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Ford Thunderbird (tenth generation)
Encyclopedia
On December 26, 1988 a completely redesigned Thunderbird was introduced as a 1989 model alongside its sister car, the Mercury Cougar
. Developed on Ford's new MN12
(Mid-Size North American Project 12) platform, the new Thunderbird featured a more aerodynamic body that was slightly shorter in overall length relative to the 1988 Thunderbird but had a nine inch longer wheelbase. The car featured a short-long arm
(SLA) four-wheel independent suspension
, with a modified MacPherson strut
assembly in front, that offered excellent handling and ride quality. This setup was significant as it made the Thunderbird and the Cougar the only rear-wheel drive
North American domestic cars other than the Chevrolet Corvette
to offer a four-wheel independent suspension at the time. Engine
options fell to only two for 1989 as Ford dropped the V8 option for the new Thunderbird. The base and LX models were powered by Ford's 3.8 L Essex
OHV V6. Producing 140 hp at 3800 rpm and 215 lbft of torque at 2400 rpm, many felt the engine was somewhat underpowered for a car that weighed over 3500 pounds (1,587.6 kg) in base trim (heavier when equipped with available options). This engine was mated to Ford's AOD
4-speed automatic transmission
regardless of trim level from the 1989 to 1993 model years. Thanks in part to its low coefficient of drag
, the Thunderbird was relatively fuel efficient considering its overall size and weight. The EPA
gave 1989 Thunderbirds equipped with the standard V6 a fuel efficiency rating of 19 miles per US gallon in city driving and 27 miles per US gallon on the highway, though, like most cars built before 2008, this rating was retroactively reduced by the EPA to reflect newer, more realistic fuel efficiency measurements. The fuel efficiency rating was noticeably better than that of Thunderbirds equipped with higher performance engines and gave the base V6-equipped Thunderbird a significant driving range with its 19 gallon fuel tank (later decreased to 18 gallons).
A more sophisticated, supercharged
and intercooled
version of the 3.8 L OHV V6 was used to power the high performance Thunderbird Super Coupe, also called Thunderbird SC for short. The Super Coupe could be had with a Mazda-derived, M5R2
5-speed manual transmission
or an AOD 4-speed automatic transmission. The Thunderbird Super Coupe was Motor Trend's
Car of the Year
for 1989, which Ford proudly advertised. When running at a maximum of 5600 rpm, the supercharger provided 12 psi
of boost, producing 210 hp at 4000 rpm and 315 lbft of torque at 2600 rpm under a 8.2:1 compression ratio
. Accompanying the more powerful engine, Super Coupes were equipped with a host of unique features underlining their higher performance demeanor relative to standard Thunderbirds. Among these were larger, 16 x 7.0 inch alloy wheels with high performance tires (standard Thunderbirds came with 15 x 6.0 inch steel wheels and 15 x 6.5 inch alloy wheels were optional), a Traction-Lok limited slip differential
, standard anti-lock brakes
, 4-wheel disc brakes (vented front and rear rotors), speed-sensitive variable assist steering, lower body side cladding, fog lights, and a stiffer suspension with adjustable shocks supplied by Tokico.
In spite of the new Thunderbird's merits, it was considered a failure by Ford's top management. On January 17, 1989, Ford President Harold A. Poling, with Ford Chairman Don Petersen and Ford Executive Vice President Phil Benton looking on, lambasted the MN12 program's staff in a meeting for badly missing the Thunderbird and Cougars' weight and cost targets (250 lb (113.4 kg) heavier and $900 US$ more per car than planned). This criticism came as a surprise to the program staff who expected to be praised for the Thunderbird and Cougars' technical achievements and positive reception. Anthony "Tony" S. Kuchta, manager of the MN12 program, was angered by Poling, not for his points about weight and cost overruns but rather that he directed his tirade at the program staff instead of at Kuchta who was responsible for all of the important decisions that determined the program's direction. Ironically, many of the decisions that Kuchta made regarding the MN12's development that resulted in the weight and cost overruns criticized by Poling were caused by the very things that set the MN12 cars apart from other cars in their class (such as rear-wheel drive and an independent rear suspension). Falling out of favor with Ford management after the Thunderbird and Cougars' launch, Kuchta voluntarily retired early from Ford in May 1989.
For the 1991 model year, Ford reintroduced a V8 option with the 302 cu in (5 l) Windsor 5.0
V8. The engine was used through the 1993 model year and produced 200 hp at 4000 rpm and 275 lbft of torque at 3000 rpm; gains of 35 hp and 25 lbft of torque respectively over the 1988 Thunderbird, the previous Thunderbird to use this engine. Like the standard 3.8 L V6, the V8 was only mated to the AOD 4-speed automatic transmission. On the television program MotorWeek
in a review of the 1991 Thunderbird and similar Mercury Cougar, a road test of a V8-equipped Thunderbird revealed that the car could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph
in 9.2 seconds; approximately two seconds faster than a standard V6 Thunderbird but about two seconds slower than a Super Coupe.
In 1994, the Thunderbird received some exterior updates. The front fascia
saw substantial stylistic changes with larger air scoops in the bumper cover, new headlamp
s, and a new, slightly more curvaceous hood. At the center of this, the silver Thunderbird logo was moved onto the front bumper cover from the front lip of the hood where it was located previously. The Thunderbird's interior was completely redesigned with an emphasis on optimizing driver comfort and convenience to the utmost. The redesign featured a "wrap around" cockpit-style layout of instrumentation with a new steering wheel, radio, and climate controls and sweeping curves on the door panels and dashboard surfaces. Complementing the changes to the interior came added driver and passenger safety as Ford made dual front-side airbags standard on all 1994 Thunderbird models.
Arguably the most dramatic change for 1994, however, was the new 4.6 L Modular SOHC V8 which replaced the "5.0" Windsor engine. The 4.6 L V8 produced 205 hp at 4500 rpm and 265 lbft of torque at 3200 rpm and brought with it an updated powertrain control module
, the EEC-V (base V6 Thunderbirds and Super Coupes continued to use the older EEC-IV). An electronically-controlled 4R70W 4-speed automatic transmission replaced the AOD automatic transmission in all instances where it was previously used in the Thunderbird. In 1994, the Thunderbird was once again reviewed on the television program MotorWeek and the new 4.6 L V8 was praised for its 40 lb lighter weight, smooth operation, and better throttle responsiveness over its overhead valve V8 predecessor. In spite of this and the 1994 Thunderbird's upgraded transmission, the performance gain over the previous model year Thunderbird was modest with 0 to 60 mph acceleration being completed in 9.0 seconds and a quarter-mile being completed in 16.8 seconds at 86 mph.
The Super Coupe continued on in 1994 with the same supercharged 3.8 L V6 as before, but now with 230 hp at 4400 rpm and 330 lbft of torque at 2500 rpm. This was made possible due to a number of changes. The Eaton
M90 roots-type supercharger was given a larger, square style inlet, a larger attaching inlet plenum, and Teflon coated rotors. The engine received larger fuel injectors and an increase in compression to 8.6:1. In their March 1996 issue, Motor Trend magazine conducted a comparison test of a 1995 Thunderbird Super Coupe against the front-wheel drive
Chevrolet Monte Carlo Z34
and a Buick Regal Gran Sport
. The Super Coupe delivered the best overall performance, including a 0 to 60 mph acceleration time of 7.0 seconds and a completion of a quarter-mile in 15.2 seconds at 88.1 mph. In summarizing the overall performance of each car relative to each other, the author of the article, Don Sherman, wrote, "The Buick Regal is a competent, comfortable car at an attractive price, but it's too androgynous to be called a Gran Sport. Nothing about it is grand, and there isn't a sporting bone in its body. All the Monte Carlo needs to succeed is a V-8 engine and a year of refinement to eradicate its quality bugs. That leaves the Thunderbird SC as this test's big winner. It's a far more sophisticated solution to the four-place-coupe equation, but is priced accordingly." In spite of positive critiques like this, the increases in output and performance over earlier Super Coupes would be short-lived, as the Thunderbird Super Coupe was discontinued after the 1995 model year due to slowing sales.
and Mercury Sable
of the time. Lastly, the Thunderbird's options list was abbreviated to a power sunroof, power driver seat, remote keyless entry, and a CD player.
Toward the end of the MN12 Thunderbird's production run, Ford's Special Vehicle Engineering (SVE) division explored the idea of a new high performance Thunderbird, producing four prototypes. Stylistically the SVE Thunderbirds blended elements from the 1994–1995 and 1996–1997 Thunderbirds along with elements unique to themselves. The SVE Thunderbird used the headlights, door handles, and rear bumper cover from the 1994–1995 Thunderbird and front fascia and body side cladding from the 1996–1997 Thunderbird. Unique to the SVE Thunderbird relative to other Thunderbirds were 17-inch, five spoke Cobra R wheels, larger dual exhaust tips, a different lower section of the front fascia with fog lights, a unique spoiler, and a prominent cowl hood. The most significant difference that set the SVE Thunderbird apart from other Thunderbirds was its supercharged 4.6 L DOHC V8 engine, similar to that later found in the SVT Mustang Cobra
. Power was delivered to the wheels via a Tremec
T-45 5-speed manual transmission. Stopping the SVE Thunderbird were larger brakes taken from the Mustang Cobra (going along with its Cobra R wheels). In spite of its potential, this high performance Thunderbird was not meant to be as Ford not only pulled the plug on this project, but on the entire Thunderbird and Cougar line, with the 1997 model year being its last. On September 4, 1997, the final MN12 Thunderbird was built at Ford's assembly plant in Lorain, Ohio
. As it rolled down the assembly line, a sign saying "That's All Folks" adorned the decklid.
Mercury Cougar
The Mercury Cougar is an automobile which was sold under the Mercury brand of the Ford Motor Company's Lincoln-Mercury Division from 1967 to 2002. The name was first used in 1967 and was carried by a diverse series of cars over the next three decades. As is common with Mercury vehicles, the Cougar...
. Developed on Ford's new MN12
Ford MN12 platform
The Ford MN12 platform was a car platform formerly used by the Ford Motor Company from 1989 to 1997 for the Ford Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar two-door personal luxury cars....
(Mid-Size North American Project 12) platform, the new Thunderbird featured a more aerodynamic body that was slightly shorter in overall length relative to the 1988 Thunderbird but had a nine inch longer wheelbase. The car featured a short-long arm
Short long arms suspension
A short long arms suspension is also known as an unequal length double wishbone suspension. The upper arm is typically an A-arm, and is shorter than the lower link, which is an A-arm or an L-arm, or sometimes a pair of tension/compression arms...
(SLA) four-wheel independent suspension
Independent suspension
Independent suspension is a broad term for any automobile suspension system that allows each wheel on the same axle to move vertically independently of each other. This is contrasted with a beam axle, live axle or deDion axle system in which the wheels are linked – movement on one side affects...
, with a modified MacPherson strut
MacPherson strut
The MacPherson strut is a type of car suspension system which uses the axis of a telescopic damper as the upper steering pivot. It is widely used in modern vehicles and named after Earle S. MacPherson, who developed the design.-History:...
assembly in front, that offered excellent handling and ride quality. This setup was significant as it made the Thunderbird and the Cougar the only rear-wheel drive
Automobile layout
In automotive design, the automobile layout describes where on the vehicle the engine and drive wheels are found. Many different combinations of engine location and driven wheels are found in practice, and the location of each is dependent on the application the vehicle will be used for...
North American domestic cars other than the Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
to offer a four-wheel independent suspension at the time. Engine
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
options fell to only two for 1989 as Ford dropped the V8 option for the new Thunderbird. The base and LX models were powered by Ford's 3.8 L Essex
Ford Essex V6 engine (Canadian)
The Ford Essex V6 engine was a 90° V6 engine family built by Ford Motor Company at the Essex Engine Plant in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Unlike the British Essex V6, the Canadian Essex used a 90° V configuration, in addition to having different displacements and valvetrains...
OHV V6. Producing 140 hp at 3800 rpm and 215 lbft of torque at 2400 rpm, many felt the engine was somewhat underpowered for a car that weighed over 3500 pounds (1,587.6 kg) in base trim (heavier when equipped with available options). This engine was mated to Ford's AOD
Ford AOD transmission
The AOD is a four-speed automatic transmission with overdrive. Introduced in 1980, it was Ford's first four-speed automatic overdrive transmission. The design is based on the same gearset as the 1960s and 1970s...
4-speed automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
regardless of trim level from the 1989 to 1993 model years. Thanks in part to its low coefficient of drag
Drag coefficient
In fluid dynamics, the drag coefficient is a dimensionless quantity that is used to quantify the drag or resistance of an object in a fluid environment such as air or water. It is used in the drag equation, where a lower drag coefficient indicates the object will have less aerodynamic or...
, the Thunderbird was relatively fuel efficient considering its overall size and weight. The EPA
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
gave 1989 Thunderbirds equipped with the standard V6 a fuel efficiency rating of 19 miles per US gallon in city driving and 27 miles per US gallon on the highway, though, like most cars built before 2008, this rating was retroactively reduced by the EPA to reflect newer, more realistic fuel efficiency measurements. The fuel efficiency rating was noticeably better than that of Thunderbirds equipped with higher performance engines and gave the base V6-equipped Thunderbird a significant driving range with its 19 gallon fuel tank (later decreased to 18 gallons).
A more sophisticated, supercharged
Supercharger
A supercharger is an air compressor used for forced induction of an internal combustion engine.The greater mass flow-rate provides more oxygen to support combustion than would be available in a naturally aspirated engine, which allows more fuel to be burned and more work to be done per cycle,...
and intercooled
Intercooler
An intercooler , or charge air cooler, is an air-to-air or air-to-liquid heat exchange device used on turbocharged and supercharged internal combustion engines to improve their volumetric efficiency by increasing intake air charge density through nearly isobaric cooling, which removes...
version of the 3.8 L OHV V6 was used to power the high performance Thunderbird Super Coupe, also called Thunderbird SC for short. The Super Coupe could be had with a Mazda-derived, M5R2
Mazda M5OD transmission
The M5OD is a line of manual transmissions produced by Mazda and used in Mazda and Ford cars and trucks. Two variants, light-duty R1 and medium duty R2, are made. R1 transmissions have been used in the Ford Ranger, Explorer, Aerostar, and Bronco II...
5-speed manual transmission
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
or an AOD 4-speed automatic transmission. The Thunderbird Super Coupe was Motor Trend's
Motor Trend
Motor Trend is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, issued by Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles, and bearing the tag line "The Magazine for a Motoring World". Petersen Publishing was sold to British publisher EMAP in 1998, who sold the former Petersen...
Car of the Year
Car of the Year
Car of the Year is a phrase usually considered to have been invented by Motor Trend magazine in the 1950s for their annual award for best American automobile...
for 1989, which Ford proudly advertised. When running at a maximum of 5600 rpm, the supercharger provided 12 psi
Pounds per square inch
The pound per square inch or, more accurately, pound-force per square inch is a unit of pressure or of stress based on avoirdupois units...
of boost, producing 210 hp at 4000 rpm and 315 lbft of torque at 2600 rpm under a 8.2:1 compression ratio
Compression ratio
The 'compression ratio' of an internal-combustion engine or external combustion engine is a value that represents the ratio of the volume of its combustion chamber from its largest capacity to its smallest capacity...
. Accompanying the more powerful engine, Super Coupes were equipped with a host of unique features underlining their higher performance demeanor relative to standard Thunderbirds. Among these were larger, 16 x 7.0 inch alloy wheels with high performance tires (standard Thunderbirds came with 15 x 6.0 inch steel wheels and 15 x 6.5 inch alloy wheels were optional), a Traction-Lok limited slip differential
Limited slip differential
A limited slip differential is a type of differential gear arrangement that allows for some difference in angular velocity of the output shafts, but imposes a mechanical bound on the disparity...
, standard anti-lock brakes
Anti-lock braking system
An anti-lock braking system is a safety system that allows the wheels on a motor vehicle to continue interacting tractively with the road surface as directed by driver steering inputs while braking, preventing the wheels from locking up and therefore avoiding skidding.An ABS generally offers...
, 4-wheel disc brakes (vented front and rear rotors), speed-sensitive variable assist steering, lower body side cladding, fog lights, and a stiffer suspension with adjustable shocks supplied by Tokico.
In spite of the new Thunderbird's merits, it was considered a failure by Ford's top management. On January 17, 1989, Ford President Harold A. Poling, with Ford Chairman Don Petersen and Ford Executive Vice President Phil Benton looking on, lambasted the MN12 program's staff in a meeting for badly missing the Thunderbird and Cougars' weight and cost targets (250 lb (113.4 kg) heavier and $900 US$ more per car than planned). This criticism came as a surprise to the program staff who expected to be praised for the Thunderbird and Cougars' technical achievements and positive reception. Anthony "Tony" S. Kuchta, manager of the MN12 program, was angered by Poling, not for his points about weight and cost overruns but rather that he directed his tirade at the program staff instead of at Kuchta who was responsible for all of the important decisions that determined the program's direction. Ironically, many of the decisions that Kuchta made regarding the MN12's development that resulted in the weight and cost overruns criticized by Poling were caused by the very things that set the MN12 cars apart from other cars in their class (such as rear-wheel drive and an independent rear suspension). Falling out of favor with Ford management after the Thunderbird and Cougars' launch, Kuchta voluntarily retired early from Ford in May 1989.
For the 1991 model year, Ford reintroduced a V8 option with the 302 cu in (5 l) Windsor 5.0
Ford Windsor engine
The Windsor is a 90-degree small-block V8 engine from Ford Motor Company. It was introduced in 1962, replacing the previous Ford Y-block engine. Though not all of the engines in this family were produced at the Windsor, Ontario engine plant , the name stuck...
V8. The engine was used through the 1993 model year and produced 200 hp at 4000 rpm and 275 lbft of torque at 3000 rpm; gains of 35 hp and 25 lbft of torque respectively over the 1988 Thunderbird, the previous Thunderbird to use this engine. Like the standard 3.8 L V6, the V8 was only mated to the AOD 4-speed automatic transmission. On the television program MotorWeek
MotorWeek
MotorWeek is an American automotive television series. The program premiered in 1981 and is hosted by auto expertJohn H. Davis, who is also the series’ creator and executive producer...
in a review of the 1991 Thunderbird and similar Mercury Cougar, a road test of a V8-equipped Thunderbird revealed that the car could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph
0 to 60 mph
The time it takes to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph is a commonly used performance measure for automotive acceleration in the United States and the United Kingdom. In the rest of the world 0 to 100 km/h is used...
in 9.2 seconds; approximately two seconds faster than a standard V6 Thunderbird but about two seconds slower than a Super Coupe.
1994
Fascia (car)
Confusingly, fascia is used for several different things in the automotive world. Many of these meanings are related to the appearance of the car....
saw substantial stylistic changes with larger air scoops in the bumper cover, new headlamp
Headlamp
A headlamp is a lamp, usually attached to the front of a vehicle such as a car or a motorcycle, with the purpose of illuminating the road ahead during periods of low visibility, such as darkness or precipitation. Headlamp performance has steadily improved throughout the automobile age, spurred by...
s, and a new, slightly more curvaceous hood. At the center of this, the silver Thunderbird logo was moved onto the front bumper cover from the front lip of the hood where it was located previously. The Thunderbird's interior was completely redesigned with an emphasis on optimizing driver comfort and convenience to the utmost. The redesign featured a "wrap around" cockpit-style layout of instrumentation with a new steering wheel, radio, and climate controls and sweeping curves on the door panels and dashboard surfaces. Complementing the changes to the interior came added driver and passenger safety as Ford made dual front-side airbags standard on all 1994 Thunderbird models.
Arguably the most dramatic change for 1994, however, was the new 4.6 L Modular SOHC V8 which replaced the "5.0" Windsor engine. The 4.6 L V8 produced 205 hp at 4500 rpm and 265 lbft of torque at 3200 rpm and brought with it an updated powertrain control module
Powertrain Control Module
A Powertrain Control Module, abbreviated PCM, is an automotive component, an electronic control unit , used on motor vehicles. It is generally a combined control unit, consisting of the engine control unit and the transmission control unit. It commonly controls more than 5 factors in the car or...
, the EEC-V (base V6 Thunderbirds and Super Coupes continued to use the older EEC-IV). An electronically-controlled 4R70W 4-speed automatic transmission replaced the AOD automatic transmission in all instances where it was previously used in the Thunderbird. In 1994, the Thunderbird was once again reviewed on the television program MotorWeek and the new 4.6 L V8 was praised for its 40 lb lighter weight, smooth operation, and better throttle responsiveness over its overhead valve V8 predecessor. In spite of this and the 1994 Thunderbird's upgraded transmission, the performance gain over the previous model year Thunderbird was modest with 0 to 60 mph acceleration being completed in 9.0 seconds and a quarter-mile being completed in 16.8 seconds at 86 mph.
The Super Coupe continued on in 1994 with the same supercharged 3.8 L V6 as before, but now with 230 hp at 4400 rpm and 330 lbft of torque at 2500 rpm. This was made possible due to a number of changes. The Eaton
Eaton Corporation
Eaton Corporation is a global diversified power management company with 2010 sales of $13.7 billion. The company is a leading provider of electrical components and systems for power quality, distribution and control; hydraulics components, systems and services for industrial and mobile equipment;...
M90 roots-type supercharger was given a larger, square style inlet, a larger attaching inlet plenum, and Teflon coated rotors. The engine received larger fuel injectors and an increase in compression to 8.6:1. In their March 1996 issue, Motor Trend magazine conducted a comparison test of a 1995 Thunderbird Super Coupe against the front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
Chevrolet Monte Carlo Z34
Chevrolet Monte Carlo
The Chevrolet Monte Carlo was an American-made two-door coupe introduced for model year 1970, and manufactured over six generations through model year 2007. It was marketed as a personal-luxury coupe through most of its history, with the last model version being classified as a full-sized coupe...
and a Buick Regal Gran Sport
Buick Regal
The Buick Regal is a mid-size car introduced by General Motors for the 1973 model year. North American production ended in 2004 and began again in 2011. For the 2011 model year, Buick re-introduced the Regal to the North American market, positioned as an upscale sport sedan...
. The Super Coupe delivered the best overall performance, including a 0 to 60 mph acceleration time of 7.0 seconds and a completion of a quarter-mile in 15.2 seconds at 88.1 mph. In summarizing the overall performance of each car relative to each other, the author of the article, Don Sherman, wrote, "The Buick Regal is a competent, comfortable car at an attractive price, but it's too androgynous to be called a Gran Sport. Nothing about it is grand, and there isn't a sporting bone in its body. All the Monte Carlo needs to succeed is a V-8 engine and a year of refinement to eradicate its quality bugs. That leaves the Thunderbird SC as this test's big winner. It's a far more sophisticated solution to the four-place-coupe equation, but is priced accordingly." In spite of positive critiques like this, the increases in output and performance over earlier Super Coupes would be short-lived, as the Thunderbird Super Coupe was discontinued after the 1995 model year due to slowing sales.
1996
For the 1996 model year, the Thunderbird received its last refresh. Available in LX (V6 or V8) or Sport (V8 only) trims, the cars received redesigned headlights, smoother front and rear fascias, body side cladding, and differently styled wheels (15 inch on LX, 16 inch on Sport). The car's taillights were revised with the black paint on the bottom quarter of the lenses being removed (previously, this paint was put on the taillights of LX Thunderbirds but omitted on the Super Coupe). The Thunderbird nameplate, which was previously positioned over this black paint on the driver side taillight, was moved above the taillight and its font was changed to a new, italicized style. With the revised front fascia, a small, egg-crate style grille (with the silver Thunderbird logo at its center) was added, giving the Thunderbird a traditional grille for the first time since the mid-1980s. The hood was redesigned with a slight bulge, which was necessary to fit the updated 4.6 L engine's taller intake manifold, now composite. The V8 models were tuned to make 210 hp at 4250 rpm and 290 lbft of torque at 3000 rpm, an increase of 25 lbft of torque over the 4.6 L V8s used in 1994 and 1995 Thunderbirds. In another comparison test conducted by Motor Trend against a Monte Carlo Z34, a Thunderbird with the updated 4.6 L V8 accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds and completed a quarter-mile run in 15.8 seconds at 88.4 mph. Unfortunately for owners, the all-composite intake had a tendency to crack and leak antifreeze. Some 1997s are covered by a class action lawsuit settled by Ford late in 2005 (see Intake Manifold Defect for details). The base LX model continued to use the 3.8 L V6 as its engine but now made use of the EEC-V computer which before was only found in 4.6 L V8-equipped models. Torque output from the V6 remained the same as before at 215 lbft (though at 2750 rpm versus 2400 rpm) but power increased to 145 hp at 4000 rpm for 1996.1997
In 1997, Ford made few notable changes, trying to save as much money as they could on the floundering coupe. On the exterior, the Thunderbird logo in the grille on early 1997 Thunderbirds have turquoise feet. However, late production 1997 models do not have these turquoise feet because Ford ran out of the inserts and decided not to go to the trouble of adding them to a car that was about to be discontinued. Also on some late 1997 models, the seven-spoke, 15x6.5-inch alloy wheels available on LX models of the 1993, 1994, and 1995 Thunderbirds briefly returned with a chrome finish instead of with the silver paint used originally. The wheels were left over from the earlier model years and, with their new finish, were made available as a special option near the Thunderbird's discontinuation. Inside, the instrument cluster was changed from a six gauge layout (speedometer, tachometer, fuel, coolant temperature, oil pressure and voltmeter) to a four gauge layout (speedometer, tachometer, fuel, coolant temperature), similar to that previously used on the Ford TaurusFord Taurus
The Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near-continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American...
and Mercury Sable
Mercury Sable
The Sable was a very important sedan for both Mercury and the American auto industry.Ford had lagged in introducing mid-size front wheel drive cars to compete against General Motors' Chevrolet Citation and its best-selling Chevrolet Celebrity/Pontiac 6000/Oldsmobile Cutlass/Buick Century quartet as...
of the time. Lastly, the Thunderbird's options list was abbreviated to a power sunroof, power driver seat, remote keyless entry, and a CD player.
Toward the end of the MN12 Thunderbird's production run, Ford's Special Vehicle Engineering (SVE) division explored the idea of a new high performance Thunderbird, producing four prototypes. Stylistically the SVE Thunderbirds blended elements from the 1994–1995 and 1996–1997 Thunderbirds along with elements unique to themselves. The SVE Thunderbird used the headlights, door handles, and rear bumper cover from the 1994–1995 Thunderbird and front fascia and body side cladding from the 1996–1997 Thunderbird. Unique to the SVE Thunderbird relative to other Thunderbirds were 17-inch, five spoke Cobra R wheels, larger dual exhaust tips, a different lower section of the front fascia with fog lights, a unique spoiler, and a prominent cowl hood. The most significant difference that set the SVE Thunderbird apart from other Thunderbirds was its supercharged 4.6 L DOHC V8 engine, similar to that later found in the SVT Mustang Cobra
Ford Mustang SVT Cobra
The 1993 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra was launched during the 1992 Chicago Auto Show. It was the premier vehicle of Ford's newly established SVT division, designed to showcase SVT's four hallmarks of Performance, Substance, Exclusivity and Value...
. Power was delivered to the wheels via a Tremec
Transmission Technologies Corporation
Transmission Technologies Corporation is an American manufacturer of automobile transmissions, best known for their TREMEC line of manual transmissions...
T-45 5-speed manual transmission. Stopping the SVE Thunderbird were larger brakes taken from the Mustang Cobra (going along with its Cobra R wheels). In spite of its potential, this high performance Thunderbird was not meant to be as Ford not only pulled the plug on this project, but on the entire Thunderbird and Cougar line, with the 1997 model year being its last. On September 4, 1997, the final MN12 Thunderbird was built at Ford's assembly plant in Lorain, Ohio
Lorain, Ohio
Lorain is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on Lake Erie, at the mouth of the Black River, about 30 miles west of Cleveland....
. As it rolled down the assembly line, a sign saying "That's All Folks" adorned the decklid.
Production Totals
| Year | Production |
| 1989 | 122,909 |
| 1990 | 114,040 |
| 1991 | 84,719 |
| 1992 | 75,149 |
| 1993 | 130,750 |
| 1994 | 121,082 |
| 1995 | 115,397 |
| 1996 | 112,302 |
| 1997 | 85,276 |
| Total | 961,624 |