Ford Thunderbird

The Thunderbird was a sports car and sedan marketed by Ford from the fifties to nineties, and again in the 2000s. It was nicknamed the T-Bird.

First Generation
The Thunderbird was introduced in 1955 to compete with the Chevrolet Corvette. This generation did compete in some GT racing. It was also noted for its iconic porthole. The generation also provided the inspiration for the revival decades later.

Second Generation
In the late fifties the T-Bird became a sedan and was entered in NASCAR. The porthole was dropped. It became more like the Lincoln Continental.

Third Generation
The Thunderbird became a muscle car, and was noted for its aerodynamic "bullet" design. It continued to compete in NASCAR, the purpose for this new design.

Fourth Generation
The Thunderbird became even larger, but continued to compete in NASCAR. The Mercury Cougar was redesigned to be its twin.

Fifth Generation
The Thunderbird was made more aerodynamic and competed in IMSA GTO and Trans Am alongside NASCAR. The model was discontinued before the mid nineties.

Sixth Generation
After many years the Thunderbird was revived based on the first generation, including the porthole. Due to its sharing many Lincoln parts, the price was high and the revival was shortlived. This model did not compete in motorsport.