Sales of the eighth generation of Thunderbirds had never been strong, and they paled in comparison to the runaway success of the Torino-based seventh generation. By 1982, Ford could barely give them away. Cue Jack Telnack, newly appointed chief of design atFord, an American imported from his post in Europe, who said to his folks, “What would you like to see in your driveway?” Empowered in a way that was nearly unknown in corporate automotive spheres at the time, great minds at Ford rallied to the task and penned a stunner under Telnack’s aegis for 1983.
Much more than a pretty face, the kicker was that this new “aero bird” packed optional firepower in its talons. Digging into the parts bin, Ford breathed new life into the Lima 4-cylinder that bowed in 1971 in the Pinto. Fully fuel injected, displacing 2.3 liters, and strapped to a Garrett AirResearch T3 turbocharger, this mill soared to new heights, shattering the coveted one horsepower per cubic inch barrier with three nags to spare – 143 hp from 140 cubes.
In 1984, the same excellent ‘Bird played again, with a few minor changes. Back then, Ford’s ear was to the ground; enthusiasts in their ranks were reading the car pubs – and taking notice. In one of the most flattering reviews of any car extant, Car and Driver’s Larry Griffin had a small gripe in July ‘83: the stalk mounted horn switch. He wrote that “the hooter is impossible to find just when you need it most.” A new wheel mounted horn button appeared for ’84, the same year that the Wee Scot, Jackie Stewart, wheeled a new TC through the gears in a TV spot for FoMoCo, lauding its ergonomics and responsiveness. The aero bird was at a fresh altitude – way above the trees.
The year 1985 brought freshened exterior details, new 15-inch wheels shod with Goodyear P225VR60 “Gatorbacks,” and much to the delight of the Ford design team, a welcome triumph over the bean counters in the form of a brand new dash. While this writer holds a soft spot for the windshield-spanning dash of ’83 and ’84, with its unforgettable grid-patterned instrument panel, the new cockpit did indeed introduce a welcome amount of additional functionality, plugging in water, oil, and boost gauges. All this additional situation awareness prompted Ford’s advertising team to run an ad showcasing the new interior look and lauding the new instrumentation as “Everything You Need to Know.” Further good news met well with those sporting Escort radar detectors atop their dashes or cupped to their windshields: horsepower was up to 155. The same went for 1986.
Nineteen-Eighty-Seven was another watershed year for the lofty beast. Originally planned for ’86, but delayed one year due to very strong sales of the eighty-six ‘Birds and Cougars (the 1984 to 1986 XR-7 variant of the latter deserves the same special mention as Turbo Coupes over the same period), some new sheetmetal, a provocative new nose, and definitive triple-circle taillights debuted to keep the latest iteration of the Fox Thunderbird at the top of the heap. In addition to extensive external changes, those under the skin were vast – the Thunderbird 2.3 Lima received a long-awaited intercooler, more power, and additional state of the art electrickery. Horsepower, coincident with the switch to a smaller but faster spinning IHI turbocharger, rocketed to 190 in 5-speed equipped cars. Anti-lock brakes by Alfred E. Teves Corporation grabbed all four discs. An electronic, automatically adaptive suspension by Tokico, festooned with cockpit controlled manual overrides, brought heretofore unseen levels of ground control to this GT car.
Motor Trend thought enough of this new iteration to bestow upon it their highesthonor – Car of the Year. Ford wisely reasoned, why mess with success? Model year 1988 proffered the same terrific automobile, closing out a gilded chapter in what is seldom regarded by purists as the greatest generation of Thunderbird, but should be.
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