Overview & Reviews

Unlike today, vehicle choices were pretty limited 50 years ago when the Ford Thunderbird first took flight. There were sedans, coupes, station wagons and convertibles, but essentially a Ford was a Ford -- straightforward variations on a common design. With the 1955 T-bird, however, Ford introduced the notion of a sporty "personal luxury car" -- a close-coupled two-seater with V8 power, a cushy ride and elegant styling. It also had the simple construction and reasonable price of a Ford.

What that first cozy Thunderbird convertible didn't have was much extra room for more people and things -- but when this was addressed in 1958, Ford's Thunderbird really took off. That year it became a bigger, heavier car, a four-seater available as a coupe or convertible with a blocky body that gave rise to the nickname "Square Bird." A much cleaner fighter jet-inspired body design debuted in the early 1960s and the sleek, missile-like profile earned these cars the moniker "Bullet Bird." The mid-'60s saw sharper-edged lines for the body, though the basic platform remained mostly unchanged.

Things really started to get weird in the later '60s, '70s and early '80s. Within this span of time, the Thunderbird convertible was dropped, a four-door version with suicide doors and landau irons was offered briefly, the car grew to the size and shape of a Lincoln Mark IV and was then downsized twice, first in 1977 and again to a Fairmont-based platform in 1980. Yep, the Ford Thunderbird "celebrated" its 25th anniversary in fine style, riding atop an economy car's chassis and sporting less than 130 horsepower from its V8 engine. But it did have a heavily padded landau top complete with opera lights as well as a digital dashboard, so things weren't that bad, right?

Interesting things happened during the mid- and late 1980s, when style and performance returned in the form of the Thunderbird Turbo Coupe and its successor, the Super Coupe. The former had a turbocharged inline-4 while the latter sported a supercharged V6. The Thunderbird stayed with this format (standard coupe with V6 or V8 power and the hyper Super Coupe) through the late 1990s, at which point the Thunderbird died a quiet death due to slow sales and general disinterest in the personal luxury coupe market.

For the new millennium, Ford resurrected the Thunderbird. As a full-circle, retro-inspired return of the original two-seat roadster, the new Thunderbird garnered plenty of attention and initial hype. Still more about motoring with a little extra flair and panache than driving fast and hard, the Thunderbird seemed poised for success. It never met with much critical acclaim, however. Sales were brisk at first but slowed considerably afterwards. Ford ended production after four years.

Those shopping for a used Ford Thunderbird built in the last 20 years have lots of choices in terms of configurations, powertrains and styling. The best T-birds from the 1990s are the ones with V8 power. Driving enthusiasts may want to look for the performance-oriented but much rarer Super Coupe from the same era. Finally, the more recent two-seat roadster will no doubt satisfy those with retro "cruising" fantasies and could quite possibly become a future classic.

Most Recent Ford Thunderbird

In 1999 Ford displayed a concept car that brought the Thunderbird back full-circle to its roots as an open two-seat roadster. The response was overwhelming, and three years later it had a production version ready for 2002. The designers did such a great job that this "modern" Thunderbird managed to preserve the sleek styling cues of the original without looking like a four-wheel caricature.

As a basis, Ford used the same platform as it did for the Lincoln LS sedan. As such, some criticism was leveled at the Thunderbird's interior, as it was perceived as being too similar to the LS's and lacking in design flair. At the time, we suspected that buyers would have accepted a higher sticker price in exchange for unique, Thunderbird-specific pieces for the dash and center console. The pleated leather seats and door panels, however, recalled the days when auto upholstery resembled the seating in a diner's booth.

On the road, the new 'Bird performed quite well with its independent suspension and 3.9-liter V8 with a five-speed automatic transmission. But it didn't make the claims of a sports car; its mission in life was that of a comfortable boulevard cruiser. The Thunderbird gained 28 hp in 2003 for a total of 280. Detail changes marked its final couple years, with trim and paint changes and a Light Sand Appearance Package in 2004, and 50th-anniversary badging and more trim changes inside and out for 2005. Though flawed, it was still fun to drive and fun to be seen driving, and it largely succeeded at straddling the fine line between luxury and performance.

Past Ford Thunderbird models

The previous-generation Ford Thunderbird coupe was produced from 1989-'97. At its debut, a new fully independent suspension helped ride and handling, but acceleration was disappointing due to the combination of a hefty curb weight and 140-hp base V6. A more inspiring alternative was the new Thunderbird Super Coupe, (SC) which used a supercharged version of the V6 to produce 210 hp. It transferred its power to the rear wheels through either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission. A special-edition 35th-anniversary model of the Thunderbird SC arrived in 1990, and a 200-hp 5.0-liter V8 returned to the Thunderbird lineup in 1991 -- the preferred choice for most Thunderbird buyers.

The base Ford Thunderbird was dropped from the 1993 lineup, and the car was now available either as an LX (with either the V6 or V8), or as a Super Coupe with the supercharged V6. Dual airbags were made standard in 1994, and this car also featured revised front-end styling and Ford's new, more refined SOHC 4.6-liter V8. The Super Coupe flew the coop after '95, leaving just the LX model to soldier on. There was a new instrument cluster in 1997 plus some new colors and a new rear spoiler, but the car itself was doomed as Ford shifted its focus to increasingly popular -- and profitable -- SUVs and trucks.

In reviews of this Thunderbird, our editors wrote that they liked the car's sporty coupe body style, V8 power and reasonable price. With its decent-size backseat, we claimed that it was "a car for closet enthusiasts who need a car that is more mature than the Mustang."

User Reviews:

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  Ford let 2002 owners down - 2002 Ford Thunderbird
  By Dot - November 10 - 2:00 am

  I have owned this car since 2002. I had to replace all 8 coils. It has a design flaw. Ford recongnized this and recalled the 2003,2004 and 2005. Same problem, but decided not to do the right thing for us. I also had to replace the cooling fan 2x @ $900 @ pop A/C the condenser @ $1400 and the catalytic converter for close to $1000. The trim is chrome plated plastic, which is peeling now. It is a sharp looking car, but for a maintained car with 70,000 miles, I have put too much into repair costs. I will never by another Ford (and acronym for Fix Or Repair Daily)

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  Lame - 1996 Ford Thunderbird
  By pixiedw - November 11 - 11:31 am

  I received this car for my graduation from high school. And it needed alot of work done. The inside lights dont work, turn signals dont work, the sunroof fell off the car while I was driving, the car has no backend suspension, it cant even handle snow on the ground hardly ice, the alternator and engine cooling fan had to be replaced as well as a major belt, the starter went out and replaced. I think old ford cars are not made for use in the midwest.

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  My First Car And A Maintenance Nightmare - 1993 Ford Thunderbird
  By Andreas - March 17 - 2:24 pm

  I loved this car when I purchased it at 17 years old with 80K miles in 2001. The car was loaded and looked beautiful. It was a V-6 and a bit underpowered. I have had nothing but problems after the first week. First, was O2 sensors (about $200). Then the suspension needed repair ($1500). Then the multifunction switch died (the car could not switch the high beams off...about $300 to fix...I just disconnected them). Transmission was beginning to slip. I took a friend to the airport about 100 miles away and guess what, the engine went. I actually managed to get the car towed, and got a little value for trade in. I babied that car and it gave nothing but problems. The car died at 96k miles.

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  Fun car, keep your wallet close. - 1992 Ford Thunderbird
  By Hock - September 3 - 12:23 pm

  This is my 2nd SC and it is a blast to drive, when it runs. I bought it with bad head gaskets, the dealer ran 87 octane when it requires 91 or better. I have driven both the auto and 5 speed and the 5 speed is by far more fun than the auto though it is notchy and does get expensive to fix if it breaks. But then again, the whole car is like that. The handling is outstanding for a car its size and it does it with out sacraficing the ride. The interior is a little dated for today but it still is nice and doesnt have all the squeaks and rattles that would be expected from a car this old. Over all, if you dont have a strong mechanical back ground or a deep wallet this car is not for you.

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  Not as good as it looks - 2002 Ford Thunderbird
  By Bad oil leak - October 2 - 1:12 pm

  After owning the car for almost 3 years, it is fun to drive for sure, a head turner, but it has its hand in my back pocket constantly. In the shop almost every 3 k miles for something or other. Electrical problems, look at replacing the battery every year. And now, for a car thats never been raced, Adult owned, a major oil leak at the main seal that would require an engine pull out. This car has 11,000 miles on it. I will live with the leak I guess and just drive the car into the ground. Ultimately disappointed.

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  money pit - 1994 Ford Thunderbird
  By fstrfrvo - June 22 - 1:55 am

  Just had to rebuild the tranny at the cost of $1600. OUCH. Heater no longer works, gives me the a/c when you turn the heater on. The electronic climate display is now burned out. Drivers window no longer goes down on its own, have to push it down. Now its throwing a code for the catalytic converter out of range, of course you cant just get a new converter you have to buy a whole y pipe at a cost of $1100. Any of you that have around 130,000 miles get ready for a tranny build, and believe me they are not cheap.

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  I dont know if I ll buy it again - 2004 Ford Thunderbird
  By RNK - June 27 - 2:00 am

  Fun to drive, lots of power ,poor and cheap finish .Very poor paint finish. Good A/c .Not noisy for conv. Cheap interior finish

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  What goes bumpity-bump in the dark? - 2005 Ford Thunderbird
  By a. sandor - April 17 - 1:24 am

  My Thunderbird is small for comfort in long trips (over two hours!). No space behind front seats, no trunk room. Bad design for rain. Drips inside if window is slightly open. Blind spot both sides. Cheaply done interior. Car has zip, is reliable, but would not purchase another one.

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  Ford - 2004 Ford Thunderbird
  By Bud - December 19 - 2:14 pm

  This Lemon breaks down about every 1,000 miles or so. Had it towed in twice this month--one time on the way back home from the dealership from its last repair. Frequent failures apparently due to the electrical system, factory installed stereo not wired in correctly, coils have failed twice, not what we expected for a "high- end" car.

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  Lives up to its name. - 1993 Ford Thunderbird
  By A.J. M. - July 12 - 2:00 am

  Alright, I bought my 93 with 117,998 on the clock and a 5.0L engine. She rode like a dream and still does but she is a high maintainence machine. Ive spent almost half of what I paid for her in repairs in less than a year later. Some of the problems recur.. like the cooling issue, this is my 3rd thunderbird, I previously had an 83 and a 90. Had cooling problems with all three.