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| 2002 Thunderbird recaptured the magic of the original |
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Promoted under the banner of "Living Legends" - a model series to also include the latest Mustang, the GT (GT40 revival) and Forty-Nine - the all-new Thunderbird went on sale in January 2001, following a no-expenses spared launch at the Detroit Motor Show (where a kitted-up Sports Roadster concept was also revealed). J Mays, Ford's Vice President for Design, described the car as a "modern interpretation of the classic roadsters" and said that "the 2002 Thunderbird was designed to point to the future while recapturing some of the magic of the original. From the 1955 roadster to the 1999 concept, seldom in automotive history has a car created such an emotional attachment. With the launch of the new roadster, Thunderbird continues to be a true American icon."
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| Halle Berry drove a Thunderbird in the 2002 Bond film "Die Another Day" |
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Based on the same rear-wheel drive platform as the Lincoln LS and Jaguar S-Type, it is an unashamed tribute to the first Thunderbird, with its optional removable hard-top and circular porthole windows. Fitted with Ford's 252bhp 3.9 V8, it meets modern performance expectations and whilst it's not the sportiest drive in Ford's range, it is as refined and comfortable as the Jaguar and Lincoln models with which it shares so many components.
Ford's entire Thunderbird production for the year - 25,000 cars - sold out before deliveries even started, at a price of $35,000. After the initial excitement, however, sales have now died down, despite the display of high-performance concepts such as the Supercharged Thunderbird shown in Los Angeles in 2002 and a performance upgrade for 2003. A Georgia-based Ford dealer told the Detroit News last year that "the demand is nonexistent right now… it's such a small niche that it seems like everyone who wanted one got one."
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| 2004 Commemorative Stamp |
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Ford maintains that a short production run was only ever planned, as it intended to establish the car as a collectors' item. The Thunderbird is scheduled to go out of production by the end of 2005, marking the end of another era; expect Final Edition versions next year, as well as the 50th Anniversary special edition models launched this autumn to celebrate the half-century. But the story is probably not over yet: Ford has dropped some strong hints that the Thunderbird name could return yet again in the future.
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