Ford Thunderbird

The Thunderbird was a car first marketed by Ford from 1955 to 1992, and again from 2002 to 2004. It was originally intended as competition for the Chevrolet Corvette, and thus competed in GT racing. By the end of the fifties it had changed from a roadster into a sedan. The mid sixties brought about the "bullet bird" generation, designed to be more aerodynamic and competitive. After several generations of being a fullsize sedan, the Thunderbird was redesigned to be more aerodynamic and competitive. The T-Bird competed in IMSA GTO and Trans Am alongside its Mercury Cougar twin. The T-Bird was discontinued in 1992, but revived in 2002 using a retro-inspired design. This design even brought back the iconic porthole. Due to its high price, however, the T-Bird was discontinued after only a few years. The revived model did not compete in racing. The Thunderbird formed the basis for the Ford Ranchero when the Ranchero was first introduced.