#1979 THUNDERBIRD PERFORMANCE WINDOWS#

From its sides, the small windows behind the doors brought more light inside the cabin. Ford designers installed color-body wrapped-around bumpers both front and rear, with a rubber strip on them. At the front, the big horizontal headlights improved the car's look. Thanks to its raked windshield and sloped rear windscreen, it was quite attractive. Its cab-rearward design with a long hood and a short trunk made it look very dynamic. The exterior was way more improved than its predecessor. Unfortunately, since it didn't want to compete against the Mustang, Ford made the Thunderbird too slow and, despite its sleek design, it didn't make it into the top sales charts.

#1979 THUNDERBIRD PERFORMANCE FULL#

full description and technical specificationsįord built the ninth generation of the Thunderbird on the same Fox-body platform used for the Mercury Cougar, Ford LTD or Lincoln Continental.Įver since the beginning of the Thunderbird, Ford worried about overlapping it with the Mustang, and while the pony-car received more powerful engines, the T-Bird got more features making it a personal luxury coupe. Unlike most of its American competitors, it featured an independent rear suspension, which added comfort for the big vehicle.

#1979 THUNDERBIRD PERFORMANCE MANUAL#

It was available with a 5-speed manual from Mazda and could keep-up with the most important German sport luxury coupes. The V6 supercharged, also known as the SC, was one of the best from its series. But the bland design was under the exterior's look.įord offered the Thunderbird with a choice of V6 and V8 engines. In the back, there was room enough for two adult passengers. At least, the center stack was right, with a logical layout for the stereo and the air-conditioning unit. The high, adjustable bolsters on the sport seats didn't look that good. Perhaps it was the interior that spoiled the car. Unusual for those times, its rear wheels were placed behind the C-pillar and made the car look more advanced than its competitors.

#1979 THUNDERBIRD PERFORMANCE PLUS#

A grille on the lower side of the bumper plus two air-intakes right under the hood kept the engine cool.

On the hood, it featured the Thunderbird badge and a pair of slim, horizontal headlights. Just by looking at it, it was considered a good competitor for the BMW 6-series. All of a sudden, the T-Bird was the black sheep of the family who didn't get the much-needed lunch-money (advertising), and it didn't get the sales it deserved. The car exceeded its target price and its weight. full description and technical specificationsĭesigned to compete against the finest luxury German coupes on the market, the 1989 Ford Thunderbird was an underrated vehicle.Īfter the car was born, there were huge controversies in the Ford Motor Company, which led to the retirement of Anthony Kuchta, the man behind the project. Later on, in 2003, T-Bird received an updated version, which provided 284 hp. It was paired to a standard 5-speed automatic transmission. Since the T-Bird was built as a personal luxury coupe, it featured two seats at the front and a bench in the back, all leather-wrapped.įord chose to fit one engine under the Thunderbird's hood: a 3.9-liter V8 taken from Jaguar. But those didn't look too good next to the green LCD lettering placed on the bottom. A good thing was the new look for the instrument cluster, which featured four semi-circular dials, with red needles on white faces. In the end, it put just the same thing as in most of its other vehicles. The hardtop featured an oval window on the C-pillar, resembling older Thunderbirds.įor the interior, Ford tried for several years to find the materials which would suit best for the car. With a sloped silhouette, which started taller on the front fenders and descended toward the rear, the convertible inspired the old-style design theme, but in a modern interpretation. The retro-design style could have been seen on the front fascia, with its big and round headlights and the flat, chromed grille with square-grid mesh. The design was inspired by the first-generation of the T-Bird. When it unveiled it, the whole market was enthusiastic, but that enthusiasm didn't last long, and the T-Bird sunk with slow sales. It was based on the same platform as the Jaguar XF or the Lincoln LS. With its retro-design look and modern features, the 2001 Thunderbird should have been a blast from the past and revive the brand name, but it was a flop.įord launched the eleventh generation of the Thunderbird in 1999 as a 2001 model-year.

1979 thunderbird performance