In October, Ford Motor Co. rolled its last Taurus sedan.
The ramifications continue to be felt, especially by the automaker's former customers. Washington state agencies have chosen the more expensive Chevrolet Impala as a mainstay of its fleet of cars starting next year.
The agencies, who liked the Taurus, chose it ultimately because of its price. The Taurus had declined from $15,300 each in 2000 to a discounted price of $12,400 in 2007. In the past three years, the state of Washington purchased 748 Tauruses.
Also, the Taurus became a viable option for state fleets because it met a federal requirement that states buy cars capable of running on ethanol fuel. Ironically, ethanol fuel was not sold in Washington.