Vehicle Description
Ford's 2002 Thunderbird exemplifies the neo-retro design trend that
took hold of the automotive landscape in the late 1990s and early
2000s. Along with the Volkswagen New Beetle of 1997, and the 2000
Chrysler PT Cruiser, and others, the new Thunderbird modernized
earlier styling concepts to create futuristic interpretation of a
popular past design.
The 2002 Ford Thunderbird revisited the first generation 1955 to
1957 Thunderbird, right down to bright 1950s colors and two-seat
configuration. The chassis and engine were shared with the Lincoln
LS and Jaguar S-Type. The AJ-30, 3.9-liter V-8 engine cranked out
250 horsepower and 0-60 came up in seven seconds through a 5-speed
automatic transmission. Like the earlier model, the Thunderbird was
promoted as a "personal luxury car, not a sports car. Prices ranged
from $35,495 for the base car to $39,795 with a porthole hard top.
A limited run of 200 Neiman Marcus models were sold through the
retailer's famous Christmas catalog in two hours.