The Thunderbird fans on the internet are all in a tizzy over a purported plan to introduce a new Thunderbird in 2012. Follow the link in the post title above and decide for yourself.
The rumor started with a salesman in Marietta, Georgia and has had zero substantiation beyond that. One person on the forums is even going to the dealer to put down a deposit - 4 years early.
My take: as so often happens with the internet, take this one as nothing more than hopeful thinking (and you see how much substance a politician can claim for "hope" - especially when it comes with "bitterness").
I'm a Thunderbird fan as much as or more than most people, and the black 2002 below would certianly work well for me. I don't see how Ford could top this... or why. The Thunderbird "DNA" should be very carefully maintained... cherished... protected. I'd like to see a new one happen someday... but only if the exact combination comes together and is treated seriously. And it's got to be true to the original heritage. The last one was a great try - I saw the press intro in Detroit and was thrilled by it. Can Ford top their last try? Should Ford even try to top it? And if they do attempt to do it again, will they try to keep it current this time? They sure blew that last time. The Sport Suspension (Brembos, firmer suspension) option detailed in the early press briefings was the first thing to be dropped, followed by the 6-speed and then the supercharged engine. And finally the entire car.
And of course there is the financial condition of Ford... beyond lousy. Does Ford need a product that would never sell past 25k units a year (and lucky to do that), or does Ford need to invest in the powertrains that will take it to the end of the decade (the Ecoboost is for the first part of the decade, and won't take it thru the end)? That's why I don't see a new Thunderbird in the next several years.
Well, come back in 4 years and we'll see. Or more likely 6 or 8. By then the company will be healthy and able to do such a product, or hopelessly lost.
