The Ford Thunderbird 50th Anniversary Edition marked 50 years since the first Thunderbird model was launched. Then there was a full stop.
Some say the Thunderbird has been dead for a long time because the models no longer followed the original concept. When Ford launched the Thunderbird in 1955, it was to take on the competition from the Chevrolet Corvette. The model was marketed as "a personal luxury car" to signal that Ford had no sporting ambitions. A small, snappy car with a big engine and 2 seats was still not too far from the Corvette, although the two models were to develop in completely different directions.
During the 50s, all American cars became more voluminous - both in size and level of equipment - a development that the Thunderbird became a part of. In 1958, the model got 4 seats. The cars got bigger, got more chrome and more equipment - and at the end of the 60s you could even get a Thunderbird with 4 doors. Eventually, the Thunderbird was to become more and more similar to Ford's other models. The latest models appeared as a 2-door variant of the Taurus family car. It bore little resemblance to the original concept.
GM chose to let the Corvette follow a completely different track. All Corvette models were produced as 2-seaters without growing as much in size as the Thunderbird. Corvette has always had a sporty profile and new models appear as pure sports cars.
The retro car
Actually, production of the Thunderbird series ceased already in September 1997. But after 4 years, Ford chose to produce a new generation of Thunderbird based on a retro roadster design. This was a time when there was a retro wave going through the car industry. The new Ford Thunderbird was launched as a 2002 model. In the autumn, the James Bond film "Die Another Day" was included Pierce Brosnan og Halle Berry shown in cinemas. Ford had succeeded in placing its new model in a couple of scenes. Good advertising. For 2003, they produced 700 copies of the “007” car in the special coral red color.
The 2002 model sold slightly better than Ford's expectations - which was far below what its predecessor sold. The following year, sales fell by half - and continued to fall. Thus, the retro model ended up as a sales flop. In some forums, the last model is presented as a reason why Thunderbird disappeared.
It is difficult to say when the Thunderbird actually "died" - or ended up as rather uninteresting cars. Maybe it happened in the late 70s? Maybe it happened with Ford's 8th generation Thunderbird? It was box-shaped and got a tasteless landau top - a design that was already outdated at the time of launch. Nor should we rule out that sedans with 2 doors were not as popular as in the past. 2 doors were reserved for sports cars and the Thunderbird was, as you know, no sports car.
The point is that it was hardly the 2002 model that ended the Thunderbird. Ford simply let the model die slowly over several decades. It was half dead long before the 2002 model arrived.
2002 Ford Thunderbird
Design
A retro design that reflects the design of the first generation from 1955. The idea for the rear lights must have been taken from the 3rd generation. The shape gives associations to the exhausts from a 2-engine jet fighter. The retro design may look better today - than it did when the model was launched more than 20 years ago. The interior is traditional for its era - neither retro nor modern. Recessed decorative elements made of aluminum contribute a little to heighten the impression somewhat.
Platform
The Thunderbird is built on Ford's DEW98 platform which was also used by the Lincoln LS and Jaguar S-Type at the same time.
Drivetrain
The engine is a 3,9 V8 with 280 hp developed by Jaguar before Ford took over the company. Early versions of this engine series had problems with Nikasil-treated cylinder liners, but this was fixed long before production of the Thunderbird began. The AJ-35 engines for the Ford Thunderbird and the sister model Lincoln Laser are not manufactured in England. They are manufactured in the USA. All cars were delivered with 5-speed automatic gearboxes with rear-wheel drive
dimensions
Length: 472 cm (2002) – 445 cm (1955)
Width: 183 cm (2002) – 179 cm (1955)
Prices today
Autotrader.com: $30-40.000 (km under 25.000)
— $15-30.000 (low km and in good condition)
Finn.no: NOK 400.000 (km under 25.000) advertisement
— NOK 260 (low km and in good condition) advertisement
Mobile.de: €15-30 (low km and in good condition)
Shipping, scrap deposit and VAT are added to cars from abroad.
Number in Norway (2002-2005)
21 cars – all imported used (Source: regnr.info).
About the pictures
The main image forms the cover of Ford's brochure of the anniversary model. The pictures of the car in reality were taken in Frognerparken, Oslo, on the occasion of the celebration of Independence Day 2024. The picture of the original car was taken outside a car workshop in Fornebu 2024. The picture of the poster from the 007 film was taken from a sales advertisement on eBay and edited to a new format. The other images are press and brochure images from Ford and Lincoln, disseminated through FavCars.com.
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