Thunderbird was all-new from the ground up in 1989, featuring an exterior design destined to further reshape the aero-styling trends of the ’80s. It was a leader in technology transfer from racing to production and was among the first vehicles outfitted with Ford’s next generation electronic engine control module developed by Ford’s Formula One racing program.
As the 20th century grew to a close, customers’ tastes again shifted away from Thunderbird. Continuing sales declines led Ford to announce that the 1997 model would be the last – for a time.
On Jan. 3, 1999, Nasser unveiled a new two-seat Thunderbird concept car at the 1999 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. In May 2000, Ford confirmed it would build a production version of the hit concept car as a 2002 model year – thus the Thunderbird legend lived on into the new millennium.
