Hooniverse Asks- What Should the Next Thunderbird be Like?

Robert Emslie

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Thunderbirds

 

Ford’s Thunderbird is nearly as iconic a fixture for the brand as is the Mustang. In fact, a little known bit of trivia is that Ford revisited the two-seat Thunderbird platform as a possible basis for the nascent pony car, before Lee Iacocca slapped some sense into them. Ford’s upscale personal ride served valiantly for decades long, suffering through some questionable re-imaginings, as well as those that proved wildly popular. Serving as such a staple of the brand, it’s surprising that the Thunderbird has remained absent from dealer lots these past seven years.

What’s your favorite T-bird? For me it’s the first one – the 1955 two seater. Oh sure, it’s not a great car- jack it up in the middle with the doors open, and then try and close them. Go ahead, I’ll wait. Still, it’s a beautiful car, a restrained and yet expressive icon of fifties Americana. You might like the ’80s aerobird more. That’s the car that really saved the marque’s bacon (Mmmm, bacon) after the disaster that was the ’80 – ’82 box bird. Oh, and about that last one, we will speak no more.

But we do want to talk about the next Thunderbird. How do I know there will be a next Thunderbird? Well, that’s a brand that’s very valuable to Ford, and unless they apply it to a product, they potentially could lose the rights to the name. Yikes! So, knowing that Ford will someday soon bring forth a new T-bird, what shape and to what place in the world do you think it should aspire? Personal coupe? Mid-engine sports car? Luxury sedan? What do you think the next T-bird should be like?

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68 responses to “Hooniverse Asks- What Should the Next Thunderbird be Like?”

  1. muthalovin Avatar
    muthalovin

    Take one part Raptor (still with me? Good). Take 2 parts Ford GT. Take 1/4 part Lincoln Blackwood (I just lost you, didn't I?) and 2 pinches of opera windows.
    Actually, a new T-Bird should be a clean sheet design, I think. Retro has been done to death.

    Reply
    1. MVEilenstein Avatar
      MVEilenstein

      I don't think retro is dead, but I think they jumped the shark a little with the last T-bird. It was almost too retro, if that makes sense.

      Reply
    2. Bruno Balestra Avatar
      Bruno Balestra

      Here's the thing about retro:
      It looked good once, it can look good again. The beetle is a good example. All of them are endearing in their own right. Personally, I would like to own one the latest Turbo models. Great bang for the buck here in Brazil, specially considering it's 15% more than a 2.slow MkIV Golf that we still get.
      Houses are made to look like a certain period, tv, fridges, even the iPhone hasn't changed all that much.
      What is it you say, "the form makes the product"? Exactly. It doesn't matter the reson people like it. I like the new Mustang and Challenger. I like the Camaro a bit less, but the last Tbird I liked a lot. The inner 70 year old in me loved it. And I'm only 25. I am into tweaking cars a bit, like putting on the right wheels, some eibachs or konis, maybe. That Tbird has potential for me. Look at what Foose did. You may now punch me in the face.
      But before I go: GT+Blackwood+Raptor? Really? What do you mean?

      Reply
      1. muthalovin Avatar
        muthalovin

        Sorry, it's been a long running theme that the answer to any Hooniverse Asks is either the Ford GT or Raptor, and that the Blackwood was the last "real" Lincoln. I was just goofin' around, kinda.

        Reply
  2. Lola Beedo Avatar
    Lola Beedo

    The last Tbird had too much of a rounded-off Fisher-Price look to it. I'd like to see a new Tbird with the look of the '62, with sharp trailing edges at least, vestigial fins, and an adult attitude. Not another Jello mold blob.

    Reply
  3. Hopman Avatar
    Hopman

    Two options:
    Make it similar to the old Caddy XLR: Good performace, retractable hard top, high luxury. Aim iy at the Mercedes droptops.
    Make it a Miata / BRZ fighter. Smaller than a Mustamg, two-seater only, soft top, and only make it aviable with stick. A real DRIVER'S car.

    Reply
  4. Arco777 Avatar
    Arco777

    I had a 95 T-Bird V8 and loved it. It was a great highway cruiser capable of attaining ludicrous speed quickly, comfortable, and looked unique. Wish I could have another one but the wife gives me a pained look every time I mention it.
    Personally I think that was a pretty good take on the Thunderbird name, if lacking slightly in the luxury aspect (Go Mark VIII!). I'd like a reboot to be a similar design philosophy.

    Reply
    1. Arco777 Avatar
      Arco777

      I traded a battered '91 Camaro RS (305 TBI) for the T-Bird a few years ago. The kid I traded the Camaro to was ecstatic to get an obnoxiously loud "sports car", which he probably never realized was much slower than the T-Bird. Later discovered the odometer was a lie; the 'Bird was a former rental car and now had in excess of 300,000 actual miles on it through over a dozen owners. That explained why the 4.6 used half a quart of oil for every 100 miles. The drivers side door striker metal was all cracked and shredded, a common failure point on these bodies, and the door handle was tired of the rough handling (hur hur) it had received. The white paint had held up well and I didn't bother to remove the "RIDE HARD" front license plate.

      Reply
      1. Arco777 Avatar
        Arco777

        Junkyard interior parts (seats, headliner, console, lots of trim) made the interior a nicer place to be when it wasn't hot outside. The electronic climate control was very nifty when the screen worked, but the AC didn't. Lots of little things needed fixed from sheer overuse, like worn out buttons, but fixing them was cheap. Everything was reasonably easy to wrench on. I didn't do much under the hood (didn't have to) but I did discover one fun quirk. During an oil change, neither I nor the mechanic on duty at the auto hobby shop could figure out how to extract the oil filter once loosened from the block. The filter was just too large and the tie rods/sway bar got in the way. Ultimately I had to lift the engine slightly to get it to slip out, though I've heard that at full steering lock there is enough clearance to wiggle it out.

        Reply
        1. Arco777 Avatar
          Arco777

          Suprisingly the chassis didn't squeak or rattle at all, and the IRS was still functioning well enough for the car to be great fun in corners. The 4.6 didn't have enough torque to easily spin the tires, but with a stab of the throttle at highway speeds the speedometer would just lay over. It wanted to go fast and was comfortable doing so; to this day none of the Mustangs I have had (91 GT, 90 LX 5.0, 08 4.6) have ever made me feel so likely to get a speeding ticket. You just didn't realize how fast you were going in that Thunderbird. The long nose was unusual to a driver used to SUVs, and in a parts store parking lot I cleanly removed the lens from a front turn signal using an F-250's tire sidewall. A $5 fix and I never admitted fault to anyone, instead claiming someone hit my car while parked.

          Reply
          1. Arco777 Avatar
            Arco777

            I drove the Thunderbird for several months while courting my girlfriend, who is now my wife. She didn't care for the car but found no fault with it transporting me daily to and from my dorm room on the airbase to her house. On cold mornings at 5AM the Thunderbird would faithfully carry me at high speed back to the base, the driving experience partially making up for missing her badly as soon as I left her house.
            I eventually traded the Thunderbird for a '93 Bronco. The T-bird had come to me from the backwoods dirt roads, and back to a dirt road family it went. I look for it daily on Craigslist, years later, and hope to see it alive and well. If another pops up for sale I may just have to buy it – and ask for forgiveness.

  5. $kaycog Avatar
    $kaycog

    1957 Thunderbird is my favorite year. I vote that all the Birds look like Ford's 1957 Battlebird.
    <img src="http://www.sportscardigest.com/wp-content/uploads/1957-Ford-Thunderbird-Factory-Racing-Car.jpg"width="500"/&gt;

    Reply
  6. JayP2112 Avatar
    JayP2112

    Gotta be a true 4 place Grand Tourer and since the 4 door T-Bird has precedence…
    Look at the 6 Series Gran Coupe, CLS, VW CC, Audi A7, Jag XF.
    Base it off the AUS Falcon. Ecoboost 4 and 6 plus the 5.0.
    Ford should be paying me for these pearls.

    Reply
    1. Bruno Balestra Avatar
      Bruno Balestra

      That's actually a good idea, but like the BMW it should have coupé and convertible variants and they could be 2+2 or even 2 seaters. It shgould definetly slot above the Stang and get a SVT version with the Supachaged 5.8. To, you know, stuff it in the germans' noses

      Reply
  7. engineerd Avatar
    engineerd

    The last T-bird was the retro model. It was almost too much of a niche car befuddled with an underwhelming powertrain.
    Here's what I think: the T-bird is and was the original Personal Luxury Car. Keep that and nurture that. Sure, the Personal Luxury Car segment isn't what it used to be, but there are still some 2-door luxury cars out there that Ford could target. Put it on the Mustang platform, but with a bespoke body and level of luxury. Go after the G37, IS C, etc. Maybe even the baby Mercedes and Bimmer coupes. Have a level of performance only exceeded by its luxury. No wallowy suspension, but maybe not as firm as a GT350.
    Styling should be all new. Don't go retro. Already been done and it's time to let the designers and artists you pay so well to do what they do best. Let the engineers innovate. Make this the Ford brand's halo car.
    Do it right, and you could have something really special. Do it wrong and it's 1981 all over again.

    Reply
    1. smalleyxb122 Avatar
      smalleyxb122

      I like the idea, but if they did it right, following the current corporate-identity grille, it would undoubtedly look almost exactly like an Aston Martin. Not that that’s a bad thing, but it’s not as good as it would first seem, either. If you’re going to make a halo car, it should be something that people laud for what it is, not constantly compare to what it isn’t. I just don’t want the T-bird to be the “poor man’s Aston Martin.” A halo car shouldn’t be a “poor-man’s” anything.

      Reply
      1. engineerd Avatar
        engineerd

        I beg to differ. A Ford product being compared to the Aston Martin (hopefully in more than just looks) would be much better than it being compared to a rich-man's Fusion.

        Reply
    2. BlackIce_GTS Avatar
      BlackIce_GTS

      That sounds like a great Lincoln Mark MK.
      I'm not sure where the the Thunderbird could fit in. Unless they want to continue half-assing Lincoln, in which case what you said would be a great Thunderbird.

      Reply
      1. engineerd Avatar
        engineerd

        There's the rub.

        Reply
  8. IronBallsMcG Avatar
    IronBallsMcG

    I see a rear wheel drive personal luxury coupe, good performance coupled with luxury.
    While the early Rivieras are typically what I envision when I think of this, an updated version of the aero-birds would be nice. Supercoupe 2.0.

    Reply
  9. P161911 Avatar
    P161911

    Go back to the mid-1980s. A stretched Mustang platform, add IRS and more luxury goodies. Have the same available engines and transmissions as the Mustang. The base model could start at just under $30k. The full S/C with the GT500 engine would be a true M6 competitor for 60% of the price. The hardtop convertible version could be the Cougar.
    http://hooniverse.info/2010/05/21/hooniverse-asks-…

    Reply
    1. Ate Up With Motor Avatar
      Ate Up With Motor

      If it looked distinctive enough, I think this would be a viable idea from a platform and concept standpoint. (I thought they should have done this to create a new Cougar before Ford decided to ax Mercury.)
      Styling is another matter. I would like to see a clean-sheet design without any overt attempts at retro design cues, but I think that's about as likely as my becoming the next pope.

      Reply
  10. racer139 Avatar
    racer139

    It would have to be only avaliable in coupe and convertable form only. Like others have said somthing the size of a 6er BMW with irs and around 450 hp with a stick. somthing loosly based on the new fusion front end but a more taught design.

    Reply
  11. smalleyxb122 Avatar
    smalleyxb122

    I think if the T-bird should come back, it should go back to its roots. Not in a retro sense (We’ve seen how well that doesn’t work), but in a market placement sense. The original Thunderbird was a competitor to the Corvette, and Ford hasn’t had one since. Aside from when they overshot the Corvette with the GT, Ford’s top sporty offering has been a competitor to Chevy’s “next rung down”.
    Or… The idea of a 4-door Mustang named Thunderbird doesn’t disgust me as much as it should. Ford could pull a G8, and bring us the Aussie Falcon with T-bird badges, and I’d be a happy guy. What does Ford have that competes with the forthcoming Chevrolet SS?
    Else… One word: Thundercougarfalconbird!
    <img src="http://www.mediaflame.com/images/thundercougarfalconbird.jpg"&gt;

    Reply
    1. JayP2112 Avatar
      JayP2112

      I'd hope a 4 door Mustang would be called a Falcon.
      <img src="http://carrolodex.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/2014-ford-mustang-sedan-01_gallery_image_large.jpg&quot; width="450">

      Reply
      1. Irishzombieman Avatar
        Irishzombieman

        I am completely smitten with this thing, despite the fact that it's orange.
        And you're dead right regarding the name.

        Reply
  12. LTDScott Avatar
    LTDScott

    All I can say is that I'd be pretty surprised if it's a 2 door. I think the era of big "personal" luxury coupes is dead.

    Reply
  13. TurboBrick Avatar
    TurboBrick

    The only way I could envision a Thunderbird existing today would be as a 4dr "coupe", like Passat CC. That's the format for a modern "personal" luxury car. Building one off a stretched Mustang platform would be more interesting, but realistically I see this thing being Fusion or Taurus based.

    Reply
  14. Irishzombieman Avatar
    Irishzombieman

    It should have suicide doors. And should look like it was styled by a hipster funeral director.
    <img src="http://static.cargurus.com/images/site/2010/10/10/23/03/1967_ford_thunderbird-pic-6780164208949040958.jpeg&quot; width="450/">

    Reply
    1. Tex the FD Avatar
      Tex the FD

      As. Current funeral director and former hop poster, I agree whole heartedly…suidcide door are a must. It would out "hip" the other 4 door coupes.

      Reply
  15. calzonegolem Avatar
    calzonegolem

    2 doors 2 seats 2 turbos

    Reply
    1. Irishzombieman Avatar
      Irishzombieman

      4 wheels, though, right?

      Reply
      1. calzonegolem Avatar
        calzonegolem

        I left that open on purpose. 3 wheeler Thunderbird? Hellz yeah!

        Reply
        1. Irishzombieman Avatar
          Irishzombieman

          Oh yeah.
          Wish I had time for a photochop right now. . .

          Reply
        2. mdharrell Avatar
          mdharrell

          A three-wheeled Thunderbird would indeed be a Triumph.
          <img src="http://www.huntercreate.com/Images/photo-gallery/Kevin%20Carter%202001%20Triumph%20Thunderbird%20900cc%20Trike.jpg&quot; width="400">

          Reply
          1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
            Peter Tanshanomi

            It would be…but it wouldn't. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

          2. mdharrell Avatar
            mdharrell

            I took care to capitalize that last word for a reason.

          3. CherokeeOwner Avatar
            CherokeeOwner

            Lose the wheels, the skull tail lights, the cheap top box, the skull tail lights, and put body panels on the rear so it looks finished, and he'll have a half-decent Triumph trike. Did I mention lose the skull tail lights?

  16. ptschett Avatar
    ptschett

    I haz a bias.
    <img src="http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/ab40/ptschett/Thunderbird/DSC00273.jpg&quot; width="500"/>

    Reply
    1. Arco777 Avatar
      Arco777

      Love this generation. Never decided whether they would look better with a spoiler or not. Personally I prefer the 94-95 nose, wonder if it would interchange without changing fenders? Also prefer the turbine blade wheels to the split 5s.
      Digging the red color. Apparently 95% of T-Birds shipped to the state I reside in were white.

      Reply
  17. Maymar Avatar
    Maymar

    The Thunderbird has always tried to roughly keep in line with what Baby Boomers with a bit of money are looking for – not that they've always succeeded, but that's the general idea. So a hefty number of today's Baby Boomers drive crossovers. And why wouldn't they? Easy to get into and has room for golf glubs and the occasional grand kids. So bear with me here, I'm thinking something ZDX/X6-esque. Go with the D3 platform and keep the long wheelbase so entry into the backseat is easy enough, while still allowing for sleek(ish) styling, and Ecoboost 6 is a given. Basically, just the thing to whisk our aging population down to Boca Raton while looking slightly cooler than an Explorer.

    Reply
  18. dukeisduke Avatar
    dukeisduke

    Let it stay in the past, especially if the idea is to bring out something like the last one, based on the DEW98 platform.

    Reply
  19. ianalminger Avatar
    ianalminger

    It should be like the Ford´s Corvette, that way it would not overlap with the Mustang.

    Reply
  20. Devin Avatar
    Devin

    A T-bird needs to be either pretty or strangely futuristic.

    Reply
  21. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
    Peter Tanshanomi

    A busy day at work means that it's taken half the day to slap together my crappy answer to this, but in essence, a Mustang with a 10-1/2" stretch in the passenger compartment, '67-'69 T-bird styling cues, and some subtle chrome trim.
    <img src="http://www.tanshanomi.com/temp/67tbirdstang.png"&gt;

    Reply
    1. rustylink Avatar
      rustylink

      I like this! It kinda falls into the catagory of the new Challenger wheelbase and market wise. Nice job…

      Reply
    2. OA5599 Avatar
      OA5599

      Not bad (except those wheels). I see first-gen Cougar cues more than T-bird, though.
      Make the fenders longer by shortening the doors. Put the seam just in front of the mirrors, then move the bird emblem to the rear of the fender.
      Keep the overall length the same, but push the trailing edge of the roof back a little to make the deck appear shorter.
      As good as this would look, coupes don't sell well these days. Suicide rear doors have a precedent in T-bird history.
      Offer options for the C-pillar: opera window, porthole, and Landau bar. Make each of those options part of a "limited special edition".

      Reply
      1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
        Peter Tanshanomi

        Yea, I realized after I mocked it up that those long doors would be dealbreakers. Besides, the '67-'69 were known for the suicide sedans. So I changed it around. In order to make the styling work (and keep the liability lawyers happy) it would be a quad coupe with dependent rear "sub-doors," like the Saturn Ion, RX-8, and older club cab pickups. Still a RWD Mustang chassis, though.
        <img src="http://www.tanshanomi.com/temp/67tbirdstang-sedan.png"&gt;

        Reply
        1. pj134 Avatar
          pj134

          I'm pretty sure you're getting at would be this with suicide doors and nicer headlights…
          <img src="http://www.thebuzzmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/3-ford-interceptor-concept.jpg&quot; width=500>

          Reply
          1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
            Peter Tanshanomi

            I can haz non-slit windows and a normal greenhouse, plz?

        2. Lex Avatar
          Lex

          This. Seriously FoMoCo lurkers, take my money.

          Reply
          1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
            Peter Tanshanomi

            Thanks. That's very flattering.

  22. Tim Odell Avatar
    Tim Odell

    I'll play real product planner for a second here, not crazed hoon. That is, I'm talking about something to might actually work.
    Taurus platform, 4 door coupe lines, styling that's forward looking but carries all the latest styling clichés. 400hp eco boost in the top model, either lesser EB or 3.7 duratec as the base.
    Rental special starts at 37, top end is right around 60.

    Reply
    1. TurboBrick Avatar
      TurboBrick

      Yep, that's exactly what I was envisioning. If you can get the noise level down, make it a fake hardtop with frameless windows.

      Reply
    2. Bruno Balestra Avatar
      Bruno Balestra

      But if they have 2 good RWD platforms to use, why not make a variation of one? If the Taurus platform is a heavily modded Volvo, i don't see why they can't heavily modify the aussie Cougar to meet US and Europe standards and have both the Tbird and a new Crown Vic and Lincoln out of it.
      Recycling and regurgitating anciet platforms is, in my mind, worse and doing so with good designs

      Reply
      1. Tim Odell Avatar
        Tim Odell

        The Aussie Falcon doesn't sell outside of Australia, whereas the D3 platform has a ton of volume and previous history. They already make D3 vehicles (Taurus, Explorer, Flex) in the US, so there's little to no re-tooling required.
        One could make the case for using an up-sized Mustang chassis, but I'm skeptical it's well suited to being a 4-door, even if it's a "4 door coupe".
        Either way, the current Mustang and AU Falcon are nearing the end of their platform's runs, whereas the D3 will probably be around (or iterated on) for some time.

        Reply
  23. salguod Avatar
    salguod

    Personally, I think the height of the T'bird was the '58-'66 4 seat, two door personal luxury machines. High style was the first and foremost priority. They were the cars to have at the time and a real halo car for Ford. Coupe & convertible, no 4 door.
    But, I suppose I could be baised:
    <img src="http://www.salguod.net/gallery/1960_thunderbird_convertible/P1110637-photo.jpg"&gt;

    Reply
  24. scroggzilla Avatar
    scroggzilla

    I'm partial to the 1st and 3rd generation Thunderbirds.
    As for a new 'bird, perhaps FoMoCo's time and money would be better spent getting Lincoln sorted out instead of developing Thunderbirds.

    Reply
  25. Jeb Avatar
    Jeb

    I definitely would love to see something along the SuperCoupe 2.0 lines, or a four-door (or even five-door) coupe with SHO undertrimmings.

    Reply
    1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
      Peter Tanshanomi

      Stop believing the marketeers. A coupe is a 2-door car.

      Reply
      1. C³-Cool Cadillac Cat Avatar
        C³-Cool Cadillac Cat

        A coupe, of any sort, 2 or 4 door, is a vehicle with less than 33 cubic feet of space inside.
        That's small, BTW.
        Pretty much everything with 2 doors and four seats is a sedan. The Porsche four-seaters, the RX-8, the Mitsu 3000 GT, all incarnations of the Datsun Z cars. and all older 2-door pickups are all obvious exceptions.
        Roofline and number of doors does not a coupe make.

        Reply
        1. mdharrell Avatar
          mdharrell

          I'll have to side with Tanshanomi on this one. The alternative is to abandon the joke that ends "…because with four doors it would be a chicken sedan."
          I'm not prepared to do that.

          Reply
  26. Lex Avatar
    Lex

    Multi-level decision here. I like the idea of a new thunderbird as a halo/vette competitor, because it would open only two doors for the designers and engineers to really get to work without a lot of focus group muddling. That would be a fairly low volume proposition though. They're not going to make a sporty coupe with a touch more luxury and pull customers from Mustang buyers, and i don't think there's enough meat on the bone for a Ford coupe several steps up from the Mustang.
    If it's a sedan, i'd hope that it focused on performance rather than luxury. Make it "retro" in that it actually has a greenhouse and reasonable belt lines. Simple, sleek, and something that suggests restrained power with a touch of class. Tanshanomi's rendering above has the right cues.

    Reply
  27. Will Avatar
    Will

    Most T(on)-birds were too heavy. Even the last 2-seater came in at 3,700 lbs. As Colin said best, "Add lightness."

    Reply
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    quality employment

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