Ford Thunderbird Series

When a new Thunderbird was launched in 2000, everyone was surprised by the retro look of the car which was later nicknamed the "Retro Bird".

Starting with 1989 onward, the Thunderbird was known as the Super Bird, a model that was built on the MN12 platform.

Also known as the Aero bird, the 1983 Thunderbird went back to the sportier image with a more aerodynamic design that would later be adopted byt the Taurus, the Sierra and several Lincolns.

Thunderbirds from 1980 were also known as Silver Birds, now a derivative from the Ford Fairmont sedan, they were even smaller than the previous generation.

1977 marked the 8th generation of Thunderbirds that began to downsize following the fuel crisis.

The 1972 model was part of the generation of Thunderbirds known as the Big Birds.

The engine line-up was changed yet again in 1966, when the 6.3 liter V8 received a boost in power, now a whopping 315 bhp. The 7.0 liter V8 became optional. This was the only engine capable of propelling the car from 0 to 60 mph in under 10 seconds. Also, there was a new hardtop model available that had a roof with two landau S-bars that would be a best seller for 1966.

In 1965 disc brakes became standard on the Ford Thunderbird after previously it had drum brakes on all four wheels.

The new design for the Thunderbird in 1964 got the name Flair Birds because of the car's looked more formal than sporty.

Beginning with 1961, a new design trend took over the Thunderbird series, which moved on from the Square Birds to the Bullet Birds nickname.

Production on the Square Birds Thunderbirds ended in 1960.

In 1959, Ford did another minor restyle of the Thunderbird, not as big as the one in 1958.

From 1958 onwards, the Thunderbirds were known as the Square Birds due to the increase in size and the switch from a 2-seater to a 4-seater.

After the low sales of 1956, the Thunderbird was radically modified both on the inside and the outside of the car.

In 1956 the Thunderbird already began to be modified, getting more trunk space.

Though it comes as sporty 2-door coupe, the Thunderbird was never considered a sports car, but it was described more as a personal luxury car, that was later turned into a separate segment on the market.