Seeing incredibly well-preserved cars is still a thrill for me, even after seeing any number of low-mileage classics day in, and day out, via the internet. It’s mainly because we often convince ourselves that there’s simply no way for any other time-warp vehicles to be lurking out there, but without fail, another vehicle will show up that defies the rules of logic. In the case of a supercar, sure – you expect those to be put on ice. But a car like this 1993 Ford Taurus GL wagon with under 12,000 original miles and listed here on eBay really is unrepeatable. The seller has listed it with a no reserve auction.
The second-generation Ford Taurus was a home run for the company, taking the success from the first era of America’s mid-size sedan champion and making it just better enough to keep buyers coming in. Unlike the third generation which was by and large considered a failure for being too radical of a departure from the existing design (and too expensive), the second generation models simply evolved, and combined with increased fleet sales, the response was fantastic. In the case of the long-term owner of this Taurus wagon, he was apparently excited to acquire this exact model for the purpose of family vacations.
Curiously, the wagon only saw about 1,000 miles annually, which makes me wonder if the Ford was a third vehicle purchased expressly for long drives, or if the vision simply didn’t pan out. In a way, it reminds me of why I like old 4x4s which make it possible to take my kids on drives in the snow and over sand where other vehicles dare not go; it’s always fun to see your family get excited to use a vehicle because of the experiences they enable. The Taurus wagon is mint inside and out, and has resided in California since new, so the condition is outstanding. The interior truly looks like it was never sat in, and it comes with the iconic rear-facing third-row seat.
The familiar 3.8L V6 is under the hood, and when new, the Essex-series engine produced 140 horsepower at 3,800 RPM and 215 lb-ft of torque. This was a workhorse engine, certainly not exotic, but it got the job done. The seller notes that the full assortment of work has been done to address many years of stagnation in the family garage, including a new fuel tank, radiator, brake pads, and more, but it will still need new tires and likely a replacement fuel sender. Cars like this only come along every so often, so if a new-in-the-wrapped Taurus wagon has been on your bucket list, now’s your chance.
I’m with you Jeff. I enjoy seeing a bread and butter model which has low mileage and is in very good condition. I wonder if the bidders are thinking about it as a now-unique vehicle (for shows or occasional use), or whether they are thinking daily driver (a type of vehicle no longer available in the market).
I think it was 1992 when a hit & run driver totalled our ’78
Fairmont wagon,which I’d put a bunch of money into,with the
intention of keeping for years down the road.
We decided to buy a Taurus wagon,figuring it would be a
much better & more modern vehicle.My Wife had just one demand-
anything but Gold.
I found a ’90 wagon with very low miles that the son of the lady
who’d owned it & passed away that he’d sell for under low book value.
And,it was,of course Gold.We also got to transfer the extended warranty
for something like $25,which paid for itself.
I was less & less impressed with it the longer we had it.We sold it
two years later for $200 less than we paid for it.
That rear facing 3rd seat is
a penalty box 😲
My ex Father in law purchased a brand new 93 Taurus GL sedan, silver with a maroon interior. That was a really sharp car, especially with the red interior. That one had the 3.0 V6, he wasn’t overly satisfied with the car and had wanted a wagon anyway so at 94 he traded it in for a white with emerald green interior Sable wagon with the 3.8 L motor. That was one strong wagon and the green interior was somehow more stunning than the red one in the Taurus. I really hope colored interiors come back around someday.
These cars were considered a radical, shocking design when new. Amazing how normal they appear now.
Current bid $3k, at 11k miles someones getting a bargain. I bet painters would buy it at that price, used to always see old wagons with ladders on top and paint gear in the back.
Im a fan of the Gen 3’s wagons styling, Bet they climb in value as so few are left
Had a 94 Sable GS wagon. 3 seats 3.8 engine. Excellent car.
cool story see where it ends up. these have a following. not going to find anything like this new on the market today that’s for sure
Nice and clean 5 digit odometer so inspection is recommended before purchase
It has the original tires on it when it was new. It does not need inspection.
Ford needs to build cars like this excellent example again. These cars did compete with the Japanese. They were good cars. Why Ford’s CEO said that Ford couldn’t compete with the Japanese and lost billions making cars seems funny to me. Americans are not losers and Henry Ford built cars that put this nation on wheels. $100,000+ trucks and SUV’s is not what America needs or can afford to buy. The Taurus featured here was attractive, powerful, comfortable, reliable and affordable. We need vehicles like the Taurus again.
Ford has lost its place. Dropped cars, except Mustangs. Dropped Escape.
I was a loyal Ford guy, still enjoy my 5 speed 2014 focus. Great car.
But 95 % of last gen focuses were built with a huge failure rate dct.
Then it came out engineering told them pre production of the problems and not to sell them. They did anyway.
Bought a japan made Mazda this week, forget loyalty to ford.
I had (actually the now ex) the Sable version. (My young son called it the stable) She put 100,000 miles in 18 months on the car running to three different schools and figure skating and hockey practice and karate lessons every week day. Plus we used it for trips on the weekend. (Daughter to figure skating competition and son to Hockey games. Always ended up in 2 different directions as far as 500 miles in each direction.) When I drove it in the mountains (which is most of the roads we have) I was not kind to it and pushed hard all the time. A turbo Volvo came into my life and traded off the wagon. 186,000 when we were done with it and the only repairs were a power steering hose and 1 injector. And it was gold, angliagt! As was the Taurus wagon my sister and I bought for my mother.
The main problem with the Ford Taurus was that the transmission would blow up at around 100,000 miles. Also, whenever we see an amazingly low odometer reading, it usually indicates that the owner replaced the gauge cluster, which is an easy way to make a car look like it has low miles. In fact, my father-in-law‘s kid used to work at a used car lot where they would routinely rollback the odometer on vehicles that they sold as “low mileage“
That’s why I did a transmission service every 30k miles. (Would have been once a year. But mileage built up too fast.) They also handled very well. I had to make a very violent maneuver to avoid an idiot who pulled out in front of me when I was doing 60 mph. Traffic all around me and coming the opposite direction were diving for the shoulders. But it wasn’t needed. I stayed within the lanes. And pulled over about 1/4 mile down the road to relax for a minute. The car didn’t let me down!
replacing an instrument cluster sees like a lot of work for a plain Taurus wagon. I’m betting the mileage claim is legit
if were listed on B A T people would be crying for the date codes off the tires and driving videos. this car speaks for itself. its original 11k miles. i would bet it still smells new
We had Taurus wagons for field service cars. They didn’t hold up under those conditions. Mine was an 89. It badly needed a lumbar support and killed my back. We had a few 91’s and a plastic part in the tranny’s died before 30k. We also had a 93, that was abused and held up ok. I loved drifting mine in the rain. We had a lot of weight and destroyed the original shocks, then coil overs, then we got air shocks in some. From driving it, I could feel the the rear end in my Chevy 4×4 twisting and it was wild. Once we went to Explorer’s I could no longer drive my PU by the seat of my pants…I always wannted to thrash an SHO with a manual trans. They sounded fun.
SOLD for $8,500.
37 bids.