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:

• 

  poor design - 2004 Ford Thunderbird
  By rich bison - November 3 - 10:00 am

  Hard to get in and out of when the hard top is on. Also the drivers seat should have more adjustments.

• 

  For Style and A Very Smooth Ride - 2004 Ford Thunderbird
  By w77collins - August 25 - 5:33 pm

  People will ask you about this car whenever you pump gas or are out and about. The ride is super smooth as the car weighs nearly 4000lbs. The 280 hp Lincoln LS engine makes a wonderful roar and the exhaust is tuned to rumble at idle. Turn off the traction control and you can easily burn the tires for a few seconds with a little braking off the line but not without. Expect seven second zero to sixty. The traction control is awesome. The five speed transmission always finds a gear to give you a lot of kick if you go throttle wide open.

• 

  When it fails it snowballs - 1994 Ford Thunderbird
  By mike - August 18 - 10:56 am

  It handles excellent, great transmission, cant even feel it changing gears. Bought it with 37k miles and now has 75k but when the trouble started it has yet to stop. The radiator, battery, alternator, hoses (normal) wear, this got me thru another year, but now power steering major leak, driver door handle bad, etc...I think i got my cash out of it, but thought it should have much more life in it. Im going with a Toyota or Honda till the end of time. No more Fords for me.

• 

  Solid - 1997 Ford Thunderbird
  By dntwry - June 29 - 9:35 am

  Bought it new in 97, It was originally mine, and I have given it to my son. We both agree on what will be said right now. For 22k its a great car. The engine could have been put together a little better, easier to get to parts. We had to replace the heater core, and it was a royal pain to get to. Also for it being a RWD V8, you would think you could go a little faster. Smooth ride, classy car, powerful, and great moon roof. Gas mileage could be a little better. Its around 17-18 MPG.

• 

  Miss It More Than I Realized - 1995 Ford Thunderbird
  By flilguy - May 23 - 11:17 pm

  I liked the look of the 95. The 4.6 V8 had power like a police car. It would go a 110 miles per hour. It could go faster but I was afraid I would blow it up. I bent the antenna driving too fast. It didnt do very well in snow and ice. It got better gas mileage than the V6 I have now.

• 

  I must have the lemon - 2002 Ford Thunderbird
  By T-Bird RN - March 22 - 9:56 am

  I love my T-bird. Felt like the queen of the road. But recently have been having problems one day out of no where it overheated, 3 engine fans gone bad, then transmission leaking it was rebuilt. just the other day driving down the road felt like I was going over rumble strips car bucking took it back for check up, seems when they had it on the road test could find anything. I guess it did not act up for them. Suggested could be torque converter and to bring it back when it happens all the time. I thought ford was built tough. I have 6 other Ford vehicles with over 200 thousand miles and no transmission or engine problems. What happened to the T-Bird?

• 

  Fun car but expensive car - 1995 Ford Thunderbird
  By patova5500 - March 2 - 10:55 am

  Ive had my Thunderbird for four years now. I think I spent $1400 for it. In these four short years, I have put almost $4000 dollars into it. Ill done had problems from torch converter cracking to the doors to heavy for the hinges, making the doors start to fall down to all kind of other problems and trying to firgure whats making my knock when I do regular service on my car (thinking pushrods or valves). I mean, dont get me wrong, T-birds are good, fun cars. If it wasnt, I woundnt put so much into it. On the bright side, theyre very good on gas. They have alot of power, very fast. They handle curves good amongst other things. Overall I love the 95t-bird, it just cost alot to keep up.

• 

  They need to build it again - 1997 Ford Thunderbird
  By oscar arechiga - February 26 - 9:04 pm

  Great design in and out, V8 makes good power even at todays standards, there are very few cars that have the personality of this vehicle, have had mine for 10 years 61000 miles and not thinking of getting rid of it, car has been very reliable,only complaint is a rattling noise coming from undrneat , (dealer says there is nothing wrong with the suspension, other than that this car makes heads turn, even 10 years after last year of production, ford needs to build a modern vertion,with a similar body style, but modern suspension an a 5 speed auto.

• 

  An all American bird. - 1996 Ford Thunderbird
  By WhartD - October 10 - 7:47 pm

  I love this car I have owned it for almost a year now and I never get tired of looking at it. This car is fast and is extremely fun to drive. I actually look forward to rainy days so I can power slide to my hearts content. Handling isnt too bad for a big American car. This is one awesome cruiser. Mine is fully loaded and I love just driving around with the windows down and the sunroof wide open. The saddle brown leather and interior is great except for a few minor build issues which I put in the improvements part. Nice premium sound system. It has a lot or bass and the speakers work perfect. My razzi body kit looks great on it in white. Mine is all stock from 1996. $22grand in 1996.

• 

  Beautiful and fun car marred by gaskets - 1993 Ford Thunderbird
  By JS - June 4 - 7:44 pm

  My very first car, and I loved her. Excellent slow speed handling and turning radius. Quick off the line but slow to 60. Wobbly on the highway. Had the notorious head gasket failure at around 70k miles. Otherwise, just minor sensor issues and a leaky radiator.