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Round headlights and an aluminum egg crate grille tie the 2002 Thunderbird unmistakably to its ancestor, the '55 'Bird.
(Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
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The Thunderbird's center stack layout is identical to that of the Lincoln LS with which the vehicle shares a platform. The sporty white gauges are attractive, but the pale backlighting makes them difficult to read at night.
(Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
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An available removable top with porthole windows continues the retro theme, while the T-Bird's reverse wedge stance gives it a relaxed look.
(Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
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Road Test: First Drive Test
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First Drive: 2002 Ford Thunderbird
An American Icon Resurrected
By
Erin Mahoney
Date posted: 05-31-2001
Ford Motor Company has fond dreams for its 2002 Thunderbird — the company
is already classifying it as "an icon in its own right." And it's easy to get
caught up in the excitement — after all, the new, completely redesigned T-Bird
is nothing short of adorable. But a pretty face is certainly not ground for deification
— unless, of course, you happen to live in Hollywood.
The Thunderbird was born as a 1955 model, a snazzy two-seater with a base sticker
price of $2,695. While it was originally envisioned as a true sports car, it was
executed as a personal luxury car — the progenitor of that automotive segment.
The four-passenger "Square Bird" followed in 1958, and in the early '60s the futuristic
"Bullet Birds" were quite popular, serving as the basis for the sports roadster.
Distinguished by a molded fiberglass tonneau that transformed the four-seater
ragtop into a two-person convertible, the sports roadster made a brief appearance
from 1962 to 1963. The T-Bird had a minor growth spurt of 1.5 inches in 1967,
offering seating for six. The '70s and early '80s witnessed some questionable
decisions on the part of designers, with plenty of conservative, angular body
styles. Ford made design history again with the 'Bird with the unique "aero-style"
body in 1983; the theme was carried out through 1988. An all-new model was released
in 1989 with a completely different look that emulated the BMW 6 Series, but the
T-Bird nonetheless suffered an overall decline in popularity until its demise
in 1997.
Just two short years later, the Thunderbird was reincarnated as a retro-styled
two-seat concept car at the 1999 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
A complete departure from the previous generation T-Bird, the concept harkened
back to the nascent 1955 model, with seating for two only.
The 2002 Thunderbird is meant to recapture the romance of the original while simultaneously
looking to the future. Rather than create a replica of the '50s classic, designers
incorporated distinctive Golden Age design cues into an overall modernistic shape.
The new 'Bird's 186.3-inch overall length is 11 inches longer than the original
1955 model, and it, too, features a short front overhang, reverse wedge shape
— which makes the car appear taller in front than in back — and egg-crate
grille. A decorative hood scoop, round head- and taillights, understated chrome
chevrons and an available removable hardtop with porthole windows tie the 2002
version beyond a doubt to the classic T-Birds of the late '50s.
Seventeen-inch 21-spoke cast-aluminum wheels are standard on the 2002 T-Bird,
while 17-inch seven-spoke chrome wheels are available as an option. A 6.7-cubic-foot
trunk — which is downright voluminous as two-seat roadsters go — can
swallow two sets of golf clubs, and even features a nifty cubby for shoes, umbrellas
and the like. While the Thunderbird comes standard with a black convertible soft
top, the aforementioned removable hard top is available. Removable tops can be
ordered to match the body color or can be had in white on any model. While the
soft top is power-operated, we found that it took some finagling to get it firmly
anchored in the front. A central latch controls hooks on either side, but getting
the hooks aligned in their proper holes is no easy task. The hard top was simple
to install, but reasonably heavy, weighing in at about 88 pounds. Once on, the
removable top feels quite secure, but we did notice quite a lot of wind noise
coming off the B-pillars at highway speeds.
Underneath its seductive physique, the Thunderbird shares most of its architecture
with the Lincoln LS, which is quite a good car in its own right. But the
T-Bird is intended to be a cruiser — the catch phrase "relaxed sportiness"
came up repeatedly during the course of the vehicle's press introduction, in regard
to both the vehicle's styling and its driving dynamics. Therefore, the fully independent
suspension has been tweaked slightly to provide a somewhat softer ride than in
the LS. Stabilizer bars front and rear keep body roll from becoming excessive
and a 50/50 weight distribution aids the Thunderbird's handling characteristics.
A 3,775-pound curb weight (3,863 with the hardtop) tops the Lincoln LS V8 by 83
pounds, although overall length is slightly shorter, which makes for better maneuverability
in the 'Bird.
The T-Bird provides a silken ride on the highway — when traveling straight
ahead on smooth roads, it really does feel like the ultimate cruiser. Once the
going gets bumpy, however, jounce and rebound, especially from the rear suspension,
are too excessive for comfort, and this cruiser has a tendency to wallow over
bumps and dips.
The Thunderbird's notable curb weight became readily apparent as we tried to power
our way uphill. It shares its 3.9-liter V8 with the Lincoln LS, an engine capable
of 252 horsepower at 6,100 rpm and 267 foot-pounds of torque at 4,300 rpm. Thunderbird's
five-speed automatic transmission (no manual is available) downshifted obtrusively,
as well as belatedly, whenever we hit the gas for an extra spurt of passing power.
The exhaust note was carefully tuned to fit somewhere between the guttural grunt
of the Mustang GT and the throaty refinement of the Lincoln LS and is intended
(to a certain extent) to duplicate the sound of the '55 'Bird.
We understand that the T-Bird is meant to be a cruiser primarily, but in light
of Ford PR's incessant references to "relaxed sportiness," we feel compelled
to take them to task for the roadster's lack of steering feel. Maneuvering the
Thunderbird along winding roads was anticlimactic at best — virtually no
road communication is offered through either the wheel or the seat of the pants.
To give credit, though, the T-Bird's variable assist rack-and-pinion steering
is suitably responsive. The four-wheel disc brakes with ABS don't offer terribly
progressive pedal modulation, but do bring the T-Bird to a halt in a consistent
and confident manner.
On the inside, the 2002 Thunderbird is unmistakably similar to the Lincoln LS.
The mundane waterfall-style center stack features easy-to-read, logically situated
audio and climate controls — not at all retro, but the simplicity of the
layout is appreciated. To give the interior a touch of distinction, Ford offers
the option of matching the lower dash, seat trim, top half of the steering wheel
and shift knob to three of the exterior colors: Inspiration Yellow, Torch Red
or Thunderbird Blue. The red interior package can also be had on Evening Black
and Whisper White Thunderbirds. The effect can be dramatic — for instance,
in the yellow 'Bird, bumblebee references are inevitable. The standard interior
is black with leather trim.
Ford's latest sweetheart comes standard with such luxury items as automatic dual-zone
climate control, six-way power driver seat with manual lumbar support, a power
tilt/telescoping steering wheel and a six-disc in-dash CD changer. The seats,
however, are a little mushy and don't provide very much support. The roadster's
relatively long wheelbase gives occupants plenty of room to stretch out, with
43.7 inches of legroom. However, very tall drivers may find the 37.1 inches of
headroom (with either top on) to be slightly claustrophobic. Unlike most two-seaters,
the Thunderbird offers a convenient and generously sized parcel shelf behind the
seats to accommodate purses, shopping bags and the like.
Large back windows in the convertible and removable tops aid rearward visibility
in the T-Bird. The sharply angled windshield, on the other hand, allows for too
much reflection off the dash, thereby impeding forward visibility somewhat. According
to engineers, the steep angle reduces top-down turbulence. Despite their efforts,
conversation in the Thunderbird with the top dropped is a challenge.
Our test drive in the Thunderbird was unfortunately cut short because we got a
flat tire. Having picked up a sharp object without realizing it, we exited the
car for a quick pit stop only to hear a distinct hissing sound. We attempted to
install the spare tire, but had a great amount of trouble getting the bolts to
seat properly; it was almost as if the spare didn't quite fit the wheel. Eventually,
a couple of knights in shining armor from Ford took over the situation, sending
us along our way in the Mustang Bullitt they had been driving. We won't dwell
too much on our difficulty in applying the spare tire securely, but only because
the vehicle we were driving was a pre-production model.
A couple other build-quality snafus that we hope will be limited to a hastily
fabricated pre-production Thunderbird test car were loose tunnel trim and the
incomplete anchoring of the rear bumper on the driver side.
The new 'Bird's array of safety features establishes it firmly in the 21st century.
Dual front and side airbags (with a passenger-side deactivation switch for small
children and babies), a LATCH child-seat anchor system, a passive antitheft system
and antilock brakes all come standard. Traction control is available as an option,
although stability control is not.
The new and improved Thunderbird will undoubtedly appeal to those who long for
the classic styling of '50s roadsters, but can't relinquish their need for modern-day
convenience and reliability. But that combination doesn't come cheap — with
a base MSRP of $35,495 ($37,995 with the removable top), the Thunderbird prices
in the same arena as luxury-brand coupes and roadsters. But Ford insists that
the T-Bird is in a class by itself. It does have a point; there are undoubtedly
those consumers who consider the head-turning ability and nostalgic styling of
the Thunderbird to be worth the premium. As long as they don't expect exceptional
handling or performance, and they don't mind that the interior design is highly
derivative of the Lincoln LS, they won't be disappointed.
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