First generation (1955–1957) The Ford Thunderbird was introduced in February 1953 as a response to
Chevrolet's new sports car, the
Corvette, which was publicly unveiled in prototype form just a month before. Under rapid development, the Thunderbird went from idea to prototype in about a year, being unveiled to the public at the
Detroit Auto Show on February 20, 1954. It was a two-seat design available with a detachable fiberglass hardtop and a folding fabric top. Production of the Thunderbird began on September 9 of that year, with the car beginning sales as a 1955 model on October 22, 1954. Though sharing some design characteristics with other Fords of the time such as single circular headlamps and tail lamps, and modest
tail fins, the Thunderbird was sleeker in shape and featured a
hood scoop and a
speedometer not available on other Fords. It used mechanical components from mass-market Ford models. The Thunderbird's wheelbase frame was a shortened version used in other Fords and the standard
Y-block V8 came from Ford's
Mercury division. Though inspired by and positioned directly against the Corvette, Ford advertised the Thunderbird at launch as a "personal car of distinction" and put a greater emphasis on the car's comfort and convenience features rather than its inherent sportiness. The Thunderbird sold exceptionally well in its first year, outselling the Corvette by more than 23-to-one in 1955 with 16,155 Thunderbirds sold against 700 Corvettes. The addition of the weight at the rear caused steering issues. Among the few other changes were new paint colors, the addition of standard circular porthole windows in the fiberglass roof to improve rearward visibility (with a delete option), and a Y-block V8 rated at when mated to a three-speed manual transmission or when mated to a
Ford-O-Matic three-speed automatic transmission; this transmission featured a "
low gear", which was accessible manually via the gear selector. When in Drive, it was a two-speed automatic transmission (similar to Chevrolet's Powerglide). Low gear could also be accessed with a wide-open throttle. In 1956, Ford also added its new
Lifeguard safety package. The Thunderbird was revised for 1957 with a reshaped front bumper, a larger grille and tailfins, and larger tail lamps. The instrument panel was heavily restyled with round gauges in a single pod, and the rear of the car was lengthened, allowing the spare tire to be positioned back in the trunk. It was offered in both hardtop and convertible body styles, although the latter was not introduced until June 1958, five months after the release of the hardtop. The new Thunderbird was considerably larger than the previous generation, with a longer wheelbase to accommodate the new back seat. The increased size also increased the car's weight by . Along with a new, more rigid
unibody construction was new styling, including quad headlights, more prominent tailfins, a bolder chrome grille, and a larger, though nonfunctional, hood scoop. The engine was the new
FE V8, available with a three-speed manual or automatic transmissions. The car was 1961's
Indianapolis 500 pace car and was featured prominently in
US President John F. Kennedy's inaugural parade, who appointed Ford executive
Robert McNamara as
secretary of defense. For 1963 only, The engine was only available in cars equipped with factory air conditioning. Few other changes were made to the Thunderbird for 1963, as Ford prepared to introduce a new version for 1964. A horizontal styling line was added that ran from the front of the car back through the door. Small diagonal chrome bars were added in this area on the door.
Alternators rather than
generators were a new feature on all 1963 Thunderbirds.
Fourth generation (1964–1966) For 1964, the Thunderbird was restyled in favor of a more squared-off appearance, which was mostly evident when viewing the car from the side or rear. Hinting at its roots in the previous generation of Thunderbird, the new model retained a similar grille design with quad headlights and a wheelbase. As before, the new Thunderbird continued to be offered in hardtop, convertible, and landau versions. The FE V8 continued as the standard engine. It was paired with a three-speed automatic transmission. For 1965,
sequential turn signals were added, flashing the individual segments of the broad, horizontal tail lights from inside to outside. Also new for 1965 were standard front
disc brakes. The 1966 model received a new egg crate-style grille and a single-blade front bumper. Its restyled rear bumper included new full-width taillamps. The standard V8 equipped with a single four-barrel carburetor was rated at , and a FE V8 became the top power option. It received simulated
landau bars to help minimize its visual mass. A new front end included a full-width grille and hidden headlights.
1970–1971 The 1970 model year Thunderbird continued with the same platform and many of the same parts and styling cues from the 1967 through 1969 models, such as the sequential turn signals incorporated into the full-width tail lamps. The most noticeable change was in the front grille, where a prominent projection somewhat resembling a bird's beak was added on the centerline, in line with long, angular lines in the hood. The T-bird was offered in coupe or new models. The 1971 Thunderbird was mostly a carry-over from the 1970 model as Ford prepared to release a new, larger Thunderbird for 1972. It was also the last year to offer a four-door.
Sixth generation (1972–1976) The sixth generation of the Thunderbird debuted in the fall of 1971 as a 1972 model. With a wheelbase, an overall length of (growing to by 1974), and a curb weight of (over when equipped with an optional V8), it was the largest Thunderbird ever produced by Ford. It continued to share the assembly line with the
Lincoln Continental Mark series, as it had since the debut of the
Mark III in 1968. Matching the large size of the car were large engines, including the previous generation’s standard V8 and the optional V8, which became standard after 1973. Though offering two of the largest displacement V8 engines ever installed in a production vehicle by Ford, the car's considerable weight combined with low power output caused by restrictive emissions technology resulted in modest performance.
Fuel efficiency was correspondingly poor. The big Thunderbirds were initially popular, with sales peaking at over 87,000 units in 1973 in spite of the
1973 oil crisis, but sales had slumped to less than 43,000 by 1975. Sales had a small uptick to almost 53,000 units for 1976, but increasing fuel prices and ever more stringent federal emissions standards led to a downsized vehicle the following year. and still looked large to the eye. As a restyled continuation of the 1974–1976
Ford Elite, this generation Thunderbird represented Ford's effort to better compete in the high-volume affordable midsize personal luxury car market occupied by the
Pontiac Grand Prix and
Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Along with being shorter, the car was lighter, although height and width were relatively unchanged. A substantial component of the weight reduction was in the drivetrain, where a
small-block V8 replaced the
big-block V8s of previous years. The standard engine outside California was the
Windsor V8, while the larger
351M and Ford 335 engine| and T-tops were available as options along with the 351W. In California, the 351 was the standard engine, and the 400 was optionally available. For the first time, a wide, fixed "B" pillar was used, reflecting Detroit's discontinuation of the pillarless hardtop body designs. However, the door window glass remained frameless. In 1978, Ford offered the "Diamond Jubilee Edition" to commemorate the company's 75th year as an auto manufacturer. This option package virtually doubled the standard price of the car to almost US$12,000. It included every option available except for a
moonroof and engine block heater. A similar "Heritage" option package was available for 1979. Though this generation was the most successful ever, with over 955,000 units produced in its three-year run, The new Thunderbird was developed on Ford's
MN12 (mid-sized North American Project 12) platform, which had been in development since 1984. Featuring a 9-inch (229 mm) longer wheelbase than the previous-generation Thunderbird and a four-wheel
independent suspension, the car offered better handling and ride quality. Only two engines were originally available—naturally aspirated and supercharged versions of the
Essex V6. The
naturally aspirated standard engine produced , while the "Super Coupe" model received a
supercharged and
intercooled version rated at . The 35th anniversary of the Thunderbird was released in 1989, for the 1990 model year. The Super Coupe was available with a black-and-silver two-tone paint Anniversary Edition with Anniversary floor mats, a car cover, a pen, a poster, and a few other anniversary collectible items. A V8, marketed as the "5.0" was added in 1990, for the 1991 model year. Power ranged between the standard and supercharged versions of the 3.8 L V6. In 1993, the 1994 model year Thunderbird received a substantial refresh, including stylistic changes inside and out and mechanical enhancements. In particular, the small block V8 was replaced with Ford's new
Modular 4.6 L
OHC V8. The Super Coupe's supercharged V6 produced more power and torque.
Eleventh generation (2002–2005) For model year 2002, after a five-year hiatus, the Thunderbird returned for its eleventh generation, returning to a two-passenger convertible body style. Along with its revived layout, the 2002 Thunderbird combined many design elements of the first generation with the minimalist styling of the third generation convertibles. A predominant feature of the removable hardtop was the circular window (from the 1956-1957 versions). The eleventh-generation Thunderbird uses the
Ford DEW platform also used by the
Lincoln LS sedan (and the
Jaguar S-Type); the
Ford Mustang is loosely based on it. Though sharing no body panels with its sedan counterparts, the Thunderbird shared some visible components with the LS (instrument panel, steering wheel, and other trim pieces). As with the LS V8, the Thunderbird was powered by a Jaguar DOHC 3.9 L
AJ-30 V8, producing and of torque; the engine was paired with a Ford-designed
5R55N 5-speed automatic. For 2003, the AJ30 became the AJ35 following the addition of
variable valve timing and
electronic throttle control; output increased to and of torque. The 5-speed automatic received optional
SelectShift manual shifting control. With sales dropping significantly after its first model year, Ford discontinued the eleventh-generation Thunderbird after the 2005 model year; the final vehicle was manufactured on July 1, 2005. As of current production, Ford has not returned the model line to sale in any form. ==Convertible models==