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Ford Thunderbird (colloquially called the T-Bird) is a nameplate that was used by Ford from model years 1955 to 1997 and 2002 to 2005 for a personal luxury car during which there were eleven distinct generations. Introduced as a two-seat convertible, the Thunderbird was produced in a variety of body configurations. These included a four-seat hardtop coupe, four-seat convertible, five-seat convertible and hardtop, four-door pillared hardtop sedan, six-passenger hardtop coupe, and five passenger pillared coupe, with the final generation designed again as a two-seat convertible.
Ford targeted the two-seat Thunderbird as an upscale model, but the design introduced for 1958 featured a rear seat and arguably marked expansion of a market segment eventually known as personal luxury cars. An American interpretation of the grand tourer, personal luxury cars were built with a higher emphasis on driving comfort and convenience features over handling and high-speed performance.
After a five year hiatus, Ford introduced the 2002 Thunderbird. Returning to the original formula for the Thunderbird, the latest version had a two-passenger convertible/removable hardtop configuration like the first-generation Thunderbird and styling strongly recalling the original.
The eleventh generation Thunderbird was manufactured at Ford's Wixom Assembly Plant, sharing the Ford DEW platform with the Lincoln LS, Jaguar S-Type and XF. Though the Thunderbird's exterior styling was unique relative to the others, the instrument panel, steering wheel and other trim pieces were borrowed from Lincoln LS. The sole engine of the Thunderbird was a Jaguar-designed AJ-30 3.9 L DOHC V8, a short-stroke variant of the Jaguar AJ-26 4.0 L V8, rated at 252 hp and 267 lbft of torque — in combination with Ford's 5R55N 5-speed automatic transmission. The AJ-30 V8 was replaced by the AJ-35 in 2003 and later Thunderbirds, bringing with it variable valve timing (VVT) and electronic throttle control (ETC) as well as 280 hp and 286 lbft of torque. Complementing the extra power and torque provided by the AJ-35 V8, a manual shift feature for the 5-speed automatic called SelectShift was available as an option in 2003 and later Thunderbirds. With sales dropping off significantly after its first model year, Ford ended Thunderbird production with the 2005 model year the Thunderbird. The last Thunderbird was manufactured on July 1, 2005. These cars were a bit if a Halo model, made in relatively limited numbers, and were recognized early on as an instant collectible
This very nice example has covered only 73,000 miles from new and is in excellent condition with a new battery and tires. The car is fully loaded and everything works in the car.
This car is just in! we will post many more pictures soon.