The Ford Thunderbird Turn 60
Published on September 9, 2014 in Galleries by Frédérick Boucher-Gaulin
On September 9 1954, the first Ford Thunderbird rolled out of the assembly line.This sport coupe was intended to offer some competition to the Corvette, and while it is not with us anymore, it still remains a classic today. Here is a short version of Ford's personal coupe history!
The first year was a resounding success. For every Corvette that GM managed to ram down customer's throat, Ford was selling 23 Thunderbirds!
For 1961, the Thunderbird get a new aerodynamic styling, dubbed Bullet Birds.
The 1964 T-Bird became more sober, earning the nickname Flair Birds. It needed 11 seconds to get to 100 km/h, so it was not exactly a dragster...
In 1967, the Thunderbird gets fatter, and now comes in four-door versions.
For 1970, the T-Bird is bigger and more comfortable than ever. However, it is not a sport car anymore.
The 1972 Ford personal coupe now shares its platform with the Lincoln Mark IV
Ford tries to put the Thunderbird on a diet in 1977, by having it share its underpinnings with the Torino.
In 1980, the Bird is nothing but a shadow of its former self, and declining sales are there to prove it.
Ford had to save the Thunderbird for 1983. It was smaller, more aerodynamic and could now be ordered with a turbo engine!
1989 saw the apparition of the tenth generation of the Thunderbird. It is now beautifully sleek, and while it may have lost its V8, it now has independent suspension. However, the car's production was eventually stopped in 1997.
For 2002, Ford decided to bring back the Thunderbird for the nostalgic crowd. This retro-looking coupe was only offered with a 3.9 litre V8 and a 5-speed automatic, and the car was only sold for 3 years, before Ford finally retired the Thunderbird name indefinitely.