The Ford Thunderbird (colloquially called the T-Bird) is a personal luxury car produced by Ford from model years 1955 to 1997 and 2002 to 2005 throughout 11 distinct generations. Introduced as a two-seat convertible, the Thunderbird was produced in a variety of body configurations.

1990 Ford Thunderbird trade-in prices range from $257 – $1,992. Get a more accurate value for your car with the Edmunds appraisal tool.

Rated at 210 flywheel horsepower, the stone-stock T-bird belted out power numbers of 192 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque with a peak boost reading of 11.9 psi. Literature from Ford indicates the motors were supposed to run 12 psi, so it looked like our little 3.8L was still running strong.

Incredibly powerful for its era, the 1955 Thunderbird is one of the most unforgettable muscle cars produced by Ford. The first two-seater from Ford since 1938, the 1955 model included fender skirts and a removable fiberglass top, though a fabric convertible top was a commonly requested option.

Supercharged. In 1989, it was time for a new Thunderbird platform, the MN12, that featured a longer wheelbase paired with an even more slippery aero package.

1992 Ford Thunderbird trade-in prices range from $112 – $910. Get a more accurate value for your car with the Edmunds appraisal tool.

But we can tell you right away that not all of the eleven generations of the Thunderbird were as great and well-received as others. In this article, we will address specifically the Thunderbird Super Coupe – the tenth-gen model, produced from 1989 to 1997.

The Super Coupe’s comes equipped with a 3.8 liter V-6 powerplant that is force-fed with an Eaton Corporation supercharger.

Thunderbird’s Cool Factor Ultimately, the reason why DeMuro thinks the retro Thunderbird failed was because it wasn’t cool enough. Apparently, only about 60,000 retro Thunderbirds were sold in its first four years. Because of its poor sales numbers, Ford killed off its retro coupe and has yet to bring it back.

In 1958, to satisfy critics who thought the T-Bird was too small, Ford released a four-seater version with a roomier trunk and bucket seats. Despite brisk early sales and good reviews, sales of the new Thunderbird couldn’t justify continued production, and Ford discontinued it again in mid-2005.

The Fastest American Made Car At Daytona in 1957 one of these Phase 1 Thunderbirds beat the Corvette record by 6 mph, setting a new American production sports car record with a speed of 138.755 mph.

Performance

This T-Bird was a looker, especially in SC guise with its added aero styling and monochromatic appearance. The SC was also a techno wonder. Its 3.8-liter V-6, an offshoot of Ford’s Windsor small-block V-8, used a Roots-type Eaton supercharger, intercooler and computer-controlled distributorless ignition.

Big, rear-drive American coupes were on the endangered list when the 1989 T-Bird debuted to replace its Fox platform-based predecessor. The top model in that series was the four-cylinder Turbo Coupe. The 1989 Thunderbird was far more ambitious.

The Kreisz family joined a group of 13 other owners of T-Birds and Cougars from the 1989–97 series known internally (and by fans) as the MN12. Powered by a supercharged V-6 and outfitted with a raft of advanced electronics, the SC was the top T-Bird and was offered through 1995.

Top speed was about 140 mph. Road & Track wrote, “… the 3.8 puts power to the rear wheels with the smoothness of a monster electric motor.” The Thunderbird SC’s 3.8-liter supercharged V-6 made 210 horsepower and 310 lb.-ft. of torque, later upgraded to 230 hp / 330 lb.-ft.