My First Road Test: 2005 Ford Thunderbird

    
      The Ford Thuderbird was first introduced in model year 1955 and was in production, off and on, for the next 50 years.  Over the years, it became an American automotive icon.  Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe were snapped by the paparazzi in a black T-Bird with the top down.  A 1961 "Bullet Bird" had the honor of being a part of JFK's inaugural parade.  Ol' Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra, had a Thunderbird. 
     Unfortunately, that Hollywood luster faded by 1997, when the Thunderbird was discontinued.  Ford couldn't leave one of its most famous models alone for long, though.  By 1999, it had a Thunderbird concept vehicle ready for the North American International Auto Show.  The production version of the brand new Thunderbird was unveiled in 2001.  This time, it didn't need celebrity owners.  It was a star in its own right (and in the 2002 James Bond movie, "Die Another Day") and shone all the brighter when it was named Motor Trend magazine's "Car of the Year."
     I must admit that, as big of a 007 fan as I am, the coral T-Bird in "Die Another Day" didn't really stick out to me.  It wasn't until a year or two ago that I even gave the car a second thought.  I love products made my American companies with long-standing pedigrees and illustrious histories, like Brooks Brothers clothing, Johnston and Murphy shoes and Tiffany & Co. silver accessories.  It seems inevitable that I would be drawn to the Ford Thunderbird.  I fell in love with its looks and its nostalgia factor, but I knew I had to test drive one to see if reality would match my romantic vision of it.

Driving Notes

• Looks.  The 11th-generation Thunderbird is a great modern interpretation of a classic design.  The egg crate front grille is present, as are the afterburner taillights.  Ford brought elements of classic T-Birds into the 21st century without excessively aping ancestral designs, like the new Dodge Challengers.  The body tapers dramatically front to rear, giving the car the appearance of squatting down on its rear springs as it accelerates off the line.  A lot of these T-Birds have chrome wheels with 5 thick spokes, but, unfortunately, this 50th Anniversary edition comes shod with 16-spoke alloys that look too small under the amount of car that rides atop them.  I love the large, flat trunk lid because it reminds me of old-school American cars with trunks big enough to make into mobile apartments.  However, when you open this one, it looks more like a broom closet inside.  This car is definitely a weekend machine.        
• Interior.  I knew going into this test drive that the interior would make or break my love affair with this car.  I was already sold on its exterior.  Upon getting inside the snug, primarily black interior, my girlfriend loudly said, "It's like a cave!"  I was instantly put off, as well.  I consider myself statistically average height (5'10" with shoes on).  My hair was brushing the inside of the lined convertible top - an issue I've never had with another car, even the tiny Honda S2000.  The windshield was so short and steeply raked that forward visibility was impractically limited.  When the sun visors were flipped down, I could barely see the road in front of me.  When they were flipped up, they were right in line to chop the top of my head off under heavy breaking.  The insert in the driver's door panel and the panel surrounding the cigarette lighter was loose (see picture), bringing the mystique of this car down a few pegs.  However, I kind of expected fit and finish problems in an 8-year-old American car's interior.   
• Exhaust note.  I was pleasantly surprised when I turned the key.  I knew there was a V8 up front, but I figured, given its small size (3.9 liters) and the car's boulevard cruiser persona, that it wouldn't have the satisfying, throaty, low growl I heard.  It instantly brought a smile to my face.  Hearing the sound trail behind me as I drove around the block with the top down on a balmy, sunlit day was a simple pleasure that I believe many Americans have felt behind the wheel of a Thunderbird over the past 50+ years.
• Cowl shake.   I'd read about "cowl shake" (chassis flex and vibration present in convertible cars, which lack the structural rigidity of fixed-roof cars) in car magazines before, but I'd never experienced it.  This car definitely had it.  In my 5-minute drive through the neighborhood streets around Covert Ford, never exceeding 40 mph, I could feel the area around the firewall and the front end shimmy and shake when going over road imperfections.

VITAL STATS
Engine: 3.9L V8
Power: 280 HP / 286 LB-FT
Transmission: 5-Speed Auto

Drivetrain: Rear-Wheel Drive

Curb Weight: 3,781 LBS

Seating: 2

MPG: 18 City / 24 HWY

(Figures courtesy of ThunderbirdConcepts.com.)



Those chrome rocker panels allow you to see your saddle shoes before you get in and take your sweetie to the drive-in in this automotive blast from the past.

I love the afterburner tailights and the subtle, chrome-tipped dual exhausts.

Possibly the best view of the Thunderbird: big round headlight eyes and chromed egg crate grille smile.

The turquoise needles added an attractive splash of color to otherwise plain black-on-white gauges.

On the bottom right, you can see where the fascia panel had come loose.

The 5-speed automatic transmission delivered snappy, confident shifts.

While the metal-finish trim on the driver's door was attractive and relieved the dourness of an all-black cabin, it was also loose to the touch.

The brightwork touches lead your eye around the shrinkwrap interior.



Looks like a tight fit in there.  I like how Ford chose to use a tastefully sized engine cover that didn't obscure absolutely everything under the hood.

The little embroidered mat was a nice touch.  It didn't distract me from the trunk's lack of depth, though.

     A few shout-outs: Mitch Larkin at Covert Ford was a very friendly and accommodating salesman that let me fly this 'bird with him.  Go see him and find out if you fit into this car better than I did.  It's still for sale, here: http://covertford.com/Austin-TX/For-Sale/Used/Ford/Thunderbird/2005-50th-Anniversary--Car/15721164/.  All of the above photos are courtesy of CovertFord.com.

     Thanks to Media.Ford.com for some of the information used in this review.

     Finally, I must thank Autoblog.com and its Quick Spins for the design inspiration for this post.