The Thunderbird's popularity only continued to grow, and by the end of the 1950s, it was one of the most successful and iconic vehicles in the world. It was a popular choice among celebrities and other high-profile individuals, and it became a regular sight on the roads of America. In the first years of production, the car was an unqualified success, with sales that exceeded even the most optimistic projections. The rise of the Thunderbird was nothing short of meteoric. These features made the Thunderbird a comfortable and sophisticated vehicle, and they contributed to its popularity and success. In addition to its powerful engine – somebody even tried to power it with a Boeing gas turbine engine – the T-Bird was also equipped with a host of luxurious features, including leather upholstery, power windows, and a padded dashboard. This was an impressive feat for the time, and it made the Thunderbird a formidable performer on the road. In this car’s case, the headlights slowly open back up after the car has been shut off, giving it a Christine-like vibe when parked in a dark garage.One of the features that made the Thunderbird popular in its early years was its powerful V8 engine, which was capable of producing up to 292 horsepower. I loved them on the Lincolns as well, but like so many other “trick” features, they can become a nuisance with age. One of my favorite features of this generation is the hideaway headlights. This Ford Thunderbird (1955-1957) got away, but there are more like it here. Later on, a V6 was offered, but it didn’t matter much for the 8th generation’s sales. However, the 4.2L Windsor V8 seen here was not like the Thunderbirds of old, and likely turned more customers away than it attracted. However, the design of this malaise-era T-Bird has always caught my eye for combining the decidedly old-school look of flip-up headlights with a thoroughly 80s-appropriate unibrow taillight panel. With minor alterations, the 390 would be the basic Thunderbird powerplant through 1968, joined by big-block options beginning with '66. An optional power package offered 40 more bhp for 1962-63. Like so many vehicles from this era, slimming down and increasing MPGs was the name of the game. I realize this 1980 Ford Thunderbird is not a particularly special car. There was again just one engine: Ford Division's new 390 V-8, a stroked 352 but delivering the same 300 horsepower. Previous Thunderbirds were based on the Torino platform, making for a much larger (and heavier) car. The seller hints at some other interior work needed but doesn’t elaborate – do you see anything suspect in this photo? While it does come with A/C, the belt isn’t hooked up so you know there’s more work involved than simply re-attaching it. Whatever the exterior color is called, I hope you like it since the scheme carries into the interior. It produces power and torque figures of 131 bhp (133 PS/98 kW) at 3600 rpm and 313 Nm. The 8 cylinder, overhead valve naturally aspirated engine has 2 valves per cylinder and a volume of 4.9 litres. With only 60,000 miles, you would expect that the interior looked this good. The Ford Thunderbird is a coupé with 2 doors and a front mounted engine which supplies the power through the rear wheels. Seen here on eBay, this 1980 Thunderbird wears an interesting shade of pink (or peach?) and belonged to a woman who was an antique dealer and collector. Non running, no dents, minor rust, fully loaded with a moon roof ford thunderbird be worth. Even though the basic design remained the same for many years, this generation’s front and rear treatments looked surprisingly modern, and the tighter proportions worked well on the compact Fox platform. I always forget this generation of the Thunderbird existed.
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