1956 Ford Thunderbird

The Ford Thunderbird is an American luxury car produced by the Ford Motor Company. It was introduced in 1955 as a two-seat convertible, and evolved over the years into a full-sized luxury car. The Thunderbird was produced in several generations and became known for its distinctive design and performance, as well as its use of innovative technology and features. The Thunderbird has competed with several luxury car brands over the years, including the Chevrolet Corvette, Cadillac Eldorado, Buick Riviera, Oldsmobile Toronado, Plymouth Barracuda, Dodge Challenger, AMC Javelin, and Mercury Cougar. These vehicles competed with the Thunderbird in terms of design, performance, technology, and luxury features. The specific competitors for each generation of the Thunderbird varied depending on the time period and market segment it was targeting. Ford discontinued the Thunderbird after the 2005 model year at which time the average MSRP was $38,355. There have been rumors that Ford may be considering bringing back the Thunderbird. While there has been no official announcement from Ford, the company filed a patent for the name Thunderbird with the U.S. patent office in January 2021.