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Ford Thunderbird 2005
by Peter Bleakney
 Funny thing about retro-remakes of iconic cars. Sometimes they take, and sometimes they don't.
Look at BMW's Mini. It has been an unqualified hit, with Canadian sales getting stronger each year. Similarly, the Volkswagen New Beetle, although not that new anymore, is still a going concern and has seen some renewed interest with the convertible version which was released in 2004.
And then there is the Ford Thunderbird.
Following some incredible hype, the reborn T-Bird was launched in 2001. Built on the same rear-drive platform as the Lincoln LS and Jaguar S-Type, it spent some time as the it-car of the moment, but soon the bloom was off the rose, and the T-Bird started a slow descent down to that lonely place where no motor vehicle wants to be: The Hall of Cars That Failed to Live Up to Their Promise.
The Thunderbird was not a favourite with the press, and similarly, the buying public never really warmed up to it either. Ford has admitted defeat, and the T-Bird flutters off into the sunset at the end of this model year.
So it was with great curiosity I picked up the key to this ivory 50th Anniversary model ($60,365). What went so wrong with this reborn icon?
I've never had a problem with the new Thunderbird's appearance. Certainly this tester, with its Cashmere Tri-Coat metallic paint, is probably the best looking one I've seen.
 You could criticize the T-Bird for being too understated, but I think the designers did a good job of incorporating visual cues from the original 1950s cars into a sleek modern two-seater. The front, with its stylized egg-crate grill, tasteful hood scoop and round headlights is more successful that the back however. The large, round taillights echo the originals nicely, but the rear deck slopes down, giving the car a slightly odd, nose-up stance.
Inside, the cashmere accent leather buckets and accompanying Light Sand appearance package provide a bright, summery ambience. The heated seats offer six-way adjustment for the driver and two-way for the passenger.
Front and side airbags are standard, and the passenger airbag can be switched off – a feature my young convertible-loving kids greatly appreciated.
The rest of the cabin is elegant in its simplicity, and the bronze metallic appliqués on the dash, door trim, centre stack, shift bezel and scuff plates are a classy departure from the de rigueur phony wood. Except for a couple of plasticky bits on the centre console, the execution and quality of materials is good.
With the fabric top in place, headroom is at a premium, as the steeply raked windscreen dictates the roof to be at toupee-brushing height. Rearward visibility, as it is with most two-seat drop-tops, is severely limited.
 Under the hood resides a compact 3.9 litre, 32-valve DOHC aluminum V8 with variable valve timing. Rated at 280 hp at 6000 rpm and 286 lb/ft of torque at 4000, it works in concert with a smooth-shifting five-speed manumatic transmission, providing brisk acceleration and a nice warbly V8 soundtrack.
Out on the road, the Thunderbird has a compliant ride, but chassis stiffness is not quite up to par with the latest crop of European convertibles. Rough surfaces send a few too many shivers through the structure. If you've never driven a recent Mercedes or BMW ragtop, it probably won't be an issue.
Time to hit the twisties. The T-Bird is not a Corvette chaser and it was never meant to be, so I wasn't too surprised to find out this bird doesn't like to be pushed too hard. There's decent grip, but the body squirms uncomfortably on its underpinnings when the lateral G-forces load up, and the seats don't offer much lateral support either.
Fair enough. All I really needed to do was read the press info to see that the Thunderbird "delivers a unique combination of North American relaxed sportiness, balancing performance with touring comfort." 'Nuff said.
After a couple of days cruising around with the top down, I started to "get" the 50th Anniversary Thunderbird. It really is all about the cruise, and there is something uniquely American about this car. With an oldies station on the radio playing over the underlying V8 soundtrack, it's a pleasure to putter about in this remade icon. The T-Bird received plenty of appreciative stares, but to a person, it was perceived as an "old guy's" car.
Which is not a bad thing. Old guys certainly have money, and they want to have fun too. But maybe herein lies part of the Thunderbird's problem.
If you think Palm Springs or Palm Beach, you also think golf. The T-Bird's 6.9 cubic foot trunk is very shallow, and you'd be hard pressed to fit a decent set of golf clubs in there. Let alone two.
 And maybe for 60 grand, you don't want to have to mess with a fussy fabric tonneau cover to make your ride look smart with the top down.
On the plus side, once the manual latch on the header is released, the top powers down in a quick seven seconds.
At the aforementioned price of 60 gs, the 50th Anniversary Thunderbird is right in the thick of the convertible mêlée, competing with such notables as the Saab 9-3, Audi TT, BMW Z4, Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6, Mercedes 350 SLK and (very base) Porsche Boxster.
Everyone of these cars is more dynamically involving than the T-Bird, but none of them can claim the classic American lineage of this vehicle. And with its impending demise, there's a very good chance this 50th Anniversary edition Thunderbird will be a collectors item.
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