How many Ford Contours were made?
About 350,000 Ford Contours were manufactured during its production run from 1995 to 2000. Ford has not published a single official global total, so estimates vary by source.
Production window and scope
The Contour was introduced for the 1995 model year and ceased production with the 2000 model year. It was built at AutoAlliance International (AAI), the Flat Rock, Michigan plant operated as a joint venture between Ford and Mazda. The Contour shared its CDW platform with the Mercury Mystique and was aimed at the North American mid-size sedan market.
Key production details are summarized below:
- Location: AutoAlliance International (AAI) in Flat Rock, Michigan — a Ford/Mazda joint venture — produced Contour and Mystique.
- Production years: 1995–2000 model years.
- Platform and design: based on Ford's Mondeo-derived CDW platform; 4-door sedan with front-wheel drive.
- Market focus: sold primarily in North America; official global tally not published by Ford.
The Contour’s run overlapped with the Mercury Mystique, and together they represented Ford’s mid-size sedan offering in the late 1990s at the Flat Rock plant.
Official records and estimates
Because Ford has not released a consolidated global production total for the Contour, automotive reference works and historians rely on plant-level records and model-year sales to estimate. The following points summarize commonly cited figures and context:
- Estimated Contour production: around 350,000 units across 1995–2000.
- Estimated Mystique production: a similar magnitude, as the two models shared the same plant and platform.
- Market distribution: the majority of output was in the United States and Canada, with export figures not widely disclosed.
These numbers are approximate and reflect publicly available production data and historical reports rather than an official, single Ford total.
Summary
In the absence of a formal global tally from Ford, the Ford Contour is typically cited as having been produced in the low-to-mid hundreds of thousands, with a commonly referenced estimate near 350,000 units during the 1995–2000 period. The model was built at the Flat Rock, Michigan plant in a Mazda-Ford joint venture, shared with the Mercury Mystique, and served as Ford’s mid-size sedan offering before being supplanted by newer designs in the early 2000s.
What years did they make the Ford Contour?
The Ford Contour was produced for the model years 1995 through 2000. It was discontinued after the 2000 model year due to declining sales.
You can watch this video to learn about the Ford Contour SVT's performance: 1mAntique TAGSYouTube · Apr 8, 2022
- Production: The car was sold in North America for a single generation, from 1995 to 2000.
- Discontinuation: Ford stopped production of the Contour after the 2000 model year, and its place in the lineup was replaced by the Ford Taurus SE and the Ford Escort.
- SVT Version: The high-performance SVT Contour was available from 1998 to 2000.
This video explains the history of the Ford Contour: 1mMy Old CarYouTube · Jan 28, 2023
When did Ford stop making the Contour?
The Ford Contour and its rebadged Mercury variant, the Mercury Mystique, are North American versions of the first-generation Ford Mondeo, marketed for model years 1995-2000 as a four-door sedan, replacing the Ford Tempo and Mercury Topaz.
Is the 1999 Ford Contour reliable?
As a whole, consumers found the vehicle's comfort and reliability to be its strongest features and styling to be its weakest. 143 out of 419 of owners (34% of them) rank the 1999 Contour five out of five stars. Overall, consumers seem aligned in their opinions of the 1999 Ford Contour.
How rare is a Ford Contour SVT?
Just 11,500 SVT Contours were made through 2000.
