold in much smaller numbers than the two-door version.

Always keen to cover as many bases as possible with its range, Ford edged into Alvis, Jaguar and Wolseley territory with its Pilot V8. The name tells you what’s under the bonnet in the form of Ford’s trusty 3.6-litre ‘Flathead’ V8, though only with a modest 85bhp.

More tempting for many buyers would be the more up to date and fuller bodywork of the Pilot. While not all-enveloping and still featuring separate headlights, the side steps running between the front and rear wings were more vestigial nods to the past to allow for a wide body and more cabin space. Pleasingly imposing, the Pilot was also offered as an estate and pick-up.

Styled by industrial designer George Walker, the 1949 Ford was a complete break from the pre-war looks from the Blue Oval. The full-width front with enclosed headlights and large central chromed torpedo in the grille were bold and innovative, especially from a volume player. 

The 1949 was a risky move by Ford but one that paid off handsomely when it was unveiled in June 1948 at a glamorous event at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City. It won the Fashion Academy Award for its styling and sales flourished as drivers flocked to buy the two- and four-door sedans, coupe, convertible, and station wagon models. All of this helped put Ford’s finances back in the black after the chaos of remodelling the firm for peacetime, and it sold 1,118,762 of the 1949 model.

Following the lead of Ford in the US, the UK arm of the company came up with the Zephyr in 1950, which shared its clean lines with the more basic Consul and higher spec Zodiac. It was one of the first saloons in the UK to move to the modern full-width front with incorporated grille and headlights, and it gave the Ford a raffish air.

These models were also notable for being the first Ford to use unitary construction rather than a separate chassis. This gave the cars better rigidity, which helped when they were used in competition such as rallying, and offered more cabin space. Ford only offered the saloon, but coachbuilders such as Abbot and Carbodies made estates and convertibles.

Ford first launched the F-Series in 1948, but it was the second-generation model of 1953 that really captured the attention and hearts of US buyers. It’s easy to see why the F-100 caught on and sold more than 100,000 vehicles in each of the three years it was on sale.

The bluff front’s tapered bonnet and chrome grille insert lend a heft to the compact pick-up, while the stepside rear gives it a more truck-like appearance. There was the useful load bed that made this ideal for the booming economy of the US in the 1950s for use in all manner of trades.

There were fewer physical manifestations of the booming US economy in the 1950s than the Ford Thunderbird that arrived in 1954. Its swoopy styling was the work of Louis D Crusoe and George Walker, but the name came from another inhouse designer, Alden Giberson, who won a competition to name the car and earned himself a $250 suit for winning.

Intended as a sports car, the Thunderbird looked the part and shared a lot of its styling identity with the Zephyr saloon already on sale in the UK. However, the Thunderbird was more of a luxury cruiser compared to Europe’s Jaguars and MGs. None of this mattered to US drivers, who loved the looks and affordable $2695 starting price. The car ushered in the personal car segment, which was to be a happy and profitable hunting ground for Detroit for the following couple of decades.

The Anglia 105E was a very different car to the one it shared a name with and replaced in 1959. Where its predecessor had ushered in the idea of full-width styling, the 105E was a touch of fins-and-flash thanks to its US-influenced appearance. The distinguishing feature of the Anglia saloon was its reverse angle rear window, which earned the car the nickname of ‘Anglebox’. 

This helped the rear screen remain clear and clean when it rained, which was become more important as faster roads opened up in Europe in the 1960s. To further cope with these quicker routes, Ford introduced the 123E version with larger 1197cc engine in 1963 with a top speed of 85mph. Ford sold more than 1 million across all Anglias of this generation.

Not the Capri that many will think of when this name is mentioned, Ford first used the title on this two-door coupe in 1961, in Europe. It was clearly inspired by the contemporary Thunderbird from the US and its scaled-down looks successfully offered fins and a pillarless window opening.

A GT version arrived in 1963 with a peppy 1498cc engine to give the Capri decent performance, but this model never took off with UK buyers. By the time Ford took the Capri off sale in 1963, a mere 18,716 had found homes, yet it’s now highly regarded by classic Ford fans.

The Galaxie name was used as a coverall for Ford’s full-size cars in the early 1960s, but the model introduced in 1964 stands out as a styling high point. To help Ford’s efforts in NASCAR racing at the time, all saloon and coupé models for this year featured a much more sloping rear window to give better aerodynamics.

With power from Ford’s excellent V8 engines, racing success followed in the US and further afield. The Galaxie also proved its worth in the showroom, where the two-door hard-top model became the best-selling Galaxie XL model ever made. Ford also built 50 special lightweight versions of the Galaxie with fibre glass bodywork and tuned 7.0-litre V8 motors for use in drag racing.

In the same year that Ford launched its pert Cortina saloon, it also scored a bullseye with the Lotus Cortina. In a project spurred on by Ford’s PR mastermind Walter Hayes, the whole point of this performance model was to win on track and on rally stages, which it did with considerable dominance in the hands of drivers such as Jim Clark and Sir John Whitmore. 

In showrooms, the Lotus Cortina was just as popular thanks to its clean looks and subtle styling upgrades to set it apart from the humble base models. Most came in white with a green flash down the flank and there were widened steel wheels, quarter bumpers, and Lotus badges. The real change was, of course, under the bonnet where the 1558cc twin-cam engine with 105bhp sat, giving a 108mph top speed. In all, Ford sold 3301 between 1963 and 1966.

Created out of a grudge against Ferrari when Ford’s attempt to buy the Italian firm were thwarted by Enzo Ferrari, the GT40 went on to win Le Mans four times. Its looks were the result of making a car suitable for this event that could sustain high speeds in a race with reliability, and Ford’s Roy Lunn worked with Eric Broadley of Lola to bring this about.

The GT40 name was arrived at due to its styling as the car sat only 40-inches high, while packing a mid-mounted V8 motor. Initially, it looked like Ford had wasted its time and money on the striking GT40 as Ferrari won Le Mans in 1964 and ’65. However, Ford was determined and went on to win the 24 Hours classic four times in a row between 1966 and 1969 with the GT40.

There are many impressive facets to the original Ford Mustang, not least that such a handsome design was developed from a concept to production car in just 18 months. This might explain why the first-generation Mustang retained such clean looks, helping it achieve sales of 100,000 cars after being on sale for only three months.

By the time in the Mustang had been around for 18 months, Ford notched up 1 million sales. This more than vindicated Ford General Manager Lee Iacocca’s faith in the project, which kicked off a dynasty that continues to this day.

Just as the Mustang had done for sports cars in the US, the Ford Bronco did the same for go-anywhere utility machines. This simple, almost box-like shape had just the right amount of detailing to make it stand out and appeal to drivers who wanted a car to commute in, and also one to head into the wilds at the weekend.

By mixing station wagon practicality, four-wheel drive off-road ability, and its own unique looks, the Bronco became the first car to be called a sports utility vehicle. The styling by McKinley Thompson was the direct result of market research by Ford into Jeep and Harvester International owners to find what they wanted from a utility vehicle. This led to three body styles: Roadster open-top, Sports Utility pick-up, and Wagon estate.

PICTURE: 1966 Ford Bronco

With a history that spanned 29 years of continuous production across three generations, there’s a Ford Capri to suit all eyes. The original 1968 model leaned heavily on the Mustang for its looks and inspiration, which was backed up with the power of the 3.0-litre V6 engine in top models.

The Mk2 Capri arrived in 1974 with cleaned up lines and a hatchback in place of the original’s boot lid. It was a hit with buyers and saw the model through to the Mk3 that took over in 1978 with its quad headlights and wraparound bumpers. Even if the basic shape was getting old in the 1980s, the Capri still sold and turned heads as the essentials were still spot on.

Ford brought in the LTD for the 1965 model year, but it was the second-generation model that pitched up in 1968 that set the tone for this line-up. It was a full-size car, which meant it was 5.7-metres long as a four-door saloon, was the largest car Ford offered in the US at the time.

The distinctive nose of this generation of LTD became even more pronounced with a mid-life update in 1971. At the same time, Ford replaced the rear lights with horizontal tail lights that were then adopted by all US models soon after.

The Ford GT70 was a tempting glimpse of what might have been for Ford if it had gone with this Ercole Spada-styled coupe. Spada already had a large catalogue of Alfa Romeo and Lancia designs to his name, so the GT70 was off to a good start.

Unlike the Capri of the time, the GT70 had a mid-engined layout that gave this two-door sports car a low-slung look, while the pop-up headlights helped emphasise the smooth, squat appearance. In a bid to prove the effectiveness of the GT70 concept, Ford took the car rallying, but this was met with little success and only six GT70 was ever made.

Ford replaced the bloated Zephyr and Zodiac with the much trimmer and more stylish (European) Granada in 1972. Base models retained the Consul name until 1975, when they all became Granadas, but each had the same restrained brand of US-influenced exterior design. Still, it was markedly more handsome than the contemporary North American Granada, with which it shared nothing apart from a name.

Alongside the very well balanced appearance of the saloon, Ford also offered the Granada as a vast estate and a two-door coupe. The second generation of Granada squared-off the looks for the 1980s, but the coupe was dropped for this version, and the third generation adopted a smooth wind-tunnel-shaped style.

It might not have been as exotic under the skin as the homologation special RS1800, but the second-generation Ford Escort RS2000 looked much more special. The simple addition of a plastic nose cone with four headlights and a lower air dam instantly lifted this fast Ford to cult status, and it’s stayed there ever since.

The new front end helped with aerodynamics, so this RS2000 could touch 110mph. In 1978, Ford offered a cheaper model with steel wheels, while the Custom version came with a plusher interior. Either way, this RS2000 was a massive sales success.

Ford had been absent from the small car market since 1967 with the demise of the Anglia, but it made a huge impact when it returned with the Fiesta in 1976. Its clean, sharp lines were just what was needed to surf the European supermini wave, and the Fiesta set about its task with glee and enormous sales.

This was Ford of Europe’s first hatchback model and they made sure the packaging made the most of the two-box exterior. Even so, Ford avoided the Fiesta looking blob-like thanks to the large glass area and front end with a slight reverse angle. Hot hatch versions followed with the XR2 and XR2i that added sporting style with simple black wheelarch extensions, front and rear spoilers, alloy wheels, and stripes.

The ‘Fox body’ Mustang was the third generation of Ford’s perennial sports car and was the longest-lived version, with a production life running from 1979 to 1994. It was the first Mustang to break away from the overall appearance of the original, preferring straight lines to curves and a pointed front end.

The earlier ‘four eyes’ front end with quad headlights gave way to an updated look in 1987 with single-piece headlights. Both have their fanbases and each was sold as a coupe, notchback, or convertible that all sold well and kept the Mustang name alive.

Ford made the radical switch from rear- front-wheel drive with third incarnation of its Escort name. It was also a much more angular design that leant itself well to the quicker versions that inevitably followed soon after. The first of these was the XR3, which stuck with a carburettor-fed 1.6-litre engine rather than the fuel-injected motor of the slightly later XR3i.

Key styling improvements for the XR3 were its black plastic rear spoiler, front air dam, colour coded bumpers, and the all-important ‘cloverleaf’ alloy wheels that told the world you were driving something special; the XR3 remains an archetype of ‘80s Britain.

If it hadn’t been for the banning of Group B rally cars, the Ford RS200 would be much better known. As it is, Ford barely had a chance to use its purpose-designed four-wheel drive car before the entire class was outlawed on safety grounds. However, its looks still stand out today to make it one of the best looking fast Fords and rally cars of its era.

With the engine mounted amidships, the RS200’s front end was low and purposeful, with bug-eye headlights. A full width air intake above the B-pillars fed cold air to the turbocharged 1.8-litre engine, which could generate up to 650bhp, while at the back was a huge integrated spoiler to keep the car stable at high speeds. This found its use when the RS200 became a star of rallycross after its rally career was cut short.

As well as boosting power of the Ford Capri’s 2.8-litre V6 to 205bhp for 0-60mph in 6.7 seconds and a 137mph maximum, Tickford didn’t stint when it came to changing the looks of Ford’s coupe. All but one of these bespoke cars were finished in white, with the other in black, and each required 200 hours of work to finish.

The Tickford Capri retained the original pepperpot alloy wheels, now painted white, but there was deep front air dam and blocked off radiator grille to improve aerodynamics. Wider wheelarches flowed into ground-hugging side skirts, and there was a huge rear spoiler to complete the looks of this hand-finished Capri.

Following the lead set by the Sierra, Ford introduced its flagbearer model with jelly mould styling in 1985. It might have been quite conventional mechanically, but the looks were divisive as traditional Ford customers took a sharp intake of breath, especially as there was now no saloon but a hatchback in its place.

A four-door saloon was later added and the Scorpio shape soon became accepted as other car makers went down a similar styling path. The Ford offered discreet comfort for mid-ranking company execs, who could also take advantage of a four-wheel drive model and ABS anti-lock brakes when such things were very rare in this class.

Is there another Ford that is so easily identified by a single styling feature than the Sierra RS Cosworth’s rear wing? Probably not and the wing was there for practical needs rather than the whimsy of a designer or marketing person. It aided downforce at high speed for motorsport, and the limited run RS500 version used an even larger version to continue the model’s dominance in touring car racing.

However, there was much more to the RS Cosworth’s looks than a wing. The front bumper was all new to channel air more cleanly over and around the car, as well as help cool the front brakes. Wheelarch extensions covered the wider wheels, and vents assisted with lowering under-bonnet temperatures generated by the turbocharged 2.0-litre engine. It was all form following function, and it worked to perfection.

The Ford Escort RS Cosworth is more of an Escort shell lowered on to the all-wheel drive platform of the Sapphire RS Cosworth. As such, it’s no surprise this more compact model used some of the cues from its predecessors such as the large rear wing, bonnet vents, and deep front bumper.

New for the Escort RS Cosworth were pumped-up wings to cope with the wider track of the Sierra platform, while at the rear the exhaust now poked out from the lower bumper. It added up to a high performance Ford that more than stood up alongside its illustrious siblings, which helped Ford shift 7000 of them in four years.

The first Ford Probe of 1988 was a slightly bland attempt to take on the Honda Prelude in the US. This led to the second generation model that arrived in 1992 with much sleeker styling and a chassis borrowed from the Mazda MX-6. Sales in Europe started in 1993 and the Probe should have become the spiritual successor to the Capri, yet buyers were keener on the rival Vauxhall Calibra even though it didn’t drive as well as the Ford.

This second-generation Probe was styled by Mimi Vandermolen, who was the first female design executive for small cars at Ford. Her instinct had been right to launch the Probe, but it smooth lines were not enough to compete with cars such as the Nissan 200SX, Toyota Celica, and Volkswagen Corrado.

Ford’s New Edge design direction had its first production outing with the city car Ka, which was based on the contemporary Fiesta platform and made it very nimble and fun to drive. It was styled by the late Chris Svensson and was quite a shock to the world at a time when Ford’s cars had rounded, conservative looks. Happily, that didn’t stop the Ka from being a runaway sales hit, helped along by keen pricing and a lithe steer.

There was a lot of clever thought in the Ka’s styling, with large bumpers that extended into the wing to make it cheaper to replace them in the event of a bash. The interior carried on with the funky design theme, but perhaps the most important thing about the Ka was it laid the groundwork for the Focus that was to follow.

Chris Svensson, working with Ian Callum, was very busy at Ford in the 1990s as he followed up the Ka city car with the Puma coupe. It was a brave move by Ford to create the Puma in the wake of the Probe’s sales flop, but the New Edge styling lent itself perfectly to this compact car.

Based on the Ford Fiesta Mk4 but with a bespoke 1.7-litre engine to begin with, the Puma hit all the right notes as a driver’s car and the styling proved spot on. It looked and felt special yet was affordable and practical, even offering four usable seats. A measure of how right the looks are is they still look fresh today.

When the all-new Focus lined up against its rivals – the Honda Civic, Vauxhall Astra, Volkswagen Golf – in 1998, Ford’s new small hatch made everything else look old hat. Here was what the company had been building towards with its New Edge design direction and it was brilliant.

The crisp styling made even the base model desirable and all Focus Mk1s had neat styling touches such as the raised rear lights to protect them from low speed bumps. Other clever ideas were the bonnet release hidden behind the Ford badge and opened using the ignition key for added security. Inside, the defined lines were continued in the shape of the dash and door panels.

It’s always a risk to revive a revered shape from a company’s history, but Ford pulled it off to perfection with the GT of 2003 – Ford’s 100th birthday present to itself. It was clearly an update of the GT40 from 40 years before, but the new GT addressed issues such as ease of access and cabin space, so this was a supercar that everyone could enjoy so long as they could afford the substantial price.

The job of styling the GT fell to Camilo Pardo under the guidance of J Mays, and the success of the design is proved by the fact it’s impossible to tell this car sits four inches taller than the GT40’s ground-hugging 40-inch roof line. Any concerns about this larger, retro-themed supercar were allayed when it recorded 4038 sales by the time it was discontinued in 2006.

Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT) took its inspiration for the Raptor from desert racing trucks. This didn’t extend just to the mechanical side as the F150 Raptor of 2009 looked like it was ready to take on the Baja dunes even when sitting on a suburban drive.

A measure of seriously SVT modified the F150 is the Raptor only uses the base car’s cab and headlights. Everywhere else, from the widened track and huge wheels to the unique wings and dash, the Raptor is a standalone model. It was originally only offered as a two-door model, but Ford relented to customer demand in 2011 with a four-door crew cab version and two subsequent generations of Raptor have followed.

The late Peter Horbury showed his usual astute judgement when he styled the original Flex concept for the 2005 Chicago Auto Show. It mixed MPV, estate and SUV elements yet the Flex emerged as its own distinct car that went into production in 2009.

The simplicity of the Flex’s appearance belie how clever it is, using straight lines to ensure maximum cabin space and excellent visibility while also hiding the car’s size. It also has a ‘floating’ roof courtesy of the black-painted pillars. There were also nods to the early ‘woodie wagon’ estates of the 1930’s with horizontal grooves running along the sides and tailgate that helped break up the expanse of bodywork.

It’s a mark of how important the Mustang is to Ford that it warrant not one but three mentions in this list. Each is very different from the others, even if this sixth-generation model has retro styling that harks back to the original 1964 car.

Ford first went down the retro track with the 2005 fifth generation model, but it really nailed the looks with this car that made its debut in late 2013. The influence of that early Mustang is obvious, both inside and out, but it’s not at the expense of a modern feel, and another new touch was the addition of right-hand drive for the first time in a Mustang, helping the model find keen new owners in the Australia, Japan, and the UK among others.

Following up the Ford GT would be no easy task, but Ford aced it with its Mk2, revealed to the world at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2015. This time power came from a twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6, but the attention was really drawn to the luscious and almost impossibly low-slung lines, a design overseen by Chris Svensson, of Ford Ka fame, its flying buttresses perhaps its most dramatic aerodynamic feature.

There have been three Ford RS generations, but it’s the third of these that arrived in 2016 that grabs out attention here. The 2002 first-gen RS was remarkably subtle in its looks, while the second in the line went possibly too far in the other direction. This makes the 2016 car the sweet spot.

To the casual passer-by, there was nothing much different about the RS, but when you looked closer there were all manner of changes to the styling. A large grille was need to feed the 345bhp engine with air, while the splitter managed the aerodynamics. At the rear, there’s a diffuser and large roof spoiler, and all of these items were there for a practical purpose rather than show. That’s what makes this RS such a good looking car as it’s all about function over form.

Bringing back the Bronco name after a 25-year lay-off was risky enough, but Ford has proved itself to be a master of the retro update. This sixth-generation model takes the 1960s original as it starting point and adds in modern touches such as the headlights and bonded glass. As part of the process of creating this renewed Bronco, Ford even scanned the chief designer’s 1976 original to act as a reference for the dimensions and shape. 

The result is a car that looks like its evolved over years rather than being brought back to life after a quarter of a century. Offered as a two- or four-door SUV, the Bronco’s roof can be removed to make it into a convertible and even the doors can be taken off to make it just like the original Roadster version.