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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  Love (d) my bird - 1996 Ford Thunderbird
  By Loved my bird - July 27 - 2:00 am

  Just sold my bird after three years of driving fun. The V8 is smooth, but I think that Ford could have done a little more to peak the performance. The car rode very well, and is a nice alternative to a mustang or the camaro, other V8 2-door cars. It will save you a pile on insurance over those two as well. Hated to sell it, but family commitments ruled.

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  My Review - 1994 Ford Thunderbird
  By ironchopz - May 20 - 2:00 am

  Purchased used in 4/97 with 28325 miles mileage now: 171700. Im very pleased with how the car has held up. The car is driven a lot. Its very comfortable, and enjoyable to drive. This T-bird routinely gets 23mpg+. Compared to the smaller engines (< 2.5L) that get 26-30mpg, this Bird (V- 8/4.6L) sips gas its a better value than the smaller-engine vehicles. Ive towed a 6x12 U-Haul trailer through the Rockies: the engine never ran hot & fuel economy didnt drop much (19-20mpg w/ full car and trailer). Cons: the doors are heavy & go out of alignment periodically. The Premium Sound CD system is installed, but it lacks the punch an aftermarket CD player would have.

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  love my tbird - 1992 Ford Thunderbird
  By bobby jones - May 12 - 2:00 am

  i have owned my tbird since 1995 and have only had to put new tires and brakes on it. no problems with head gaskets or exhaust

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  Pretty but lacks attention to detail - 2002 Ford Thunderbird
  By topher - April 29 - 2:00 am

  A blast to drive, but it lacks the attention to detail and convenient group items of other two seaters that are in the same price range such as the SLK/Z3/S2000/MR2.

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  My T-Bird - 1990 Ford Thunderbird
  By Nana - April 24 - 2:00 am

  I have driven this car faithfully and serviced it regularly.. now that I am retired we use my Husbands car .. and Baby T-bird sits in that lonely garage... It has 67,000 Kilometers on it now, but still has original Tires and is in nice shape... one tiny scratch on right front bumper.. which I guess happened while shopping.. no idea when or where as never noticed it till I was washing the other day.. otherwise it is great..

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  Be Warned!!! - 1994 Ford Thunderbird
  By chadlincoln - April 16 - 2:00 am

  I bought my car because it looked awesome, the price was low, and it had low mileage (54,000 when I got it in 2001). Ford had a customer care on the head gaskets for the 3.8L. Mine blew with 80,000 miles. Ford wouldnt do anything to help me out with it, even though it was well under the 100,000 mile extended warranty. Mechanic at dealership told me that a majority of those that blow head gaskets that hes fixed end up locking up about a month later because of the damage already done from the head gaskets. Not going to buy anything Ford ever again. Terrible gas mileage too. I had to fill up about 1.5 times a week. Expensive when gas shoots up.

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  Reliable, if a little slow - 1993 Ford Thunderbird
  By Matt M (aka Dragoon) - April 13 - 2:00 am

  The paint on the bumper is peeling, and there are parts coming off of the dash, but for the price, its still comfortable (even without the leather interior) and acceptably fast. It may not have much acceleration, even after I had the injectors cleaned, and put new oil (with a hi-po oil filter) in it. This car really is reliable, after 122k miles its still running strong, and smoothly, although the tranny doesnt seem to cater to those with a need for acceleration. The car is big too, but doesnt feel all that big. I have carried three (full)computers, and three people in the car before, with room to spare.

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  Bad paint,transmissiom,brakes - 1994 Ford Thunderbird
  By papajoe - March 27 - 2:00 am

  I had the car for 4 weeks ,the trans. started acting funny.It cost me 600 dollars to get it fixed.The paint on the hood,top,and trunk is very baddly faided.The car need to be repainted.Small things inside the car breaks.The shifter handle broke.200 dollars to fix.Screws just break of the plactic.The brakes make funny sounds,but stop good.Over all the car so far has been a good car.

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  WONDERFUL THUNDERBIRD, EXCEPT TRANS. - 1994 Ford Thunderbird
  By JOE SACK - March 24 - 2:00 am

  LOVE THE CAR BUT HAVE WORRIED ABOUT TRANSMISSION SINCE 60000 MILES. FORD DEALER SAYS IT IS FINE. MANY REPORTS ON INTERNET ABOUT TRANSMISSION DEFECTS. I JUST CHANGE FLUID EVERY 30000 MILES AND IT IS STILL GOING AT 107000. NOT GETTING ANY WORSE.

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  great car - 1996 Ford Thunderbird
  By bag-o-donuts - March 20 - 2:00 am

  I have had the car for a couple years now and I really like it alot.It has very good pick up w/v8,and very good handling for a car its size.I have not had any major problems.