2002 Ford Thunderbird Review

2002 Ford Thunderbird

Dripping nostalgia.

by: Dan Jedlicka

Dripping with nostalgia, the slick new Ford Thunderbird two-seater is being put on the road in the San Francisco area today during a media preview.

This is the first two-seat Ford Thunderbird since 1957 and promises to become a classic like the original 1950s two-seat ''T-Bird.'' It goes on sale this summer as a 2002 model with ''T-Bird'' styling cues from the 1950s and 1960s.

A power convertible top is standard, but a removable hardtop with ''porthole'' windows like those on 1950s' two-seat Thunderbirds is available.

Ford Motor Co. doesn't want to call its new baby a ''retro'' model, fearing it might be considered old-fashioned. But retro-style vehicles such as the Chrysler PT Cruiser and Volkswagen New Beetle are hot.

The new Thunderbird thus has 1950s T-Bird retro styling cues, including simulated air vents in front fenders, a hood scoop and prominent grille.

The new Thunderbird has been displayed at auto shows since 1999. It has received lots of media exposure because the first two-seater generated considerable magic.

Introduced in 1955, the original T-Bird two-seater had a short, happy flight; it was replaced by a four-seat version in 1958. Still, the now-classic car was a hit in the limited 1950s market for two-seaters, far outselling the rival Chevrolet Corvette. Ford sold 53,166 two-seat Thunderbirds in the 1950s, but correctly figured it could sell a lot more if the car had four seats.

However, with the emphasis on niche prestige vehicles in today's bigger, more affluent auto market, Ford feels a Thunderbird two-seater should generate both profits and prestige. It expects to sell 25,000 Thunderbirds during the first full year of production. In contrast, 16,155 Thunderbirds were sold for the 1955 model year.

The Thunderbird last was sold as a $17,885 four-seat coupe in 1997. But the new two-seat version is far more expensive. The base model costs $34,965--or $37,465 with the removable hardtop. A Premium model with chrome wheels costs $35,965, or $38,465 with the hardtop and those wheels.

Curiously, a removable hardtop was standard for the 1955 Thunderbird, while the convertible top was optional.

The new Thunderbird would have cost more if Ford Motor hadn't dipped into its parts bin to create it. The T-Bird is built on a shorter version of the rear-wheel-drive platform used by the Lincoln LS and Jaguar S-Type sedans.

Also, the T-Bird has the 3.9-liter, 252-horsepower V-8 used in the LS. The engine is hooked to a five-speed automatic transmission also used in the LS and S-Type.

However, the 2002 Thunderbird is loaded with equipment, including leather upholstery for the two power seats, automatic climate control, anti-lock brakes and an AM/FM radio with an in-dash 6-disc CD player.

While the 1955-57 Thunderbird still turns heads, it doesn't have anywhere near the performance, refinement, safety and sophistication of the new model.

Dan Jedlicka

Dan Jedlicka joined the Chicago Sun-Times in February 1968 as a business news reporter and was named auto editor later that year. He has reviewed more than 4,000 new vehicles for the Sun-Times--far more than any newspaper auto writer in the country. Jedlicka also reviewed vehicles for Microsoft Corp.'s MSN Autos Internet site from January, 1996, to June, 2008.

Jedlicka remained auto editor at the Sun-Times until October, 2008, and continued writing for the newspaper's AutoTimes section, which he started in 1992, until February, 2009. While continuing his auto writings at the Sun-Times, he served as assistant financial editor of that newspaper from 1970 to 1973, when he began his automotive column.

He has appeared on numerous radio and television shows, including NBC's "Today," ABC's "20/20" and "The CBS Evening News." He was a host, consultant and writer for Fox-TV Channel 32's 1991 New Car Preview show and that Chicago-based station's 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995 Chicago Auto Show Previews.

Jedlicka's auto articles have been printed in national magazines, including Esquire and Harper's. His auto columns have been reprinted in U.S. government publications and economic textbooks and he is profiled in the "World's Greatest Auto Show" history book about the Chicago Auto Show. In late 1975, Jedlicka was host and technical advisor for three one-hour television specials, "Auto Test 76," which aired nationally on PBS and were the first nationally televised auto road test shows.

In 1995, Jedlicka was the recipient of the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois Inc.'s Consumer Education Award, given annually to a person who has gained distinction in the field of consumer education. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award in the Media category and inducted into the Legends of Motorsports Guild at the Carquest World of wheels custom car show in Chicago in January, 2006.

Jedlicka was a member of the North American Car and Truck of the Year jury, composed of a select number of auto journalists from throughout the country, from 1995 until 2009. From 2010 to 2012, he was a member of Consumer Digest magazine's auto experts panel that gave Best Buy new vehicle recommendations.

He is a 1987 graduate of the Bob Bondurant Race Drivers School and later of the BMW "M" and Skip Barber Advanced Driving schools. He was a member of the U.S. team that participated in the 1987 1,000-mile Mille Miglia race/rally in Italy and has been a race winner at the Chicago area's Santa Fe Speedway.

Jedlicka has owned 25 classic cars, including 1950s and 1960s Ferraris and 1950s and 1960s Porsches, a 1965 Corvette, a 1967 Maserati and a 1957 Studebaker supercharged Golden Hawk. Jedlicka resides with his wife, Suzanne, in the Frank Lloyd Wright historic district of Oak Park. They have two children, James and Michele.

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