Ford Thunderbird Cars For Sale In United States

Show search form

Thunderbird is a legendary car of the fifties and sixties. Truly iconic figures can be found among his fans. For example, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, who included 50 brand new cars of this brand in his inaugural cavalcade. The movie star Marilyn Monroe had a pale pink Thunderbird.

Translated from English Thunderbird "Thunderbird". It has its roots in American Indian mythology. This bird was a totem of some tribes and at the same time a folklore character. The miraculous bird was considered a messengerm of gods, she ruled the sky and helped people preserve the harvest. Traditionally, she is depicted with a sharp curved beak, a tuft on her head and wings outstretched to the sides. Since its debut on February 20, 1954, to this day, all Ford Thunderbird cars are decorated with one or another version of the Indian totem. Elden Giberson, a young employee of a promising design studio, suggested the name of the sports model of the company, and designer William Barnett embodied the idea in metal.

The Thunderbird is Ford's answer to General Motors' release of the Chevrolet Corvette. ANDwe must admit that the answer is successful, because in the first 10 days of sales alone, 3500 applications were received from those wishing to purchase a car.

The Thunderbird was only sold with an open body, but was equipped with an easily removable hard plastic top. The driving force was a V8 engine with a volume of 4.79 l / 198 hp, the power of which with a compressor reached 300 hp.

Everyone liked the car so much that they forgave him minor inconveniences, for example, a small trunk, which is why the spare wheel was attached to the rear bumper with a special bracket.

ThroughoutThunderbird was released almost unchanged for two seasons.

In preparation for the 1957 model, the rear of the body was lengthened, thereby increasing the volume of the trunk, and also more clearly marked the fashionable tail fenders. The front part of the body, the dashboard and the interior design have changed slightly. A radio was developed specifically for the 1957 model, which automatically increased the volume of the sound in proportion to the speed of the car.

The two-seater Thunderbird 1957 is replaced by a less sporty model: larger, more and moresophisticated and already four-seater "Square Bird". From a commercial point of view, the four-seater was more successful than the two-seater. It was on the assembly line for three years, and the demand for it turned out to be much higher.

Models from 1958-1960 were offered in two versions: open and closed. There were no special differences between the models of different years: only the number and configuration of the side linings, the location of the name, the shape of the air intake cutout in the front bumper and the number of taillights changed.

Another shiftmodels occurred in 1960. The Thunderbird was now powered by a 6.3L 300hp engine.

The 1967-1969 model was an amateur car. The power of the seven-liter engine reached 345 hp.

In 1974, the next "Thunderbird" appeared - Big Bird with a new design of the radiator grille, fanged bumper and a less powerful engine. But it ran on unleaded gasoline, and its exhaust was purified by a catalyst.

In 1983, the Ford Thunderbird Coupe with a streamlined body, the work of Jack Telnak, appears. Modification of the Turbo Coupe was equipped with a 4-cylindera 140 hp turbocharged engine. Acceleration from standstill to 100 km / h - 9.6 seconds.

Further, the story developed in such a way that from an elegant two-seater sports car Ford Thunderbird turned into an ordinary four-seater car of the 90s, and its original concept was completely lost.

In 1997, due to a catastrophic drop in demand, the last Thunderbird was discontinued. It was equipped with a V8 with 205 hp. or a 6-cylinder engine with a 230 hp turbocharger.

But the history of the modelbut it did not end there. After 45 years, the style of this car was repeated, interpreted in the spirit of our time and in full accordance with the achievements of the most advanced technologies, as well as modern fashion. The stylistic reconstruction was carried out so thoroughly that such trifles as the branded lettering, round headlights, metal trims, a rounded bonnet, characteristic fog lights, taillights and, finally, the Thunderbird nameplate with a turquoise insert were not forgotten. At the same time, of course, modern Thunderbird is still different. On histhe body has no rear keels and massive chrome bumpers, and everything else has been preserved, but kind of rejuvenated.

In 1999, a new generation of Thunderbird debuted at the Detroit Motor Show. Its mass production began in 2001 at a plant in Michigan.

The two-seater roadster is successfully styled after the 1961 model: the oval radiator grille, the shape of the bumpers, wheel arches and large round taillights take the viewer into the past. But with technical solutions, the new Thunderbird is directed to the future.

Despite its charming forms and I seemWith a burgeoning personality, the Thunderbird borrows heavily from the Lincoln LS architecture. For example, the car is built on the new rear-wheel drive DEW platform, on which the Lincoln LS and Jaguar S-Type are designed.

The interior of the 2002 Thunderbird is exactly the same as the interior of the Lincoln LS. The design of the streamlined center dashboard is very well thought out. The instruments are positioned so that they are perfectly visible to the driver, and the audio and climate control systems are positioned in such a way that they are very easy to use. Despite the fact that the exterior of the car is made in the style of rero, its interior is notable for its modern design. The seat upholstery, steering wheel and gear lever trim are available in 3 colors: Inspiration Yellow, Torch Red or Thunderbird Blue.

In terms of the main units and details, Thunderbird is unified with Jaguar S. Independent front and rear wheel suspensions, containing elements of lightweight alloys, are mounted on subframes. Both vehicles use rack-and-pinion steering, all-wheel disc brakes with ABS and optional Traction Control.

Car interior canboast such amenities as a dual-zone climate control system, a driver's seat with a sophisticated system of settings and a lumbar bolster, a telescopic steering column. Thanks to the long wheelbase, the legroom is quite large at just over a meter.

A black soft top is standard on the Thunderbird, however, if desired, the buyer can get a car with a removable hard top. In addition, the roof can be made in the same color scheme as the car body itself. BigThe rear window, located on the removable roof, provides a good view of what is happening behind.

17-inch, 21-spoke aluminum wheels are standard on the 2002 Thunderbird, while 17-inch, 7-spoke chrome wheels are available as an option. The trunk, which has a volume of 190 liters, is quite roomy for a 2-seater car.

The power plant is a 3.9-liter, 32-valve aluminum alloy V8 engine with 260 hp. at 6100 rpm, equipped with an electronic injection system thenliva Ford-EEC-V. It is aggregated only with a 5-speed automatic transmission. Thunderbird's top speed is artificially limited to 130 mph.

The rich standard equipment includes: 4 airbags, a 4-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and cruise control controls, a first-class audio system with a 6-disc CD changer, automatic wipers and a proprietary SecuriLock anti-theft system.

Accordingly, the list of additional equipment is small: chrome wheels instead of kAwesome, hard removable top, Traction Control and a chic interior package.

Thunderbird is one of the most famous Ford models, celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2004. In honor of such an event, Ford is releasing a special edition, which will remain so - 50th Anniversary. For 50 years of release, models with sedan, coupe and convertible bodies saw the light, which sold around the world in an amount of about 1.2 million. Thunderbird has starred in films, raced, and now appears on American postage stamps.

In 2000, a special series was released in a count200 cars 2002 for sale only through the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. This catalog introduces readers to elite samples that are sold on pre-orders only. They differ from serial samples in chic finish and a number of design solutions.

In the spring of 2003, Ford sold 700 copies of the limited edition "007" in commemoration of the car's participation in the James Bond films. And another series of 1,500 Pacific Coast Roadster Thunderbird was sold in 2004.

Today,Ford plans to phase out production of the stylish retro Ford Thunderbird as early as the 2005 or 2006 model year. Representatives of the company explain this decision by the low popularity of this model among buyers. Meanwhile, Ford representatives do not exclude the possibility that after some time a completely new car may appear under the name Ford Thunderbird, which, like its predecessor, will be produced in limited editions. However, even the approximate timing of the appearance of such a car has not yet been reported.

List of the Ford models