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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  Dream Car - 2002 Ford Thunderbird
  By Larry S - September 29 - 2:00 am

  Ive wanted a T0-Bird since I was a child and the T-Bird was new -- finally got it! Im not disappointed in the least -- talk about the looks! As another reviewer said, be prepared for total strangers to ask all sorts of questions. Ive even been stopped by a couple of cops just so they could get a better look at it.

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  Great car! - 2003 Ford Thunderbird
  By Titman - September 10 - 2:00 am

  Unbelievable a car this small could ride like a Linclon and the JAG engine is awesome, fast, fast, fast, 25MPG overall. Transmission like silk and option to manual shift or auto shift nice. 6K miles and not the first defect of any sort. Trunk small and cockpit only made for two. Had a few nice sports cars in my time and TBird the most fun and get a lot of thumbs up from other motorists. Yup, its definitely a head turner and we get a lot of compliments.

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  EXCELLENT CAR !!!! - 2004 Ford Thunderbird
  By firstliner - September 7 - 2:00 am

  This car is is the best in all ways of any Ive ever owned. VERY comfortable. Does not hurt my bad back even after 8-10 hours of driving. It handles better than expensive, foreign sports cars that Ive driven. Extremely responsive and fun to drive. Independent Short and Long Arm front and rear suspension. Does not drive like a Ford at all. Plenty of pick up and speed. No hesitation at all. Braking system is excellent. Four wheel traction control, anti-lock disc brakes. Plenty of storage space for a small car. Convertible top goes up and down VERY easily. Removable hard top great for the winter. I cant say enough good things about this car.

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  T Birds Rock!! - 2005 Ford Thunderbird
  By Doc M - September 6 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle has great pep and the automatic transmission moves smoothly as the car accelerates. The SST transmission lets one shift through the gears, overriding the transmission for some fun in driving. The vehicle handles very smoothly and holds the road well. The convertible top goes up and down very quickly. The retro lines catch peoples eyes. This is a very enjoyable car to drive and ride in.

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  love my bird - 2004 Ford Thunderbird
  By port hole authority - August 23 - 2:00 am

  After owning several Mustangs this car by far is the best and most fun to drive. Real head turner... I have the Merlot with sand interior.. I drive a Volvo 850 for my beater.. the bird has never seen a wet road. garaged and dusted off for sunny days ONLY.

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  A cheap rack for the removable top. - 2005 Ford Thunderbird
  By Vahan Ishkhanian - August 19 - 2:00 am

  Great car... beatifull styling. Most dealer personnel are very little help, as they collectively know very little about this car. The rack for the removable hard top is a joke. I have gone through two. One the dealer could not make it work the second would not work for me. I have had the car almost half a year and have not removed the top due to this problem.

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  Owners impressions of Thunderbird - 2005 Ford Thunderbird
  By E. S.Herz - August 10 - 2:00 am

  Overall I like the car. The Thunderbird however could use a bit more horsepower and most certainly the blind spots (rearward) could stand some improvement. Also, the (future) poor re-sale value of the car will be an issue when I elect to sell the Thunderbird.

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  THIS IS A TRUE CLASSIC - 2003 Ford Thunderbird
  By CAROLINA DOC - August 5 - 2:00 am

  THIS AUTOMOBILE IS SURE TO GO DOWN IN ICON HISTORY ALONG WITH THE ORIGINAL 1955 MODEL. THE STYLING TURNS HEADS AROUND EVERY BEND, BUT MOST OF ALL, ITS JUST FUN TO DRIVE. AND JUST AS THE BEACH BOYS SAID, WELL HAVE FUN, FUN, FUN TILL DADDY TAKES THE T-BIRD AWAY!!" THE RIDE IS SMOOTH, THE ENGINE PURRS, AND THE HANDLING IS AS GOOD AS ON ANY BMW I HAVE EVER OWNED.

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  I Love My Thunderbird - 1997 Ford Thunderbird
  By Thundergirl - August 5 - 2:00 am

  I love my 1997 Thunderbird. Since Ive brought my baby, Ive had many offers from people wanting to buy it from me. My car and I have been through a divorce, a move to a different city and my baby have not stop for one moment. I love my car!!!

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  Sweet Ride - 2004 Ford Thunderbird
  By G Sullins - July 31 - 2:00 am

  My 2004 Thunderbird is a sweet ride. I really enjoy the "select-a-shift" functionality. Of course, the 2 tops are just great. The car gives a luxury ride with a sporty feel. Ive added a roadster tonneau cover adding fender skirts and a continential kit. This car is a head turner -- and for me it is a great toy!!!