Legend says the Thunderbird was born in October 1951 , when Ford Division general managing director Louis Crusoe visited the Paris Auto Show with styling consultant George Walker . America had a love affair with European sports cars in the early postwar days , and both men were taken by what they interpret in Paris – especially the curvy Jaguar XK-120 and GM ’s experimental two - seat LeSabre . " Why do n’t we have something like that ? " Crusoe require . " Oh , but we do ! " replied Walker – who then rush to call up Dearborn to get his scout troop break .
But like many apocryphal stories , this one is n’t on-key . Frank Hershey , who channelize the team that style the original ' 55 T - Bird , suppose Ford had been conjure two - seaters well before this , but never felt rushed to build one because sport - car gross sales only amounted to a minuscule 0.27 pct of the total U.S. market .
But in January 1953 , GM throw down a gauntlet Ford could n’t disregard : the Chevrolet Corvette . Barely a month by and by , Ford was hard at work on the automobile that would ultimately be name for the god worship by America ’s Southwest Native Americans as the bringer of rainwater and prosperity . First displayed as a wood mock - up at the Detroit show in early 1954 , the Thunderbird was a " personal " car , not a stark variation motorcar .
It ride the same wheelbase as the first - generation Corvette – 102 inches – but was far more luxurious and pragmatic . In place of creaking fiberglass and clumsy side curtains was a stalwart steel body with convenient roll - up windows .
or else of an ill - fitting easygoing top was a snug convertible top , a detachable hardtop , or both . And there was no footslog six - piston chamber engine but a burly 292 - cubic - column inch Mercury V-8 rescue 193 bhp with stickshift or 198 bhp with optional self - shift Ford - type O - Matic .
Bill Burnett supervised the engineering , which relied heavily on rider - Ford components . Styling , consider by Walker lieutenant Hershey and execute by a young Bill Boyer , could n’t have been better : simple and bland yet clearly Ford , with rakish long - cowling / short - deck of cards proportions echo the classic early-’40s Lincoln Continental .
With European style and American comfort , convenience , and go , the Thunderbird proved well - nigh resistless at just under $ 3000 without options . It whipped the rival Chevy in 1955 output by almost 24 - to-1 – 16,155 for the model yr .
You do n’t mess up with success in Detroit , and Ford did n’t with the ' 56 T - Bird . Changes were limit to a magnanimous 312 V-8 option with 215/225 bhp ( nonoverdrive stickshift cars hold the 292 , now up to 202 bhp ) , plus exterior - mounted spare ( do cries for more automobile trunk place ) , soft temporary removal ( for a fluent ride ) , and no - cost port for the hardtop ( a Boyer idea inspired by vintage coachwork ) .
Porthole hardtops heavy outsell the nonporthole kind in 1956 , and near all ' 57 Thunderbirds had them . Production ease to 15,631 , but was still five meter Corvette ’s . problem was , Robert S. McNamara , who ’d supervene upon Crusoe as head of Ford Division , wanted much eminent volume . Also , marketplace surveys indicated much great demand for a four - seater . So for 1958 and beyond , that ’s what the T - Bird would be .
The ' 57 was thus the last two - seat T - Bird – and arguably the good . A handsome lift bring a prominent bumper / grille and a longer deck of cards ( again enclosing the bare ) wear minor bladelike tailfins . There was more power than ever .
Stickshift mannikin still had a 292 , but uprated to 212 bhp , and there was now a trio of 312s offering 245 , 270 , or 285 bhp , the last being a twin - four - gun barrel version with 10.0:1 compaction . Ford also build 208 supercharged " F - Birds " with 300/340 bhp courtesy of Paxton - McCulloch blowers , mainly for hasten .
Chuck Daigh did even better in ' 56 with a T - Bird prepped by Pete DePaolo ; he did 88.779 mph in the standing geographical mile , though a ' Vette modified by Zora Arkus - Duntov prove faster ( at 89.735 miles per hour ) . Daigh returned in ' 57 to score 93.312 mph , and a in private entered T - Bird ran the flight - mile at 146.282 mph one fashion , 138.775 mph both means . Then the Automobile Manufacturers Association issue its notorious racing " ban " and development end .
With a base price still under $ 3500 for 1957 , the T - Bird stay on an attractive steal . Production ran through the end of the calendar year , so production was the highest for the three two - seater years at 21,380 .
1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 Ford Thunderbirds
As expected , the all - new Ford Thunderbird four - seater arrived for 1958 ( though Ford in short considered retaining a two - seater with updated styling ) . A dramatic intent with unibody grammatical construction ; all - helix suspension ; and a depressed , rakish stance , the second - multiplication Thunderbird rode a thickset 113 - column inch wheelbase , yet had ample interior room . Only one locomotive was uncommitted , a Modern 300 - bhp , 352 - Criminal Investigation Command large - block V-8 , link up to Ford Division ’s three - hurrying Cruise - O - Matic self - work shift transmitting , also newfangled that year .
join the intimate sofa bed was a fixed - roof hardtop that popularized the straight " formal - feel " wide - after part roofline that would soon spread throughout the Ford line – and to other car manufacturer . ( A rumored retractable hardtop like the 1957 - 59 Ford Skyliner was canceled in the conception stage . The ' 59 convertible used a similar top - stowing arrangement in that the power top fold beneath a posterior - hinge decklid . ) A new interior feature – a central control console atop the transmission burrow – would also be widely imitate .
With all this , the 1958 Thunderbird was a solid hit despite higher base damage of $ 3600-$3900 . Nearly 38,000 were build for the exemplar class , about twice as many as any of the previous two - seaters .
The ' 59s shift only in particular : a honeycomb , rather of horizontal - legal community , theme for grille ; nonfunctional hood airwave - scoop and taillight appliqué ; " bullet " moldings on the graven lower - body " bombs " ; retread Thunderbird script ; a bird allegory instead of a round allegory on hardtop degree Celsius - pillars .
Lincoln ’s vast 350 - bhp , 430 - cid V-8 , list the previous class but in all probability never instal , became a full - fledge Thunderbird pick . Owing to production over a full model class , the ' 59 bested the ' 58 at some 67,500 unit .
The 1960 edition marked the goal of the aforethought three - year " squarebird " styling cycle . Though substantially the same as its predecessor , it wore a new grille with a primary horizontal bar bisecting three upright bars in front of a hunky-dory grid , plus treble rear lamp ( replacing treble - lamp clustering ) , and detail - trim changes . engine were untouched .
Returning to U.S. production for the first time before World War II was a slew - back alloy sunroof as a newfangled hardtop selection . loudness continued climbing , reaching nearly 91,000 unit . include were 2536 limited - version hardtops with gold - color roof and other particular touches . hardtop as a whole , outsold convertible security nearly 8 - to-1 , suggest that T - Bird buyers wanted luxury first and sportiness secondly .
A new third - propagation Thunderbird bowed for 1961 on an unchanged wheelbase and would see mostly minor alteration through 1963 . Distinctive styling was highlighted by badly pointed front profiles , modest " leaf blade " tailfins , big circular taillamps ( a sometimes Ford hallmark ) , and outward - curving bodysides bereft of sheetmetal sculpturing .
There was again just one railway locomotive : Ford Division ’s newfangled 390 V-8 , a stroke 352 but delivering the same 300 horsepower . An optional great power packet offered 40 more bhp for 1962 - 63 . With modest alterations , the 390 would be the canonical Thunderbird powerplant through 1968 , link by big - city block choice beginning with ' 66 . stem prices for ' 61 remain firm at $ 4172 for the hardtop and $ 4639 for the ragtop .
Third - generation technology was conservative but sound . Ford had mull over front - wheel drive , but feel it too unorthodox for this market . Instead , applied scientist stressed character control , solid building , ride comfortableness , and minimal noise at speed . wide use of rubber bushing for the coil - spring independent front and leaf - leap rear pause made the 1961 - 63 Thunderbirds among the best - bait car of the day .
Ford Thunderbird Sports Roadster and Ford Thunderbird Landau
Two derivative Ford Thunderbird models were added for ' 62 : the Ford Thunderbird Sports Roadster and the Ford Thunderbird Landau . The former was the only production four - seat car to become a two - seater . ( Of course , there are many examples of the diametrical – including the ' 58 T - Bird . )
The Ford Thunderbird Sports Roadster was O.K. by new Ford Division chief Lee A. Iacocca largely because monger had been besieged with requests for a auto like the 1955 - 57 T - Bird . While Iacocca knew there was no significant market for anything like that , he find a semisports model could n’t suffer .
The designer most responsible for the Sports Roadster was Bud Kaufman , who grow a fibreglass tonneau to track the normal sofa bed ’s rearward seat , thus make a " two - seater . " When instal , the concealment formed twin headrest for the front seats and blended neatly with the rear deck of cards .
Kaufman overtake fitting problems so that the soft top could be raised and lowered with the tonneau in place . Completing the package were Kelsey - Hayes chrome wire wheels with smash - off hubs that dictated leave out the stock rearward cowcatcher skirts ( due to inadequate headway ) .
But stunning though it was , the Sports Roadster did n’t sell . The problem was price : ab initio $ 5439 , a hefty $ 650 above the received convertible . Ford built only 1427 of the ' 62s and just 455 of the ' 63s before canceling the model . Ford monger offered a similar tonneau and conducting wire wheels as accessories for 1964 convertibles , but these are even scarcer today .
The Landau was far more popular . At $ 4398 it cost only $ 77 more than the standard hardtop , yet birth a vinyl - covered cap with a fake landau or " S " bar on each rearward pillar , plus a jaunty interior . Despite these venial touching , vendee flocked to the Landau .
By 1966 , it was outsell the plain hardtop ; three years after that it was generating the majority of T - Bird sales . There were also 2000 object lesson of a Limited Edition 1963 Landau . Introduced in the spring of that twelvemonth , it came with a especial numbered plaque on the console , plus all - white inside , particular paint , and spinner rack covers .
Though Thunderbird production was down in these years , it stay on far higher than it had been in the two - seater days . The various aggregate for modeling year 1961 - 63 were 73,000 , 78,000 , and about 63,300 .
The open T - Bird , which describe for only 7.5 per centum of yield in ' 66 , did n’t return for ' 67 . The ' 64s set a T - Bird production phonograph recording with close-fitting to 92,500 social unit . Volume eased to around 75,000 for ' 65 , then to just over 69,000 .
Among feature introduced with this coevals were a cockpit - style rider compartment and " Silent - Flo " ventilation ( 1964 ) ; standard front - disc brakes ( 1965 ) ; full - width taillight housings , including backup lights and sequential turning signal , and a " Town " ( formal ) roofline for the Landau and hardtop ( all for ' 66 ) .
A pop appurtenance offer since 1961 was the " Swing - Away " guidance wheel . With the transmission in Park , it could be stir about 10 inch inboard to help number one wood entrance / way out . The 300 - bhp 390 remain the only engine through 1965 , after which it gained 15 H.P. , plus an alternative 428 - Criminal Investigation Command big - occlusion selection rated at 345 bhp .
The pros and bunko of offering a Thunderbird sedan were debated by Ford officials throughout the ' 60s . By middecade , Iacocca was slaked that jazzy - car buyers were being ply to by other Fords – namely the new Mustang and an attractive raiment of Falcons and Fairlanes . Market study indicated that the T - Bird , now securely entrenched as a personal - luxury motorcar , no longer take even a semisporting mental image .
Reflecting this ending was a altogether restyled chemical group of 1967 Thunderbirds headline by a raw $ 4825 four - door Lev Davidovich Landau on a 117.2 - inch wheelbase . The hardtop and two - door Landau continued on a 114.7 - inch duad , priced at $ 4600/$4700 . Front ends featured a handsome recessed loop-the-loop grille with honeycomb insert , plus headlamps covered by matching flip - up sections ; a hefty bumper wrap underneath . Rear - fourth windows on two - doors now retract horizontally into the roof pillar . engine were unaltered .
This fifth - coevals serial would continue through 1971 despite sales event that trend mostly down as cost give way upwards ( hand $ 5500 for the ' 71 four - door ) . The Landau saloon was n’t very virtual – especially its backside - hinged back doors , a throwback to the ' 30s – and it declined from almost 25,000 sale for ' 67 to just over 8400 by 1970 . Volume as a whole sank from 78,000 to just above 49,000 for ' 69 , then recovered to just over 50,000 .
Styling changes were modest through decennary ’s close . The ' 68s gauge narrowed cradle moldings and an eggcrate grill pattern . For ' 69 , the grille was compose of horizontal louvers and three vertical divider , the full - breadth taillamp corps de ballet gave room to divide unit , and rearward - quarter windows were eliminated on the Landau coupe . Returning for the first time since 1960 was a slue sunroof , albeit electrically go , as an option for any vinyl - top model .
1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976 Ford Thunderbirds
In its first loss from a three - yr design cycle , the Ford Thunderbird get a heavy rhytidoplasty of its ' 67 casing for 1970 , tag by a more - spectacular thrust - forward snout . wireless feeler and windshield wipers were fresh hold back ( the latter via an lengthened hoodlum ) and two - room access models had a " faster " roofline .
The customary three - model lineup returned for ' 71 with rack covers , grille insert , and pocket-sized lop the only rescript . However , two - doorway Landaus were newly uncommitted sans the dummy S - barroom ( a T - Bird emblem exchange ) .
full-grown - block V-8s were the order of the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. but very mildly tune , the T - Bird no longer sustain a performance image to continue . For 1968 , the optional 428 gave agency to Ford ’s new 429 . denounce at 360 bhp , it was more easily adaptable to the new emissions monetary standard that took effect that year . It would be received T - Bird power from 1969 through 1973 .
The plain coupe and behind - selling saloon were shake off , leave a single Lev Davidovich Landau hardtop to partake in basic structure with that twelvemonth ’s new Continental Mark IV . Besides list monetary value set out around $ 5300 , some $ 2500 below Lincoln , a with child selling point for this cock-a-hoop T - Bird was a plusher - equitation , fresh all - coil interruption with four - saloon - link location for the alive rear axle .
Not surprisingly , outstanding size and weighting conspire with more - restrictive emission tuning to hurt both performance and saving . This explains why a second railway locomotive option returned : the freehanded Lincoln 460 - cid V-8 , though it was hardly more hefty than the still - stock 429 : 224 bhp versus 212 , both in newly forbid SAE final measuring . Either direction , the ' 72 T - Bird needed 12 seconds for the 0 - 60 mph dash and returned a dismal 11 - 12 mpg of increasingly more - expensive gas .
Yet buyers apparently did n’t wish . Perhaps because of its close similarity with the honored Mark , the ' 72 posted a hefty 60 - pct gross revenue gain , followed by over 87,000 for ' 73 – the T - Bird ’s third - best yearly total yet . Then add up the Middle East oil embargo , which put a fully grown ding in big - car sales .
Thunderbird was no exception , dropping below 59,000 for ' 74 , then to just under 43,000 for ' 75 . The last of this generation , the ' 76 , manage a slight recovery – to near 53,000 – mainly because the economy had mostly recovered from the 1973 - 74 flatulency crisis . Yet if these figure were disheartening to Ford , the Thunderbird at least maintained a square confidential information over its Buick Riviera and Oldsmobile Toronado contender .
comparatively few change attend the heavyweight 6th - coevals T - Bird . Union bumper standard charter force for 1973 , which meant withstanding a five - mph head-on impact ( and a five - mph rear electrical shunt for ' 74s ) without price to guard - refer components . The Thunderbird met this requisite with bigger bumper that only aggravated its weight trouble .
Styling change involved headlight coiffe in square chrome bezel , a gaudy eggcrate instead of horizontal bars for the grille , a endure - up hood ornament , and , or else of dummy Lev Davidovich Landau irons , optional " opera " window – contrived little oblong panes in the still ultrawide rearward - cap mainstay .
The ' 74 had to be the least pleasant of all thunderbird to live with . The notorious , brusque - lived seatbelt interlock system , mandated by the feds , impel whip in anything on the good front tail end – even a bag of groceries – before the car could be started . Heftier rear bumper added to overall length with no gain in national space .
With weight up and emission measure stricter , the whopping Lincoln 460 - cid V-8 with 220 bhp became standard that twelvemonth , along with vinyl radical roof , opera windows , firm - body politic ignition , AM radio , air conditioning , power windows , and tint chalk . There were eight sport of metalflake paint uncommitted , and a glass moonroof appeared as an optional option to the sword sunshine-roof .
apart from details , such as segmented rear lamp for 1974 , this series saw few coming into court changes after ' 73 . Emissions tuning continued to strangle the big 460 - cid V-8 . value horsepower was 218/202 for 1975 - 76 – ridiculously low for such a big engine , and this despite the adoption of the catalytic converter .
Ford blend in all - out to promote the ' 75 as " the best lavishness car steal , " trumpeting " new softness , novel ease , with sizeable room for six … productive , lavish fabrics … 24 - oz . cut - pile carpeting … woodtone appliqués . " More - practical options included four - roulette wheel disc bracken ( useable since ' 72 ) , " Sure - Track " antilock braking system ( ditto ) , and a fuel - monitor warning light . The last was really need , because these T - Birds were among the thirstiest cars ever seen from Dearborn .
Ford had long since become a master at keep pastime alive in an aging example via special editions , and the mid-’70s Thunderbird offered its percentage . An optional gold - tint moonroof was announce at mid-1974 , along with Burgundy and White - and - Gold Luxury Groups color - describe to a fare - thee - well inside and out .
Copper and Silver Luxury Groups supercede them for ' 75 , each offering velour or leather upholstery ; a Jade LG was added in April . All of these wore a cushiony vinyl rearward half - roof with opera house windows , the latter being edit when a moonroof was specified . The ' 76 LGs were Creme - and - Gold , Bordeaux , and " Lipstick . " The last was far less flash than its name implied .
1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 Ford Thunderbirds
For 1977 , the Ford Thunderbird marked a first in its history by being smaller than it was the class before . This " downsized " model was nothing more than a fresh derivative of Ford ’s live mid - size political program as hint by the 1974 - 76 Gran Torino Elite , which tested whether the world would accept a Thunderbird sized like Chevy ’s Monte Carlo . Though the Elite had sold quite well , this " new " T - Bird would put it in the tad .
Compared to the 1972 - 76 models , the ' 77 was lighter and more - frugal , ruminate big step-down in almost every property : nigh 10 in in overall length , 6.4 inches in wheelbase ( to 114 ) , three inches in width , and up to 900 pounds of " route - embrace weight . " There were big reductions in Mary Leontyne Price , too : some $ 2700 for the base model , which now start out at just over $ 5000 .
Of course , the sure-enough big - blocks were gone . Standard force was now a 130 - bhp interlingual rendition of the trusty 302 - Criminal Investigation Command V-8 – except for California , where only a 135 - bhp 351 was sold . Optional was a 400 - cid V-8 , rated at 173 bhp for ' 77 and 166 bhp the following twelvemonth , after which it was offset .
Downsizing the T - Bird this means was expedient give that Washington ’s new corporate average fuel economy standard ( CAFE ) would be in force for 1978 . But it was that much low price and the Thunderbird name that institutionalise gross revenue surge ; better fuel efficiency was simply sequent . T - Bird thus enjoyed 300,000 - social unit years for 1977 and ' 78 , better than three times the previous exemplary - year record countersink in distant 1960 . And it well outsold sibling LTD II despite fewer mannequin choices .
Though the 1977 simulation was diminished and less - singular than previous T - Birds , it had many of the same style overtone and cheeky trimming feeling . Prices before long started climbing to where they had been . January 1977 bring a fresh top - pedigree Town Landau with a near $ 8000 radical price and legion standard opulence , plus a in question sweep - aluminium " tiara " roof stripe ring the old mid-’50s Crown Victoria .
There was little change for 1978 , but a Diamond Jubilee edition was come forth to mark Ford Motor Company ’s seventy-fifth anniversary . chase after at tight to $ 10,000 , it was painted in Diamond Blue or Ember metallics and amount with the owner ’s initials near the outside door handles and on a 22 - carat - gold splashboard nameplate .
This parcel proved so popular that Ford retained it for 1979 as the Heritage , fetch up in either special maroon or light blue . There were few other changes that twelvemonth except for volume , which was down again but scarcely big at about 284,000 units .
Thunderbird was further downsize , and in much the same manner , for 1980 . Instead of an average , its foundation this time was a powder compact , the pragmatic " Fox " political program develop for the 1978 Ford Fairmont / Mercury Zephyr .
But the size of it reductions for this eighth multiplication were just as striking as they ’d been for the 7th : 16 in in overall distance , 4.5 inches in width , 5.6 column inch in wheelbase ( now 108.4 ) . Next to the ' 76 , the 1980 looked positively tiny : two foot shorter , eight inch narrow , a ft less between wheel centers , and virtually a ton lighter . Yet it was no less well-heeled or deluxe than its quick predecessors .
The adoption of the Fox platform returned Thunderbird from body - on - physical body to unitized building for the first time since 1966 , which contributed to both weighting efficiency and home - space utilisation . The interior go opulence and convenience , and a fragmented front - bench seat , pail , and purpose - designed Recaro bucket seats were all available .
The 302 V-8 , now rat at 131 bhp , shifted to the options editorial and its debored 255 - cid congener moved in as standard with 115 bhp . At mid - model twelvemonth , Ford made its 200 - cid six uncommitted as a credit selection , the first six in Thunderbird story .
Other 1980 development included a new four - pep pill over - labour automatic transmission , provide the traditional economy welfare of OD without the dogfight of shifting ; stand - and - pinion steering , for precision unsung in previous T - Birds ; and the all - coil respite system so well - proven in the Fairmont / Zephyr .
A midyear offering expected in that 25th Thunderbird year was a Silver Anniversary limited , again featuring a tiara roof appliqué plus a standard 302 , the overdrive automatic , and gray - and - silver gray upholstery with complementing paintwork .
This more - efficient T - Bird should have sell well , but the market turned sour as another energy crisis began in later ' 79 ; then too , the boxy , overdecorated 1980 styling did not appeal to possible buyers . As a result , production slew below 157,000 , then dropped by 50 percent a twelvemonth for the 1981s and ' 82s .
1983, 1984, 1985, 1986 Ford Thunderbirds
assistance was on the way for the Ford Thunderbird for ' 83 in the form of a sensational Modern 9th - propagation T - Bird that announced a raw direction for Dearborn styling : the clean , no - frills " aero spirit . " Though still build on the faithful Fox platform , the ' 83 utilize a fresh 104 - column inch - wheelbase " S - shield " whose rounded " organic " shape jockey the wind with a rakish 60 - degree windshield angle and a three - in reducing in overall width , keep down the drag coefficient to a foxy 0.35 . The only shadow of recent Thunderbirds was a modest eggcrate lattice arc snugly on the olfactory organ .
The startlingly different and well-favoured 1983 T - Bird arrive in base and upmarket Heritage example with a pick of Ford ’s Al - drumhead 232 - Criminal Investigation Command " Essex " V-6 or an every bit new 140 - bhp , 302 - Criminal Investigation Command V-8 with single - point fuel shot . But the veridical surprise occur at mid - exemplary twelvemonth with the Turbo Coupe , the sportiest Thunderbird in 20 years .
As the name implied , it bear a reengineered 142 - bhp version of Mustang ’s 2.3 - cubic decimetre turbo - four from recent Mustangs , now with port fuel shot among legion improvements . Initially , it linked exclusively to a five - speed overdrive manual gearbox . A standard handling package , optional for other ' 83s , brought high - pace natural spring and shock ; a 2nd pair of rearward seismic disturbance , horizontally mounted to resist axle spiel ( Ford term this " Quadra - Trac " ) ; " Traction - Lok " modified - shimmy differential ; and beefy performance radials on freehanded atomic number 13 wheels . fill in this enthusiasts ' Thunderbird were smutty exterior moldings , fog lamp , and a well - furnished interior with shapely multiadjustable front bucketful seats featuring variable thigh and lumbar support .
Roundly applauded by " buff books " and evenConsumer Guide ® , the Turbo Coupe was a mo crude mechanically , but the most - roadable T - Bird anyone could remember . It was quick , too : 0 - 60 miles per hour took 9.6 seconds . Yet it could return an honest 23 mpg in metropolis / suburban driving – impressive for a 3000 - pound luxury midsize . Workmanship was also better than anyone could echo ( or dared to ) . All the ' 83s were tight and self-coloured , soundly detailed , and beautifully finish .
Buyers were quick to recognize the excellence of what Ford had work , photograph up nearly 122,000 of the 1983 T - Birds – a sensational 250 percentage gain over demoralise 1982 - model sales . The Turbo Coupe made up only about 10 percent of Thunderbird sale but , as T - Birds always have , entice many hoi polloi into showrooms who left in one of the tame edition or another Ford model .
Indeed , the marketplace was tight draw out of its former decennium slump , and T - Bird shared in the renewed successfulness with some 170,500 sales event for 1984 . Changes that twelvemonth were small but useful . The V-6 discarded its carburettor for throttle - consistency injection that give a fragile power addition , and both it and the 302 V-8 took on Ford ’s EEC - IV electronic control organization , as already used on the Turbo Coupe engine .
The Turbo Coupe itself was unchanged save fresh available three - speed robotic transmittal . Heritage was rename Elan , and a new Fila " designer " modeling was added with special colors and trim inspire by the Italian sportswear Lord .
More refinements followed for ' 85 : altered grille texture , full - width wraparound taillamps , counterbalanced strong-armer ( thus banishing a cheap , ill at ease airscrew - rod ) , restyled dash with new fully electronic orchestration ( one of the more - informative and legible such setups ) and all-inclusive standard tire ( meaty 225/60VR-15s on Turbo Coupe , 205/70 - 14s elsewhere ) . mannikin - yr volume remain good for you at close to 152,000 .
The ' 86 human body was even better , ruminate the fact that it was one of Detroit ’s strongest sales years of the decade . The Fila model was drop , but sequential - embrasure injection and friction - reducing internal modification lifted the 302 V-8 to 150 bhp . A baron moonroof was newly optional .
Gas was again cheap , so the V-8 was ordered in the bulk of that year ’s nearly 164,000 Thunderbirds in venom of its so - so 20 - mpg thirstiness . heady use of the options tabloid made it possible to order the V-8 with most Turbo Coupe features . Many vendee did just that , enjoying more - relaxed performance and far greater refinement . Even in the late ' eighty , there was still no substitute for three-dimensional inches .
recognize this trend , Ford issued a rearranged group of ' 87 Thunderbirds with all - new sheetmetal . The reskin did n’t much alteration silhouette , but did make a slick car look even slicker . Glass orbit were larger ( though not the actual window gap ) and both headlamps and side spyglass were fully flush - climb on to further bring down air drag .
The Turbo Coupe wore duplicate operable hood scoop behind a unique grilleless nozzle . Other models exhibit a rather loud chrome eggcrate between the headlamps . Replacing Elan were two new offerings : luxury LX and the Sport .
The latter unite the V-8 with a Turbo Coupe - way physical body , inside and exterior , but was otherwise fit like the base T - Bird . At just over $ 15,000 , it cost some $ 1800 less than a Turbo Coupe , which made it a rattling operation steal – second only perhaps to the Mustang GT .
1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 Ford Thunderbirds
The ' 87 Ford Thunderbirds had mechanically skillful and equipment advance aplenty . The Turbo Coupe acquired the intercooled four of the recently set off Mustang SVO , here grass at 190 bhp . Even more laudable were its new standard four - wheel disc brakes with electronic antilock mastery ( developed with the German Alfred Teves company ) , plus a new variable - rate jolt - absorber system ( call Automatic Ride Control ) and standard 225/60VR16 unidirectional performance tyre .
Air conditioning and tinted glass were standard across the control board , and the overdrive automatic took over alone for the less - effective three - speed demon . Yet for all this , mass dipped , sinking to near 128,000 .
The same card – V-6 cornerstone and LX , V-8 Sport and four - cylinder Turbo Coupe – sell middling better for ' 88 : over 147,000 . The V-6 was heavily revised , gaining 20 HP via multi - point injectant , plus a " balancer " shaft mount in the vee between cylinder banks to help oneself quell secondary vibrations . Turbo Coupe appointments were slightly upgraded , and the Sport changed from digital / graphic to analog gauges as standard .
A striking novel tenth - generation T - Bird was Ford ’s braggy attractive feature for 1989 . And raw it was : smoother , more or less wider and lower , and nearly 3.5 inch myopic on a wheelbase stretched to 113 inch – longer than that of even the pontifical early-’70s railroad car . Overall appearance remind some of BMW ’s classic 6 - serial coupe , but it nevertheless grapple to be distinctively Ford – turn up , perhaps , that the ' 83 T - Bird and the equally striking ' 86 Taurus sedan were n’t flukes after all .
amazingly , both the V-8 and turbo - four were last , exchange by a brace of rework 232 V-6s . The familiar 140 - bhp unit with sequential - larboard shot continued in the nucleotide Thunderbird and luxury LX , offered only with automatic . But all eyes were on the red-hot young Super Coupe with a supercharged and intercooled 210 - bhp V-6 , team with stock five - focal ratio manual of arms ( automatic was optional ) .
The locomotive engine - drive supercharger was a ' 30s idea which delight a revival at several European and Japanese carmaker . With the Super Coupe , Ford joined them in offering its well - love advantages over the exhaust - driven turbocharger – mainly fluid , more - reformist power delivery at a slender ritual killing in noise and efficiency .
build engineering was every bit raw . Though the front pause retain MacPherson - style coil - over - shock units , geometry now involve an A - branch atop each prance and a transversal sleeve at the base connected by a long , sickle - mould member integrate with the hub carrier . Rear abeyance was full independent – a first for Thunderbird – and quite compact with varying - pace coil springs sandwiched between an upper lateral link and a wide total heat - shaped lower penis .
erect shocks rode in the lead of the hub carriers . Steering remain power rack - and - pennon , but with new amphetamine - raw variable aid as standard . Though base and LX carried front - disc / rear - drum business leader brakes , they offered the Super Coupe ’s all - disk ABS system of rules as a first - time option . The Super Coupe itself came with a more - sophisticated version of the Turbo Coupe ’s electronic variable - damping organization .
Inside the ' 89s was a logically ordered , very " Euro - looking " instrument panel with digital / in writing or analogue instruments ( the latter standard on Super Coupe ) . Maintaining tradition was a functional centre console on all example .
But no auto is gross , and the ' 89 T - Birds ended up much too threatening in the opinion of many critics : a lower limit of 3500 pound . As a final result , an unblown LX took a sluggish 10.4 seconds inConsumer Guide ® ’s 0 - 60 examination . The magazine ’s five - speed Super Coupe was far livelier at just 7.8 , but would have been faster still without so many extra pounds . The ' 89 also ended up room over budget , prompting Ford to fire some development locomotive engineer .
More disturbing for an all - new model , product dropped again . The ' 89 totality was below 115,000 , and the little - changed 1990 models were 1000 units under that . Higher monetary value doubtless played a part : some $ 15,000 for the base 1990 model , over $ 20,000 for the Super Coupe . The rich new interior recessional that began in 1990 did n’t help . Still , those production numbers were respectable give a worsening economic system and a far more crowded luxury - public presentation landing field .
T - Bird volume became even less respectable for ' 91 , then sank to just under 78,000 for model - class ' 92 before call on up again along with the thriftiness . Only one notable change occurred : the restitution of V-8 power as a 1991 option for base and LX models . It was the conversant pushrod 5.0 - liter last offer for 1988 , but it now made 200 bhp , 45 more than before .
On the other manus , that was 25 less than the same engine in a ' 91 Mustang or Lincoln Mark VII , the upshot of a more - restrictive exhaust system system . Still , the V-8 was welcome , being slow , but less - thirsty , than the supercharged V-6 , and it promptly accounted for the bulk of T - Bird gross revenue . Two minor ' 91 improvements call for automatic mood control as a fresh linewide alternative and availability of the Super Coupe ’s analog gauges for base and LX .
1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 Ford Thunderbirds
Expanding the 1992 Ford Thunderbird batting order was a revived Sport model . This clip , it was a slightly detrimmed Super Coupe with the V-8 and narrower tire ( but on alone alloy wheels ) . The damage was attractive at $ 18,611 , a good $ 3500 below that year ’s blown Thunderbird . All ' 92s wear down full - width taillamps nestled under a reshaped " gullwing " trunklid , and both the Sport and LX adopted the Super Coupe ’s distinctive aero front - bumper and driving lamps as received equipment .
Only the LX and Super Coupe returned for ' 93 . The former lose a few received falderol to undercut the previous base model by over $ 500 . It was all for sales , of course , and it work , T - Bird poser - twelvemonth volume nearly doubling to over 133,000 . To no one ’s surprisal , the immense majority were LXs .
The Super Coupe was lowered a nominal $ 16 that year , which only underscored how good a time value it was at $ 22,030 to lead off . But affordable luxury was now overwhelmingly prefer to high-pitched - tech potency , and the Super Coupe preserve to decline as a per centum of total T - Bird sales .
The LX and Super Coupe looked nearly indistinguishable for 1994 , when a seasonably freshening occurred , starting with a venial facelift announced by large oval cutouts in the front bumper . The dash was revised to contain a passenger atmosphere bag . Dual cupholders were added , too , but electronic gauge were deleted .
The big word was in the engine way . intragroup change boosted the blown V-6 to 230 bhp , a profit of 20 , while the LX switch over optional V-8s , ditch the pushrod 5.0 - liter for Ford ’s young 4.6 - cubic decimeter " modular " social unit with individual overhead camshaft .
Reduced V-8 displacement implied decoct V-8 torque . surely enough , the 4.6 made 10 fewer Irish pound - metrical unit than the 5.0 , 265 in all , though it did bring a tokenish gain of five H.P. . It did not , however , bring a detectable melioration in smoothness or quietness , and performance was predictably little change , Consumer Guide ® clock 0 - 60 mph in a decent 8.8 seconds .
Like the one-time V-8 , the new one teamed alone with four - speed automatic , which get ahead an overdrive lockout push ( to give dependable around - township operation at the equipment driver ’s circumspection ) and electronic shift ascendency . The latter was detectable , but mostly in the negative , as it made some chemise slur , others sharp , and both often late .
Despite such fumbles , Thunderbird production eased only a little for ' 94 , send away some 7000 units to just over 126,000 . Continued belligerent pricing for certain help stanch the red ink in a rougher - than - ever marketplace where buyers often " grouchy - shopped " the T - Bird against opulence sedan .
In that light , the $ 22,240 Super Coupe looked an even better buy in luxury - performance , its base terms having mount only $ 2400 over five role model years . The LX was up to $ 16,830 , less than $ 1900 higher than the less - well - equipped base good example of 1990 . Unfortunately , the canonic ' 89 pattern was showing its age , and little was done to freshen it in ' 95 . Sales continued to worsen . Even new bumper fascias front and rear , headlight , cowling and taillamp clustering , and glint plugs vouch to last 100,000 miles could n’t spark off much interest from the world .
If the picture was bleak in ' 96 , it spring up positively grim when the ' 97 T - Birds were introduced . The only change of any consequence was the deletion of two gauges from the instrument panel . Rumors swirled through the industriousness that a new T - Bird was imminent , perhaps a smaller , lighter gondola with front - wheel drive . Such speculation certainly did n’t facilitate trader shift their remaining ' 97s .
And then there were none – except in NASCAR Winston Cup racing , where the Thunderbird had been Ford ’s warrior since the early 1980s . It remain so in ' 98 , as teams were reserve to race ' 97 - incarnate automobile for one last season while Ford developed a fresh racer . ( It happen as a two - door Taurus , a mythical beast with no showroom twin . )
As for the rumored front - campaign T - Bird , the melodic theme was plain given serious consideration , said Ford insiders , but the railroad car itself go forth for 1999 as a minuscule new Mercury Cougar , a sporty front - cause coupe spinoff of the compact Ford Contour / Mercury Mystique sedans .
2000, 2001 Ford Thunderbirds
As it turned out , the Ford Thunderbird was only on holiday . Even while diary keeper were writing obituaries , Ford was end up up an all - new T - Bird – a two - seater in the mold of the Greco-Roman master .
To hold down cost , it was planned for a modify reading of Ford ’s newfangled rear - roulette wheel - drive DEW98 incorporated platform , determine to premier beneath Lincoln ’s 2000 LS sedan and a companion S - eccentric four - room access from Ford - possess Jaguar . moderate new - T - Bird development were ware planner Rich Kisler , engineer Don Werneke , and Ted Finney , chief designer for all of Dearborn ’s " bombastic / sumptuousness " rearward - rack - driveway cars .
Styling , supervise by Dave Turner and Ford design VP Jack Telnack , turn down both a white - sheet approach and a near - copy of 1955 - 57 for what Ford call a " modern inheritance " look . Everyone else foretell it " retro , " but it worked , reimagining the original two - seaters in a contemporary way .
The design come together quickly , and the new T - Bird was all but finished by the clock time Telnack retired in previous 1997 . But Telnack ’s successor , J Mays , a wunderkind inscribe from Volkswagen / Audi , was n’t exclusively happy with what he base , and allegedly did a short tweaking .
The end event broke cover in January 1999 as a " concept " at the Detroit Auto Show . Though Ford officials were demure about output , the shiny railroad car on the turntable face suspiciously showroom - ready , so few were surprised a lilliputian over a year later when Ford support plans to put it on sales agreement in 2001 as an early ' 02 model . Soon afterward , and with deposits in bridge player from many eager customers , Ford announced that its Wixom , Michigan , industrial plant would turn out Job 1 at the end of July .
It was all part of a planned , prolong rollout intended to build up buzz for the new T - Bird . So , too , was giving Neiman Marcus customers a dead reckoning at 200 rise copies . In an agreement with the sumptuousness - goodness retail merchant , Ford presented a special black - and - silver NM Edition in August 2000 , fittingly at the 50th one-year staging of the tony Concours d’Elegance Graeco-Roman - car fest in Pebble Beach , California . Listed in the depot ’s " Christmas Book " at $ 41,995 , the NM special was offered for sales agreement on September 23 , 2000 . All 200 were click up in a phone blitzkrieg lasting just a little over two hours .
Regular delivery did n’t begin until September 2001 , stay by unforeseen problems that had cropped up in preproduction . Cooling - system and other woes required substitute components that had been thought satisfactory . This was another fateful centre for Dearborn ’s paradigm , coming after the Explorer / Firestone tyre debacle and a roseola of callback involve former examples of Ford ’s Focus subcompact . Fortunately , the T - Bird bug were squashed with sightly dispatch , and full yield commence in autumn 2001 .
Essentially , the new T - Bird was a truncated Lincoln LS with a convertible torso . Wheelbase was trimmed 7.3 inches to 107.2 , though that was more than five inches longer than the 1955 - 57 dimension . The new two - seater also extend 11 inches longer overall than the original and was about an inch wider but no taller .
It was much heavier , though , by a whopping 744 pounds , weighing nearly 3600 at the curb . But some of that shine much stiff unibody construction ( versus the onetime soundbox - on - chassis ) , plus built - in " crumple zones , " airbags , and other modern safety machine musts unimaginable in the ' 50s .
Interestingly , all of the physical structure panels , save the rear fenders , were made of sheet - molding - chemical compound credit card . Any weight savings these panels provided was at least partly offset by steel underbody bracing , deemed necessary for rigidness .
There was only one powertrain , with a 3.9 - liter/240 - Criminal Investigation Command twincam V-8 sending 292 bhp through a five - speed automatic transmission . Both came from the LS , as did the basic all - sovereign curlicue - spring break with twin A - arm at each destruction , plus rear toe - control links . Brakes were four - wheel discs with antilock mastery nestled within 17 - column inch alloy wheel . The dashboard was another Lincoln elevator , though customized for the T - Bird with turquoise bore acerate leaf .
For full - on nostalgia , an redundant $ 600-$800 put body - color stress on the nates , essence console , door dialog box , lower dash , even the received tilt / telescope steering wheel . Another " happy day " echo was the $ 2500 detachable hardtop , complete with rear - quarter porthole windows . It weigh 83 Lebanese pound and thus unremarkably carry two people to bring off , but come in with a tube - inning single-foot for safe above - base depot . Per custom , the cloth ceiling folded electrically beneath a airlift - up natural covering behind the cockpit .
2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 Ford Thunderbirds
Initial reviews of the new Ford Thunderbird were largely incontrovertible . Some taller examiner felt the cockpit a bit tight , and rough roads could induce unwanted body flex and bonnet shake . The big squawk was lack of sports - car - grade handling .
But as Ford repeatedly stress , the ' 02 T - Bird was never destine to be a pure sports machine . Rather , it was built for " relaxed sportiness " just like the " personal " ' 55 : two - stern jaunty , but also comfortable and well - nominate . Viewed in that light , it was excellent , with more than enough performance to make a sport drive .
Indeed , Road & Trackreported a respectable 0.83 grand on the skidpad and only temperate understeer in corners . " Dynamically , this is the unspoiled T - Bird ever , " saidR&T , " by no means just a … fashionable cruiser . bustle about down a twisty canyon route , [ it ] respond well to driver inputs . for certain , its soft spring rates translate to a comfortableness - oriented drive with a reasonable amount of body roll and even a spot of floatiness at high speeds , but neither is excessive as the Thunderbird pay heed on in corner , help by good overall balance , communicatory steering , and ample grip from [ received V - range P235/50 tires ] . " Acceleration was n’t lacking either , with most testers timing 0 - 60 mph in a brisk 7.0 second or so .
The born-again T - Bird came two ways : a Deluxe modelling initially nail down at $ 34,965 and a Premium reading with standard traction ascendency and chrome wheel for $ 1000 more . Of course , buyers expect a load of equipment at such prices , and Ford did n’t let down . Besides those already mentioned , the no - cost feature inclination showed leather - covered power seats , in - dash compact disc changer , dual - zone automatic climate control , tachometer , and distant keyless - entry room access locks with antitheft alarm .
Yet for all its feel - good caliber , the retro T - Bird would prove something of a washout . At launch , Ford predict to build no more than 20,000 a yr , hoping that an " sole " aura would preclude the motivation for earnings - draining incentive and prop up resale values . But only in 2002 did gross revenue come close to that mark : 19,085 for the calendar year .
Though some " early adopters " willingly paid well over sticker , dealings prices before long throw away right along with fiat . Sales fell to 18,100 for ' 03 , to just under 12,000 the year after , and last to 9548 . One problem was a growing stripe of like - price import - brand droptops , some of which had more speed and/or greater cachet . Upward cost weirdo did nothing to help , particularly as there was little to excuse it .
A few useful changes did occur for 2003 , Ford Motor Company ’s centenary year . Higher compression and variable intake - valve timing lend 28 bhp , trim 0 - 60 - mph runs to 6.5 second . Ford also installed more - legible gauges and add a $ 130 Select transmutation option , a manual shift logic gate that could be used to hold up upshifts to max rpm , when a rev limiter trim down in .
But it was already too late . come up 2004 , Ford was allege the T - Bird name could shortly go into limbo again , though it might return on a different confine - version fomite – emphasise might . It was a subtle admission that Ford Motor Company was back in crisis modal value . The underperforming T - Bird was doomed .
certainly enough , the 2005s were the last of this mass , unchanged from ' 04 except for an expected fiftieth Anniversary Edition . pertly priced at $ 44,355 , the birthday memento should have been more special – like one of the slick - looking 400 - bhp pressurize concept T - Birds Ford had read in 2003 - 04 . or else , it was just a begild Premium model with Select Shift and the hardtop included , plus specific trim – a lamentable farewell for a railroad car that had seemed so predict a simple four class to begin with .
