The new look and improved performance better enabled the Thunderbird to fill its role as a European inspired performance coupe. The ninth generation Thunderbird would slowly evolve until a major reskinning in 1987. It even offered a manual transmission for the dwindling numbers who used it or a four speed automatic. It was a completely different and un-American like take on performance at that time. The top performing Thunderbird, called the Turbo Coupe featured a 4 cylinder engine, much like the SVO Mustang with a rear wheel drive layout.

The Tempo started the trend in the States, but the 83 T-Bird made it sexy and marked Ford’s arrival with a personal performance coupe that could hold its own with nearly any thing in its class from across the pond. Ford’s new sleek aerodynamic “ jellybean styling” was already taking Europe by storm. One of the most notable examples of true European Inspired performance was seen in the redesigned Ford Thunderbird of 1983. After a while it was no more distinctive a label as any other except for a few exceptions during the 80s. All of this came with the promise of performance, the Big Three’s perception of the European way – whatever that meant. Detroit’s collective inferiority complex usually manifested itself in the form of blackout trim, stripes and badges. That was probably the case in a lot of buyer’s minds as market share continued to erode from the late 70’s through the 80’s.

There was a time not long ago when the Big Three would tout cars as “European Inspired ” as if anything truly American was undesirable.

88 thunderbird coupe