#2005 thunderbird full#
#2005 thunderbird plus#

With neat numerical symmetry, Ford built 700 007s. The 2002 Neiman Marcus Edition got an interesting two-tone black-and-silver paintjob and a nicely appointed interior, while the 2003 James Bond 007 Edition got the same Coral paint and white hardtop as Jinx’s film car. There were a few special edition versions over the years, which are worth keeping an eye out for. After that initial flurry of interest, though, sales and production pretty much fell off a cliff.

#2005 thunderbird plus#

Otherwise there were no major changes, just minor updates to the interior such as a revised gauge cluster from 2003, plus a few more colours and a new wheel option. The reviews were mostly positive, too Motor Trend magazine even crowned it as Car of the Year.įor the 2003 model year, Ford introduced an updated AJ35 engine with power bumped up to 280bhp thanks to variable camshaft timing.

#2005 thunderbird full#

Buyers flocked to the dealers and Ford sold 31,368 Thunderbirds in the first full year. The Thunderbird was designed as a cruiser from the outset, with style, comfort and luxury to the fore. As the Thunderbird was a prestige model, instead of sticking the Mustang’s V8 under the bonnet Ford built its own short-stroke, 252bhp, 3.9-litre version of Jaguar’s AJ30 V8 engine, mated to its own five-speed automatic transmission. Under the skin, the Thunderbird was based on the Ford DEW platform that had underpinned the Lincoln LS and the equally retro-looking Jaguar S-type. The final design was completed in 1999 under the watchful eye of J Mays, and the first production models landed in 2001. The revival set out to make a return to the glory years, thanks to a heavy dose of retro styling and a revisiting of its convertible roots. THE MARKET / Buying GuideĪlthough the 1950s and ’60s T-Birds are fondly remembered, the model lost its way somewhat through the 1980s and ’90s before the forgettable coupé version was killed off in 1997. Yet, out in the real world, there’s something slightly surreal about it – especially in the UK.

Driven by Bond’s CIA counterpart Jinx (Halle Berry), it fits the larger-than-life character and joyfully OTT film down to that last T.

After 20 years, is this retro-styled T-Bird worthy of re-evaluation?Īs a Bond fan, whenever I see the retro-styled Ford Thunderbird I’m reminded of its fleeting appearance in Die Another Day.