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Ford to kill the Thunderbird in July

1K views 13 replies 0 participants last post by  C. E. White 
G
#1 ·
2005 Thunderbird to Be the Last for Ford

Fri Mar 11, 3:55 AM ET

By DEE-ANN DURBIN, AP Auto Writer

DETROIT - We had fun, fun, fun 'til Ford took the T-bird away. Again.
Ford Motor Co. said Thursday the 2005 model year will be the last for
the current-generation Ford Thunderbird, a retro-styled convertible that
went on sale in August 2001.

Photo
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050310/480/dt10203102245>
AP Photo
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050310/480/dt10203102245>


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Ford had planned to discontinue the Thunderbird after the 2005 or 2006
model year but told employees Thursday production will end in July.

"We promised all along that this Thunderbird would have a limited
production run, and we're being true to our word," Ford Division
President Steve Lyons said. "Thunderbird was a terrific image builder
for the Ford brand showroom at a time when we needed it."

The Wixom Assembly Plant northwest of Detroit, which produces the
Thunderbird, will continue to make the Lincoln LS and Town Car and also
will be the final assembly point for the Ford GT supercar, which was
released last year.

The Thunderbird, one of Ford's most celebrated nameplates, first went on
sale in 1954. Its peak sales year was 1977, when 322,517 redesigned
Thunderbirds were sold. The Thunderbird went through numerous design
changes over the decades before going on hiatus in 1997.

The redesigned 2002 Thunderbird got off to a roaring start. Dealers were
flooded with pre-orders and got $10,000 premiums on top of the car's
sticker price of $30,000. It also won over critics, securing Motor Trend
magazine's Car of the Year award.

But the flurry died down almost as quickly as it emerged. Ford had
projected sales of 25,000 per year but fell well short of that mark.
Just 11,998 Thunderbirds sold in 2004, 33 percent fewer than 2003.

Ford has sold a total of 54,360 new-generation Thunderbirds since 2001.
The company said it has sold 4.2 million Thunderbirds since 1954
 
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G
#2 ·
In article <4232E1E2.3040507@hotmail.com>, Lana_sands@hotmail.com says...
> 2005 Thunderbird to Be the Last for Ford
>
>


My perspective, right or wrong..

It was :

too small a cabin to fit the height of many men who might be interested in the
car.

underpowered / castrated.
HP and torque adequate for a touring sedan but not what was expected of a
retro T-Bird.

overpriced

over hyped before they made the showroom floor, available after what seems like
years of delay.


Buy one now, mothball it for 30 years, pay for your kids college costs at the
unwrapping.
 
G
#3 ·
Steve Stone wrote:

>In article <4232E1E2.3040507@hotmail.com>, Lana_sands@hotmail.com says...
>
>
>>2005 Thunderbird to Be the Last for Ford
>>
>>
>>
>>

>
>My perspective, right or wrong..
>
>It was :
>
>too small a cabin to fit the height of many men who might be interested in the
>car.
>
>underpowered / castrated.
> HP and torque adequate for a touring sedan but not what was expected of a
>retro T-Bird.
>
>overpriced
>
>over hyped before they made the showroom floor, available after what seems like
>years of delay.
>
>
>Buy one now, mothball it for 30 years, pay for your kids college costs at the
>unwrapping.
>
>

Sort of a Cadilac Alante or circa 1983 Mercedes SL. Girls car.... :-\
 
G
#4 ·
The T-Bird production ended for one simple reason, it was only
scheduled to be offered through the 2005 model
year from the very beginning, period.


mike hunt


Tiger wrote:
>
> Steve Stone wrote:
>
> > In article <4232E1E2.3040507@hotmail.com>,
> > Lana_sands@hotmail.com says...
> >
> >
> >> 2005 Thunderbird to Be the Last for Ford
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>

> > My perspective, right or wrong..
> >
> > It was :
> >
> > too small a cabin to fit the height of many men who might be
> > interested in the
> > car.
> >
> > underpowered / castrated.
> > HP and torque adequate for a touring sedan but not what was
> > expected of a
> > retro T-Bird.
> >
> > overpriced
> >
> > over hyped before they made the showroom floor, available
> > after what seems like
> > years of delay.
> >
> >
> > Buy one now, mothball it for 30 years, pay for your kids
> > college costs at the
> > unwrapping.
> >
> >

> Sort of a Cadilac Alante or circa 1983 Mercedes SL. Girls
> car.... :-\
 
G
#5 ·
You say that with the same conviction of when you claimed that plow companies do
not make plows or plow frames for the current F150. You were wrong on the F150
plow question, what makes you correct now?
<MikeHunt2@mailcity.com> wrote in message news:4234BB4D.AE43AE98@mailcity.com...
> The T-Bird production ended for one simple reason, it was only
> scheduled to be offered through the 2005 model
> year from the very beginning, period.
>
>
> mike hunt
>
>
> Tiger wrote:
>>
>> Steve Stone wrote:
>>
>> > In article <4232E1E2.3040507@hotmail.com>,
>> > Lana_sands@hotmail.com says...
>> >
>> >
>> >> 2005 Thunderbird to Be the Last for Ford
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> > My perspective, right or wrong..
>> >
>> > It was :
>> >
>> > too small a cabin to fit the height of many men who might be
>> > interested in the
>> > car.
>> >
>> > underpowered / castrated.
>> > HP and torque adequate for a touring sedan but not what was
>> > expected of a
>> > retro T-Bird.
>> >
>> > overpriced
>> >
>> > over hyped before they made the showroom floor, available
>> > after what seems like
>> > years of delay.
>> >
>> >
>> > Buy one now, mothball it for 30 years, pay for your kids
>> > college costs at the
>> > unwrapping.
>> >
>> >

>> Sort of a Cadilac Alante or circa 1983 Mercedes SL. Girls
>> car.... :-\
 
G
#6 ·
That easy. Because until Ford reintroduced the heavy duty font
end option they did not, except for light duty narrow, and lexon
plows that had only up and down hydraulics.

As too the Bird. The dealers, my one son is one, knew the
limited run from day one, ever down to the one year exclusive
colors to be available for each year. The intent was a high end
floor traffic builder till the all new 2005 and 2006 models
started coming on line.


mike



pick one wrote:
>
> You say that with the same conviction of when you claimed that plow companies do
> not make plows or plow frames for the current F150. You were wrong on the F150
> plow question, what makes you correct now?
> <MikeHunt2@mailcity.com> wrote in message news:4234BB4D.AE43AE98@mailcity.com...
> > The T-Bird production ended for one simple reason, it was only
> > scheduled to be offered through the 2005 model
> > year from the very beginning, period.
> >
> >
> > mike hunt
> >
> >
> > Tiger wrote:
> >>
> >> Steve Stone wrote:
> >>
> >> > In article <4232E1E2.3040507@hotmail.com>,
> >> > Lana_sands@hotmail.com says...
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >> 2005 Thunderbird to Be the Last for Ford
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> > My perspective, right or wrong..
> >> >
> >> > It was :
> >> >
> >> > too small a cabin to fit the height of many men who might be
> >> > interested in the
> >> > car.
> >> >
> >> > underpowered / castrated.
> >> > HP and torque adequate for a touring sedan but not what was
> >> > expected of a
> >> > retro T-Bird.
> >> >
> >> > overpriced
> >> >
> >> > over hyped before they made the showroom floor, available
> >> > after what seems like
> >> > years of delay.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > Buy one now, mothball it for 30 years, pay for your kids
> >> > college costs at the
> >> > unwrapping.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> Sort of a Cadilac Alante or circa 1983 Mercedes SL. Girls
> >> car.... :-\
 
G
#7 ·
Oh please! And I thought John Force was the master of the back pedal! The only
suspension upgrade for plowing is heaver springs. The plow option includes the
5.4 engine and stiffer springs ( nothing else on the suspension ) and the E40D
now called the 4R100, not the 4R70W because of the higher torque handling
capabilities. The front end is other wise no different that any other F150. Why
the stiffer springs? too support the weight of the plow when pushing snow. Lexon
plows??????? Try both Polyethylene and steel. Mountings? Four different types
from Meyers alone.




<MikeHunt2@mailcity.com> wrote in message news:4234E8B3.D37E4822@mailcity.com...
> That easy. Because until Ford reintroduced the heavy duty font
> end option they did not, except for light duty narrow, and lexon
> plows that had only up and down hydraulics.
>
> As too the Bird. The dealers, my one son is one, knew the
> limited run from day one, ever down to the one year exclusive
> colors to be available for each year. The intent was a high end
> floor traffic builder till the all new 2005 and 2006 models
> started coming on line.
>
>
> mike
>
>
>
> pick one wrote:
>>
>> You say that with the same conviction of when you claimed that plow companies
>> do
>> not make plows or plow frames for the current F150. You were wrong on the
>> F150
>> plow question, what makes you correct now?
>> <MikeHunt2@mailcity.com> wrote in message
>> news:4234BB4D.AE43AE98@mailcity.com...
>> > The T-Bird production ended for one simple reason, it was only
>> > scheduled to be offered through the 2005 model
>> > year from the very beginning, period.
>> >
>> >
>> > mike hunt
>> >
>> >
>> > Tiger wrote:
>> >>
>> >> Steve Stone wrote:
>> >>
>> >> > In article <4232E1E2.3040507@hotmail.com>,
>> >> > Lana_sands@hotmail.com says...
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >> 2005 Thunderbird to Be the Last for Ford
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> > My perspective, right or wrong..
>> >> >
>> >> > It was :
>> >> >
>> >> > too small a cabin to fit the height of many men who might be
>> >> > interested in the
>> >> > car.
>> >> >
>> >> > underpowered / castrated.
>> >> > HP and torque adequate for a touring sedan but not what was
>> >> > expected of a
>> >> > retro T-Bird.
>> >> >
>> >> > overpriced
>> >> >
>> >> > over hyped before they made the showroom floor, available
>> >> > after what seems like
>> >> > years of delay.
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> > Buy one now, mothball it for 30 years, pay for your kids
>> >> > college costs at the
>> >> > unwrapping.
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> Sort of a Cadilac Alante or circa 1983 Mercedes SL. Girls
>> >> car.... :-\
 
G
#8 ·
Steve Stone wrote:
>
> In article <4232E1E2.3040507@hotmail.com>, Lana_sands@hotmail.com says...
> > 2005 Thunderbird to Be the Last for Ford
> >
> >

>
> My perspective, right or wrong..
>
> It was :
>
> too small a cabin to fit the height of many men who might be interested in the
> car.


I am 6'3" and need to diet, but I can fit in a Thunderbird
(barely).

> underpowered / castrated.
> HP and torque adequate for a touring sedan but not what was expected of a
> retro T-Bird.


Compared to what? A Corvette? Until the 2003 Mustang Mach 1,
it was Ford's most powerful non-SVT car. 280 Hp is not too
shabby. The Lexus SC has only 300 hp from a 10% larger
engine and costs a lot more. The Mercedes SLK only has 268
Hp, again for a lot more money. The BMW Z-4 is a little more
expensive than a Thunderbird, and has only 225 Hp.

> overpriced


Compared to what? Name a comparable car that cost less.

> over hyped before they made the showroom floor, available after what seems like
> years of delay.


No argument here.

> Buy one now, mothball it for 30 years, pay for your kids college costs at the
> unwrapping.


Maybe, maybe not. In terms of what you could do with
$35,000, I doubt "investing" in a Thunderbird makes much
sense. Do you think that if you had bought a new on in 1955
and kept it until now, you'd be better off than if you had
invested it in the stock market? I don't think so. A 1955
T-bird was around $3500 new. Even if you just put the money
in the bank at 5%, you'd have to be able to sell the T-Bird
for over $40,000 to get ahead. And you could have done a lot
better than bank interest by putting the money into a few
good stocks in 1955. With minimal investing skill, you
should have been able to turn $3500 in 1955 into $100,000
today. Now maybe you could sell a non driven 1955 T-Bird for
more than $50k, but I would not bet on doing the same with a
2005 in 2055.

Ed
 
G
#9 ·
I am 6' 2".

I would not want to spend a 3 hour road trip in a current production run
T-Bird. Maybe a 30 minute run thru some parkland would be okay.
If I was 5' 6" I might consider it.
Like someone else said.. It is a girl car. Like the Miata

I am not comparing HP and torque of the T-Bird to any other car.

I am comparing it to public expectation based on T-Bird history and legend.

Ford could have done better in this department.
 
G
#10 ·
Steve Stone wrote:
>
> I am 6' 2".
>
> I would not want to spend a 3 hour road trip in a current production run
> T-Bird. Maybe a 30 minute run thru some parkland would be okay.
> If I was 5' 6" I might consider it.


I have four vehicles - 2003 Expedition, 2003 Saturn Vue,
1992 F150, 2004 Thunderbird. The head room on the T-bird is
tight but of the four, after a long trip, I am the least
tired when driving the T-Bird. I do wish it had more
headroom. It is barely adequate for me at 6'3". I make a 300
ile round trip in the T-Bird at least once every two weeks.
I also drove the T-Bird from Pompano Beach, Florida to
Raleigh, NC and found it very comfortable.

> Like someone else said.. It is a girl car. Like the Miata


Hmm, most of the people I know who own Thunderbirds are
guys.

> I am not comparing HP and torque of the T-Bird to any other car.
>
> I am comparing it to public expectation based on T-Bird history and legend.


I don't know what the public expected. My belief is that it
is probably the best handling T-Bird ever, and except for a
few hard to find exceptions, the fastest as well.
Here are some 0-60 and 1/4 mile times for various
Thunderbirds from the web

1955 Ford Thunderbird 292ci 11.5 18.0
1973 Ford Thunderbird 460ci 9.0 17.4
1980 Ford Thunderbird 302ci 11.1 18.0
1983 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe 9.7 17.1
1987 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe 8.5 16.3
1989 Ford Thunderbird SC 7.4 15.9
1990 Ford Thunderbird SC 7.4 15.8
1991 Ford Thunderbird LX 9.0 16.7
1993 Ford Thunderbird SC 7.2 15.7
1994 Ford Thunderbird LX V6 8.8 16.4
1995 Ford Thunderbird SC 7.0 15.2
1996 Ford Thunderbird LX V8 7.9 15.8
2002 Ford Thunderbird 7.0 15.28
2004 Ford Thunderbird 6.7 15.10
1957 Ford Thunderbird "F Code" Supercharged "6 sec range" no
1/4 mile time found
1957 Ford Thunderbird "D Code" "10 sec range" no 1/4 mile
time found

As I see it, with the possible exception of the 1957
Supercharged 312 Thunderbird (built in tiny numbers and not
really a production car at all), a 2004 Thunderbird is the
fasted production Thunderbird ever. What did the public
expect, if the fastest production Thunderbird ever isn't
good enough?

> Ford could have done better in this department.


I suppose Ford could have installed the supercharged 4.2L
Jaguar version of the engine. I wish they had, at least for
the 50th anneversary model. But then it would have had
needed to cost considerably more.

Ed
 
G
#11 ·
MikeHunt2@mailcity.com wrote:
>
> That easy. Because until Ford reintroduced the heavy duty font
> end option they did not, except for light duty narrow, and lexon
> plows that had only up and down hydraulics.
>
> As too the Bird. The dealers, my one son is one, knew the
> limited run from day one, ever down to the one year exclusive
> colors to be available for each year. The intent was a high end
> floor traffic builder till the all new 2005 and 2006 models
> started coming on line.
>
> mike


Actually I think Ford did consider producing the T-bird for
one more year. One of the pilfered Blue Oval News documents
even listed a Job One date for the 2006 Model.

Ed
 
G
#12 ·
You are correct but the new models are selling so well, without
rebates, so the Bird was dropped as planed originally. The
Mustang is doing so well, the intro price for the convertible has
been raised $595.

mike hunt



"C. E. White" wrote:
>
> MikeHunt2@mailcity.com wrote:
> >
> > That easy. Because until Ford reintroduced the heavy duty font
> > end option they did not, except for light duty narrow, and lexon
> > plows that had only up and down hydraulics.
> >
> > As too the Bird. The dealers, my one son is one, knew the
> > limited run from day one, ever down to the one year exclusive
> > colors to be available for each year. The intent was a high end
> > floor traffic builder till the all new 2005 and 2006 models
> > started coming on line.
> >
> > mike

>
> Actually I think Ford did consider producing the T-bird for
> one more year. One of the pilfered Blue Oval News documents
> even listed a Job One date for the 2006 Model.
>
> Ed
 
G
#13 ·
On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 14:28:05 -0500, C. E. White wrote:

>
>
> Steve Stone wrote:
>>
>> I am 6' 2".
>>
>> I would not want to spend a 3 hour road trip in a current production run
>> T-Bird. Maybe a 30 minute run thru some parkland would be okay.
>> If I was 5' 6" I might consider it.

>
> I have four vehicles - 2003 Expedition, 2003 Saturn Vue,
> 1992 F150, 2004 Thunderbird. The head room on the T-bird is
> tight but of the four, after a long trip, I am the least
> tired when driving the T-Bird. I do wish it had more
> headroom. It is barely adequate for me at 6'3". I make a 300
> ile round trip in the T-Bird at least once every two weeks.
> I also drove the T-Bird from Pompano Beach, Florida to
> Raleigh, NC and found it very comfortable.


I count three trucks and one car. Of course the car is more comfortable!
Of course it depends on which car and which truck you compare, but
generally cars are more comfortable than trucks.

Rodney


----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----
 
G
#14 ·
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rodney" <rodney@mailinator.com>
Newsgroups: alt.autos.ford
Sent: Monday, March 14, 2005 7:05 PM
Subject: Re: Ford to kill the Thunderbird in July


> > I have four vehicles - 2003 Expedition, 2003 Saturn Vue,
> > 1992 F150, 2004 Thunderbird. The head room on the T-bird is
> > tight but of the four, after a long trip, I am the least
> > tired when driving the T-Bird. I do wish it had more
> > headroom. It is barely adequate for me at 6'3". I make a 300
> > ile round trip in the T-Bird at least once every two weeks.
> > I also drove the T-Bird from Pompano Beach, Florida to
> > Raleigh, NC and found it very comfortable.

>
> I count three trucks and one car. Of course the car is more comfortable!
> Of course it depends on which car and which truck you compare, but
> generally cars are more comfortable than trucks.



I think you are confusing the official definition of trucks for CAFE rating
purposes with reality. The F150 is definitely a truck and mine is a stripper
at that (rubber mats, bench seat) but it actually drives nicely, despite its
age (13 years). The Expedition is sort of a truck, but really more like a
tall station wagon with 4WD. It reminds me of the big Ford station wagons of
the late 60's and early 70's. The Expedition is actually shorter and
narrower than those big wagons, but much taller. The Expedition can tow
significant loads and is truck like in that respect. With 8 seats it is good
people mover and the vehicle of choice for transporting 3 or more people for
long distances. The Vue is just a smallish station wagon with all wheel
drive. The Vue can't tow much and has limited cargo capacity. It is damn
sorry truck, but a good little car for hauling around a couple of large
sized teenagers and groceries. It is Ok on a long trip, except it has
mediocre seats. The ride is good and it has decent performance despite the
2.2L 4 cylinder engine. I don't think anyone would confuse it with a truck
though.

Ed
 
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