Ford Five Hundred may become Taurus

0 Comments | USA TODAY, February, 2007 | by Chris Woodyard

Ford Motor is hoping a familiar name will make buyers more bullish about one of its sedans.

The automaker is expected to announce today that its Five Hundred sedan, which has never caught on with customers, will be renamed for a recently retired icon, the Taurus.

Ford found that Taurus has twice the name recognition of the Five Hundred, says Dave Cole of the Center for Automotive Research.

"It's a helluva good idea," says Gerald Meyers, a management expert and former CEO of American Motors who draws a parallel with wireless providers. "It's the same as Cingular going back to AT&T. They see the value in the name."

Introduced in 1985, Taurus' jelly-bean shape made it an instant hit in the early years when it successfully competed...