1955 - 2000 Thunderbird
1955 - 1957
Not about to let Chevy have the 2-seat sporty car market to itself, Ford countered with the
1955 Thunderbird. The '55 came out with the 190-horse 292CI Y-Block V8, and in '56, this
engine was replaced with the legendary 312CI V8. In '57, a Paxton centrifugal supercharger
was made available, but few were produced with this option, making this particular model
very rare and valuable today.
1958 - 1960
IN '58, sagging sales made Ford decide to redesign the T-Bird into a 4-seat personal luxury
car. It featured squarish styling, and engine choices became more plentiful with the
inclusion of some FE series engines. Also, the Lincoln 430 made a brief appearance for 1960.
1961 - 1963
For '61, there was a major restyling which resulted in one of the best looking 'Birds of
them all. Power trains also got a significant upgrade, with the top offering being a
401-horse 390 6-V.
1964 - 1966
'64 saw another significant restyling, but this time it was much more conservative. The
401-Horse 390 was dropped, too, leaving the 390 - 4V as the top engine.
1967 - 1971
What was Ford thinking?!?!? The '67 Bird was perhaps the least favourite of the early Birds.
4 doors were introduced, and even the fact that they were suicide-style (the rear doors
were hinged at the back and the handles were at the front) didn't help. These cars also
featured an odd front end treatment, with wraparound fenders and hidden headlights. In my
opinion, these cars were just plain ugly.
1972 - 1976
The T-Bird got really bloated here, sharing its chassis and styling with the Lincoln Mark
IV. Sole engine was the 460 CI Big Block.
1977 - 1979
They got a little smaller this time, joining the Cougar/LTD-II platform. Engine choices
were poor, with a lo-po 302-W or a smog-laden 351-M (A de-stroked 400) making up the
majority of sales. Styling got a bit better, though.
1980 - 1982
The '80 T-Bird shrunk considerably, moving over to the Fox platform. Power came from a
gutless 255ci Windsor, and styling could be best described as "Kleenex box". It's hard to
find a good angle to look at these cars.
1983 - 1986
Now we're talking! Nobody would have expected the boxy '82 T-Bird to evolve into the clean,
rounded look of '83 - '86. Still based on the Fox platform, the chassis was significantly
upgraded to provide some sporty handling - a virtue basically unheard of in T-Birds of the
past. Power choices included a 3.8V6, 5.0V8, and the hot 2.3 MPFI Turbo. The TurboCoupe
also got several suspension upgrades, including the rear quad-shock setup that has since
found its way onto Mustangs.
The interior received a major overhaul in '85, complete with a digital speedo for base cars,
with an optional full digital cluster. TurboCoupes got a full analogue cluster.
1987 - 1988
'87 brought a significant restyle of an already great looking car. Flush headlamps, unique
tail-lights that showed up as round when lit, and flush side glass made up the majority of
changes to the base cars, but the TurboCoupe got the best of the redesign. A new, twin
scoop hood fed air to the intercooler, boosting power from 155 to 190 horsepower on 5-speed
cars. Automatic cars remained at 155 horses, thanks to their relatively weak A4LD
transmission (the LD stands for Light Duty). Other significant upgrades included 4-wheel
disc brakes, an 8.8" rear end, and a driver-adjustable electronic suspension.
1989 - 1997
The T-Bird moved on to a totally new platform for '89. This new platform, code-named MN-12,
featured an independent rear suspension, and a wishbone/coil-over setup up front. For the
first time ever, no V8 was offered. Power train choices were but two: the carryover 3.8 SEFI
V6, and the hot new supercharged 3.8 Super Coupe. This meant you could buy your T-Bird one
of two ways: cheap or very expensive. Ford filled the void left by the lack of V8 power by
installing the Mustang's 5.0 HO in slightly detuned form. The 5.0 Ho was available in
'91-'93 models. In '94, the interior got a re-do, and the 5.0 was chucked in favour of the
4.6 SOHC V8 from the Crown Vic. The SC version got more powerful too, and by '95 was
producing 230 horsepower and 330 lb-ft of torque. Sagging sales of the SC meant that 1995
would be its best and final year. To keep performance-oriented buyers happy, a sport
package was offered with the 4.6 V8 that included suspension upgrades to give the heavy car
better handling.
Unfortunately, America's obsession with trucks spelled the end of the T-Bird at the end of
the '97 model year. A special SVT version had been proposed that would have included the
Mark VII's DOHC V8, a 5-speed manual transmission, and a set of 5-spoke 17" wheels, but
the projected price of around $35k would have placed the SVT 'Bird in direct competition
with its platform-mate, the Mark VIII. That high price, combined with sagging sales for
both the T-Bird and the Mark VIII meant that the SVT model would never see production.
The Future: 2002 Model
The 2002 model is coming, and it appears that Ford is bringing the T-Bird back to its
roots. The new 'Bird is going to be a 2-seat roadster based on the Lincoln LS's DEW-98
platform that will also be used for the Jaguar S-Type. Power will be a 3.9 litre DOHC V8
based on the all-aluminum 4.0 in the current Jag XK-8, but there is rumours that
a 3.0
Duratec V6 will find its way into the line-up as well.
Back to the Retrospect page