Ford is considering bringing back the Thunderbird, as insiders reportedly claim the classic will be revived as a new grand touring coupe to compete with the Chevrolet Corvette.
It's not uncommon for automakers to revive old favourites, just recently we heard that the VW group plans to bring back Scout. Ford's 1955 Thunderbird was initially launched as a two-seater to rival the corvette, but over the years it developed and evolved. First, into a four-door sedan in the late '60s, then into a two-door hardtop in the '70s, and finally a turbo coupe in the '80s.
The car was then pulled from Ford's lineup, before being somewhat revitalised in 2002 as a retro-styled coupe with elements from the mid-'50s and early-'60s. It ran in this form for a couple of years before being pulled again.
But in January 2021, Ford filed a trademark for the Thunderbird name, and rumours have sparked that the car will be coming back after the Bronco and Maverick have made their own respective comebacks in the last few years.
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Both of those vehicles have been successful in terms of sales, so this has the potential for the Thunderbird to redeem itself after a somewhat rocky ending in the early 2000s. A new Thunderbird would likely be electrified, rather than the original 3.9-litre V8.
View Ford Thunderbird listings on Driven
Whether or not this is anything more than a rumour, we'll have to wait and see.
