Name any great part of Ford’s storied history as an automobile manufacturer, and only a handful will come to mind immediately. We know the Mustang, the F-Series trucks, and the immortal Model T, each having etched themselves into history with its combination of innovation, performance, or cultural significance. But, beyond these popular stars, Ford has manufactured an entire legion of offbeat, local, and forgotten cars, which have also told the story of a remarkable company around the world.

Over time, Ford has tried out a vast number of concepts, from small commuter vehicles and powerful pick-ups to cars tailor-made for specific markets around the world. Some are now legendary vehicles of motorsport history, others went to their early graves with a whimper.

Each of these discarded automobiles is an indication of Ford’s willingness to venture into new spaces to fulfill particular customer demand around the globe. Whether an extremely rare Australian performance vehicle; some rudimentary early attempt at an electric car; or an outright oddball commercial vehicle; they each signify an exceptional portion of Ford’s extensive past.

1. Ford Durango: The Short-Lived Ranchero Successor

One rather peculiar and not especially successful attempt to recapture the car-based pickup idea that surfaced in the early ’80s was this: The Ford Durango. Based on Ford’s Fairmont Futura the Durant was a car-company designed response to Chevy’s hugely popular El Camino, and it was a joint effort between Ford and National Coach Products.

A Rare Ford Pickup Experiment:

• Fairmont platform created the foundation
• Built to challenge El Camino
• Passenger comfort met pickup utility
• High costs limited demand
• Production numbers remained extremely low

Plenty of transformations took place before the car ended up in customers’ driveways, the cost of those changes elevated the Durango price above that of its Chevrolet competitors. In theory it was exactly the thing people had long needed passenger car comfort with some truck’s usefulness. Customers disagreed: demand was not sufficient to guarantee continued viability. The Durango never gained critical mass and wound up a fairly fleeting exercise rather than one of Ford’s signature models.

Production only ran for a few years, from 1980-1982 with the vast majority produced for the 1981 model year. Only about a hundred, and as few as few more, have ever been made with fewer than 200, as perhaps just over 200 made, placing the Durango in one of the rarest categories of Fords. They almost exclusively end up in collector’s hands for their unusual shapes and overlooked history with Ford.

2. Ford XC Falcon Cobra: Australia’s Forgotten Muscle Special

The Challenge that birthed the Ford XC Falcon Cobra At the end of the 1970s, Ford Australia had an issue no car manufacturer would want to face. The two-door Falcon coupe variant of the XC was not proving particularly popular among buyers of performance cars, resulting in Ford sitting on several hundred ‘leftover’ car bodies in a facility. The company responded by producing the Ford XC Falcon Cobra a limited-production performance car designed to help it to sell off remaining stock and boost its racing credibility.

A Racing-Inspired Australian Muscle Icon:

• Created from unused coupe bodies
• Celebrated Ford’s Bathurst success
• Offered powerful V8 options
• Limited production increased exclusivity
• Became a collector favourite

Driving home this thought was Edsel Ford II managing director, suggesting the unused shells could be refitted to a special edition Cobra upon Ford taking victory at Bathurst. Visually the car was a striking looking sports car, blue and white paint scheme, Cobra badging and a bonnet scoop contributing to an aggressive look to the car, whilst the powerful 302 and 351 V8 engine options proved a real muscle car package for the buyers.

The gamble paid off, to Ford Australia’s surprise, with the company selling all 400 that were built; what started as an attempt to clear surplus stock quickly became one of Australia’s hottest collector cars. Even though it’s still well respected by Australian followers of Falcon, the XC Cobra remains an uncelebrated model in the broader scope of world Ford fan interest.

3. Ford Eifel: A Vehicle Designed for Germany

Ford Eifel 31-January Ford wanted a car in Germany. Ford built between 1935 and 1939 the German market a specific vehicle because of high taxes and a strict import regime foreign components became ever more costly. In reaction to this situation ford, built this vehicle more and more from local parts.

A German-Built Ford With Global Roots:

• Designed for local market demands
• Used German-sourced components
• Offered multiple body styles
• Strengthened Ford’s European presence
• Became a rare collector vehicle

Mechanical parts and aspects were shared between various vehicles in the range but the Eifel established an identity of its own by means of its extensive and varied range of body styles and was coach-worked to the specifications of well over a dozen individual German coachbuilders with variations available from regular passenger cars and commercial vans to stylish roadster versions to fulfil every customer demand.

Approximately 61,000 examples of the Eifel model were produced, and for a brief time, it served its role in bolstering Ford’s image in the fiercely contested German auto sector. Time was not kind, though, and Eifel became a fairly rare bird in Germany, with only perhaps a few hundred such vehicles (most of which still reside in Germany) remaining.

4. Ford Bantam: South Africa’s Compact Pickup Icon

It turned into one of South Africa’s biggest regional successes, a more affordable way than larger trucks to haul gear: 275,936 units produced of the small pickup that most people there just called a “bakkie.” The Bantam, a scaled-down version of the company’s compact front-drive truck that also wasn’t built for hard work, offered passenger-car driving dynamics with the useful utility of a compact cargo area and prioritized cost and fuel efficiency over towing and hauling grunt.

A Compact Pickup Built For South Africa:

• Designed around local customer needs
• Combined car comfort with utility
• Used existing Ford platforms
• Delivered affordable ownership
• Became a regional favourite

It borrowed many of the bits used in Ford’s smaller cars; primarily using front wheels driving, as had Ford’s Escort in Europe, and then Fiesta platforms to reduce production costs, while at the same time offering a ride and handling more car-like than you’d get behind the wheel of a “normal” truck. The initial launch happened in the 1980s, and it has developed the concept continuously before production ended 2011.

Although a favourite with South African buyers the Bantam continued largely unnoticed far beyond its homeland due to never being offered worldwide by Ford. With production discontinued, Ford decided against launching a direct replacement and focused its efforts on more upmarket trucks like the Ranger. As it stands, the Bantam has stood the test of time to remains a local favorite and a testament to Ford’s skills in producing vehicles for individual markets.

5. Ford Th!nk City: An Early Step Toward Electrification

Long before electrification was a significant talking point for automakers, Ford researched electric urban mobility with the Th!nk City. It purchased an electric vehicle company and rolled out the small city car from 2002 to 2003, attempting to develop an early entry into the zero-emission space, designed more as an answer for short daily commutes rather than road trip ventures.

Ford’s Early Electric Experiment:

• Developed before the EV boom
• Designed for urban commuting
• Offered zero-emission transportation
• Limited by high ownership costs
• Became an overlooked EV milestone

With top speed of roughly 62mph and a 50 mile range, it was designed for drivers city who had to contend with dense population areas and short trip requirements each day. In America it was sold with what seemed the reasonable premise it passed roadworthiness criteria and was compliant to be run on its roads but it was too dear for nearly everyone.

Sales were pretty dismal, with just over a thousand examples made, before Ford pulled the plug on it and sold off the company. It didn’t fare well under subsequent owners, tried a come-back, and then folded again, but regardless, it carved an niche for Ford in the early exploration of EVs before they were cool.

6. Ford Raider: Australia’s Forgotten SUV Experiment

Back in the early 90’s, Ford was still looking for a good place in the exploding SUV market that didn’t involve any of the risk associated with developing entire, new vehicles. One of the oddest entries in that quest was the Ford Raider, which was built only for Australia, between 1991 and 1996. You see, not only was the Raider not made by Ford; in fact it was derived from a burly, Mazda SUV that was based on their B-series pick up.

A Badge-Engineered Australian SUV:

• Developed for the Australian market
• Shared Mazda engineering foundations
• Entered the growing SUV segment
• Combined utility with off-road ability
• Remained largely unknown globally

SUVs were still relatively new in many markets at the time, and car makers often utilized partnerships and badge engineering to get vehicles onto the market rapidly. The Raider, for its part, was a relatively versatile package and brought some of the off-roading ability from Mazda while remaining a competent all-rounder for both work and recreation in Australia. Partnering with Mazda allowed Ford to get its foot in this particular automotive doorway for a low price.

And the Raider, interesting origins aside, wasn’t popular with customers and collectors, then nor since. Most of them found everyday lives on Australian roads and soon fell into obscurity and attrition. Today finding an original Ford Raider of any sort is extremely rare an intriguing, if short-lived Australian icon which really showcases Ford’s collaborations outside of the Detroit iron.

7. Ford FPV Super Pursuit: The Final Era of Australian V8 Utes

A perfect way to sign off Australia’s performance ute culture, the Ford FPV Super Pursuit was one of the very last of its kind. Launched in 2009, it put a serious emphasis on blending real-world performance with true muscle car intent. Created by Ford Performance Vehicles, the FPV Super Pursuit was one of the last hurrahs before the very end of the Australian born and bred Fords.

A Lasting Symbol Of Australian Performance:

• High-performance V8-powered ute
• Built during Ford Australia’s final era
• Competed with HSV Maloo models
• Combined utility and muscle car appeal
• Became a collector favourite

In terms of specs, the Super Pursuit offered a beast of an engine: a V8 displacing 5.4-litres and outputting no less than 422 horsepower sending power to the rear wheels to make it a lot of fun to drive. In fact, the reason for its production was to compete with Australia’s best, specifically the likes of GM Holden’s own ‘Performance Ute’, the V8-powered HSV Maloo R8, which fell into the same vehicle class.

Market forces, and changing preferences for local performance cars, however, spelt an end to the line for Australia. Ford Australia killed the line, and the Super Pursuit was among the final V8 Holden pursuers left behind by Ford for Australia but the hard-working and aggressive V8 Holden Utes are very much prized examples of Fords global efforts. Indeed, many models are approaching an age that allows for Import into newly receptive global markets.

8. Ford Vendôme: A Forgotten French Luxury Attempt

In the 1950s, Ford tried to secure a foothold in the French automotive market with an up-market alternative. Following up on the Vedette, its budget model, Ford brought out the up-market Vendme as a means of enhancing their prestige in the French market place and to provide the sort of car which might tempt an affluent buyer for an affluent buyer looking for increased refinement. It was in this mode that Ford hoped that it could start gaining more space for itself on the European luxurious car scene.

Ford’s Short-Lived French Luxury Vision:

• Created for European premium buyers
• Featured upscale styling elements
• Used a smooth V8 engine
• Faced challenging market conditions
• Became a rare Ford classic

The Vendme sported sleek styling with lots of chrome trim, plus a silky V8 engine, giving it a classier feel than more humdrum Fords. The company saw this more luxurious and upmarket design, along with better build quality, as the key to changing perceptions of their French subsidiary’s offerings. It arrived in a very harsh market in which taxes were becoming increasingly onerous and demand was weakening.

As for design and luxury aspiration: the French Ford Vendome would not meet desired sales expectations and was cancelled after just over 3000 examples. Ford ended up selling its French subsidiary to simca that also closed down the model. Today ford has its lost european chapter called Vendme at its discretion.

9. Ford GT70: The Rally Car That Never Reached Its Potential

Ford enjoys great success in rally, but arguably its most curious unfinished concept is this GT70. Envisioned in the early ’70s, the GT70 was a light, mid-engined rally car conceived for racing, of which Ford proposed to produce sufficient road cars for homologation so that it could be one of rally’s most elite contenders.

An Ambitious Rally Project That Failed:

• Designed for international rally competition
• Featured a lightweight mid-engine layout
• Faced serious development challenges
• Failed to achieve expected performance
• Replaced by the successful Escort programme

From The Archives March. The project was ambitious though, with engineers trying to build a machine that would challenge the best of the established rally names but testing out on the ground brought more issues, GT70 prototypes were poorly behaved and proved to be quite the discomfort during testing and ultimately couldn’t produce the mix of performances Ford hoped for.

Several attempts were made to improve the vehicle, including changing the engine, removing certain design features, and modifying the bodywork. Unfortunately, these updates failed to solve the underlying issues, leading Ford management to cancel the project after only a small number of prototypes were completed. The company later shifted its attention and resources toward the Escort rally programme, which became one of Ford’s greatest motorsport successes.

10. Ford F-Max: Ford’s Global Heavy-Duty Truck

While Ford’s American truck reputation is built around the F-Series pickup range, the company produces a very different type of heavy-duty vehicle for international markets. The Ford F-Max is a large cabover semi-truck developed by Ford Otosan in Turkey and sold across various European and Asian markets. Unlike the familiar North American trucks, the F-Max is designed specifically for long-distance commercial transport.

A Global Truck Built For Freight:

• Developed for international markets
• Designed for long-haul transport
• Powered by a large diesel engine
• Offers premium driver-focused features
• Explores future hydrogen technology

Power comes from a 12.7-litre diesel engine producing 493 horsepower and 1,844 lb-ft of torque, giving it the strength needed for demanding freight operations. Beyond its practical capabilities, Ford also developed premium versions such as the F-Max Select, which adds a more comfortable cabin environment, advanced technology features, and distinctive styling for long-haul drivers.

The F-Max also represents Ford’s efforts to prepare heavy transportation for future changes. Hydrogen-powered versions have been explored as part of wider efforts to reduce emissions in commercial trucking. Although it remains largely unknown among American truck enthusiasts, the F-Max demonstrates Ford’s global approach to engineering and its continued expansion beyond traditional passenger vehicles.