Optima, Probe, and Lucerne were all suggested.
The Ford Taurus is no longer on showroom floors. A shift towards SUVs and crossovers has led to a decline in sales for the Ford Taurus, a model that was once a foundational part of Ford’s brand. Ford ended it with the 2019 model year. We could be grieving the loss today of the Ford Integra, even though tastes change and cars go away.
Ford Authority discovered this historic nugget in Eric Taub’s Taurus, The Making of the Car that Saved Ford. The Taurus name was not supposed to make it into production. It was instead used for internal program designation. In 1982, however, it was four years before the Ford would be a success with its innovative design and sleek features. Ford and J. Walter Thompson, a marketing agency, compiled 20 names for the new sedan. Integra was included on that list along with many other names that would eventually make their way onto a Ford product.
Some names were familiar, such as the Probe, Aerostar and Orion. Others, however, never got a chance, like Logic, Entry and Destiny. Other names included Genesis and Forte. Lumina, Lucerne and Optima were also suggested, but these names were eventually adopted by other companies. None, not even Integra, polled as much as the Taurus. They say the rest is history. Honda chose to keep the name in 1985. Acura revived the nameplate for 2023.
Many automakers propose multiple names for new products. Focus groups and other testing are used to help determine the name that will be most effective. After the Ford 500 was renamed the Taurus, the name and symbol of Ford became an iconic icon. Despite the name change and the Great Recession, sales didn’t recover.