Here is a interesting video I found about the original planned T-Bird replacement, that happened alongside the better known Lincoln experiments.
Does this prove that Ford of North America basically had no idea of their own inventory?
At no point was the Taurus a better machine than the Falcon and it sounds like the planned T-Bird replacement was just a 4th Gen Mustang derived thing which never needed to exist.
In 1996 they could have gone:
EL Falcon as Taurus
NL/DL Fairlane as Lincoln Mark whatever and LTD as LTD and Crown Vic.
As it is, Thunderbird 8, 9 and 10 are basically wannabe Falcon coupes.
McDoggle's have probably sold billions of Filet O'Fish and that's a hot mess of garbage. Just because a lot of thing is sold, doesn't make it good.