Here's Why the 2002 Ford Thunderbird Was a Retro Failure
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Date: 2019-10-25
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Comments and reviews: 10
Rod Ferguson
This was a waste of a perfectly good revival of the Thunderbird when the car was reintroduced 2002 as a retro, cigar shaped, roadster attempting to mimic the classic 1955 -66 T-birds. Yes Doug pointed out that Ford did things on the cheap by using a lot of plastic materials for the interior and some of the other design quirks that Ford make. Also keep in mind also this was also the same time ( early 2000 's ) when Ford shoot itself in the foot by spending a lot of it's money buying up what we're then failed or failing brands like Volvo, Land Rover, Jaguar, Aston Martin, and Mazda. Furthermore Ford attempted to use the retro theme to the extreme with the Thunderbird attempting to get it to appeal to older buyers who were retirement aged people who had fond memories of the classic two seater models. And also to people who remember the 1958-66 ( especially the 19 62 to 66 cigar-shaped Thunderbirds). Also Doug was correct and that the then 40, 000 price point didn't help neither. The car should have been a Corvette competitor with a more contemporary design language with some classic retro styling points to give the car it's own styling flair as a cruiser with similar power but not a hard core sports car like the Corvette and finally this car appeals to the gentle and quiet nature of retirees at a retirement home filled with 70 + people not a younger more, hip group of people who expect a more Sporter, more responsive and contemporary modern car than the AARP crowd is used to driving.
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This was a waste of a perfectly good revival of the Thunderbird when the car was reintroduced 2002 as a retro, cigar shaped, roadster attempting to mimic the classic 1955 -66 T-birds. Yes Doug pointed out that Ford did things on the cheap by using a lot of plastic materials for the interior and some of the other design quirks that Ford make. Also keep in mind also this was also the same time ( early 2000 's ) when Ford shoot itself in the foot by spending a lot of it's money buying up what we're then failed or failing brands like Volvo, Land Rover, Jaguar, Aston Martin, and Mazda. Furthermore Ford attempted to use the retro theme to the extreme with the Thunderbird attempting to get it to appeal to older buyers who were retirement aged people who had fond memories of the classic two seater models. And also to people who remember the 1958-66 ( especially the 19 62 to 66 cigar-shaped Thunderbirds). Also Doug was correct and that the then 40, 000 price point didn't help neither. The car should have been a Corvette competitor with a more contemporary design language with some classic retro styling points to give the car it's own styling flair as a cruiser with similar power but not a hard core sports car like the Corvette and finally this car appeals to the gentle and quiet nature of retirees at a retirement home filled with 70 + people not a younger more, hip group of people who expect a more Sporter, more responsive and contemporary modern car than the AARP crowd is used to driving.
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Jim R
Never liked this Doug guy, and now I have reasons you should not either: 1. The auto setting for the headlights is the amount of delay before the lights automatically turn off when you shut down the car and walk away. It's just a timer. What freakish fantasy world do you live in? 2.. younger people stayed away because they didn't want to drive what grandma's driving. No. They stayed away because they couldn't afford the car. [Your remark about the primary buyers being older people trying to relive their youth in a retro car is spot on. ]3. . the car was just too soft. That's not a big reason why it didn't sell. Given the demographic it appealed to, soft was desirable. It didn't sell because it was too expensive and trouble ridden. I'm certain it would have sold like gangbusters if it had been a little taller for ease of access and to accommodate a 4. 6 V8 and shared components with other cars to cut costs - even if it was soft. Say a price target just above the Mercury Grand Marquis & Sable of the time. I think Ford was trying to justify the tooling for the 3. 9 and the Lincoln LS and Jag S-Type. Economies of scale, you know. If the T-Bird had come out with the 4. 6 V8 and a higher level base trim and softer ride than the Mustang, Ford would have had a winner on their hands without affecting their Mustang numbers much. Sadly, they went with all sorts of aluminum components and a new engine from the embattled Lincoln LS, and priced themselves out of the market.
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Never liked this Doug guy, and now I have reasons you should not either: 1. The auto setting for the headlights is the amount of delay before the lights automatically turn off when you shut down the car and walk away. It's just a timer. What freakish fantasy world do you live in? 2.. younger people stayed away because they didn't want to drive what grandma's driving. No. They stayed away because they couldn't afford the car. [Your remark about the primary buyers being older people trying to relive their youth in a retro car is spot on. ]3. . the car was just too soft. That's not a big reason why it didn't sell. Given the demographic it appealed to, soft was desirable. It didn't sell because it was too expensive and trouble ridden. I'm certain it would have sold like gangbusters if it had been a little taller for ease of access and to accommodate a 4. 6 V8 and shared components with other cars to cut costs - even if it was soft. Say a price target just above the Mercury Grand Marquis & Sable of the time. I think Ford was trying to justify the tooling for the 3. 9 and the Lincoln LS and Jag S-Type. Economies of scale, you know. If the T-Bird had come out with the 4. 6 V8 and a higher level base trim and softer ride than the Mustang, Ford would have had a winner on their hands without affecting their Mustang numbers much. Sadly, they went with all sorts of aluminum components and a new engine from the embattled Lincoln LS, and priced themselves out of the market.
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THOMAS POWELL
He's whining about how small the console compartment is below the arm rest. The audio is a 6 CD player and that compartment holds 6 CD cases perfectly. Not everyone has these retro birds as their daily driver, my Ford Ranger is my daily driver. My TBird is my second car no else drives. It's a fun vehicle for me to cruise on a sunny weekend with the top down. I'm not really needing huge storage space, back seats, roomy trunk space to enjoy cruisin' in my Tbird. In fact, most of my Tbird storage compartments are currently empty. More storage space means nothing if you're not using it. As for weight, yes, it's almost 4, 000 pounds. But if I were in a crash between a 4K pound car and a 2K pound car. I would rather be in the 4K pound car. Not to mention the retrobirds score high on crash tests. Though if your tbird flipped over that would be very dangerous since the hard top is removable. Performance - 280 horsepower is plenty for weekend cruising. I'm not taking it to the drag strip. When I punch it to enter a highway, it's got some zip to it. Owners Manual - he's whining about how the manual cover is not in color? Really? SMH. He's whining about how it starts with a California proposition warning and not a congratulatory introduction. Did he even bother reading further? The very next paragraph is the congratulatory introduction. derp.
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He's whining about how small the console compartment is below the arm rest. The audio is a 6 CD player and that compartment holds 6 CD cases perfectly. Not everyone has these retro birds as their daily driver, my Ford Ranger is my daily driver. My TBird is my second car no else drives. It's a fun vehicle for me to cruise on a sunny weekend with the top down. I'm not really needing huge storage space, back seats, roomy trunk space to enjoy cruisin' in my Tbird. In fact, most of my Tbird storage compartments are currently empty. More storage space means nothing if you're not using it. As for weight, yes, it's almost 4, 000 pounds. But if I were in a crash between a 4K pound car and a 2K pound car. I would rather be in the 4K pound car. Not to mention the retrobirds score high on crash tests. Though if your tbird flipped over that would be very dangerous since the hard top is removable. Performance - 280 horsepower is plenty for weekend cruising. I'm not taking it to the drag strip. When I punch it to enter a highway, it's got some zip to it. Owners Manual - he's whining about how the manual cover is not in color? Really? SMH. He's whining about how it starts with a California proposition warning and not a congratulatory introduction. Did he even bother reading further? The very next paragraph is the congratulatory introduction. derp.
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m osborne
DeMuro - you do understand that the original Thunderbirds were _never_ performance cars, even for their time(s? They were generally marketed and sold to the same basic demographic as the version you are making fun of. The Beach Boys song _WAY_ oversold the capabilities of both the car and the girl. These things were always marketed as personal luxury sports cars to pseudo rich old farts like myself. Hell, you're about to sell me on buying one of these. (By the way, my two minivans make around 280 hp each and they can get out of their own damned way. My suggestion is driving one of cool old Thunderbirds which were made 55 years before you were born. Everyone I have talked to describes them as like an uncomfortable truck. I believe they had 215 _stated HP, and were not well built. Also, remember they began selling the things with the bullet birds and later. FORD people correct me - I got annoyed with the apparent lack of homework and prep in this video.
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DeMuro - you do understand that the original Thunderbirds were _never_ performance cars, even for their time(s? They were generally marketed and sold to the same basic demographic as the version you are making fun of. The Beach Boys song _WAY_ oversold the capabilities of both the car and the girl. These things were always marketed as personal luxury sports cars to pseudo rich old farts like myself. Hell, you're about to sell me on buying one of these. (By the way, my two minivans make around 280 hp each and they can get out of their own damned way. My suggestion is driving one of cool old Thunderbirds which were made 55 years before you were born. Everyone I have talked to describes them as like an uncomfortable truck. I believe they had 215 _stated HP, and were not well built. Also, remember they began selling the things with the bullet birds and later. FORD people correct me - I got annoyed with the apparent lack of homework and prep in this video.
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Todd Knox
He makes some weak points I think. The '55 - '57 used Ford parts, duh The dash in the '55 and '56 mirrored the dashes in the Fairlane and the '57 T-Bird dash was vintage '56 Ford Fairlane. Ditto fenders, roof wheel wells, etc. What failed the 11th generation T-Bird was price, price. Too much money for too little car, and it was an already been there and done that car. Ford should have know that because they immediately realized that those who wanted a two seat T-Bird would buy them and then what. Ah, ha, a four seater And they were right. Sold gazillions of them. Ford did realize that, by the by. The Fusion was already in the works. Look at the seats, dash, controls, floor plan, roof and so on of the Fusion. 4 Door T-Bird I think and a lot cheaper but has the looks and performance, the V6 anyway. Ford charged for nostalgia and got disappointment. For that kind of money I'd have bought the Lincoln.
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He makes some weak points I think. The '55 - '57 used Ford parts, duh The dash in the '55 and '56 mirrored the dashes in the Fairlane and the '57 T-Bird dash was vintage '56 Ford Fairlane. Ditto fenders, roof wheel wells, etc. What failed the 11th generation T-Bird was price, price. Too much money for too little car, and it was an already been there and done that car. Ford should have know that because they immediately realized that those who wanted a two seat T-Bird would buy them and then what. Ah, ha, a four seater And they were right. Sold gazillions of them. Ford did realize that, by the by. The Fusion was already in the works. Look at the seats, dash, controls, floor plan, roof and so on of the Fusion. 4 Door T-Bird I think and a lot cheaper but has the looks and performance, the V6 anyway. Ford charged for nostalgia and got disappointment. For that kind of money I'd have bought the Lincoln.
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Niels Axel Bucumi Sommer
Beautiful lines on that car. Some Italian spyder resemblance fromthe side. I'm 55 and I like cars as much as 25 year old but don't act on it. Come to Burundi Doug and review/ditch my 1999 Nissan Pathfinder non 4x4. But I warn you, it only has 170 hp on the paper and some of the horses have retired so I don't race my kids to school. Air-condition doesn't work so that I don't catch a cold. Fuel economy is not to brag about so people don't get annoyed with me bragging. The car saved my life under the 2015 Burundian crisis so that, among other things, I can respond to this review of yours. Keep up the good work. Like it a lot after getting used to your style. You're a funny guy, sometimes on purpose, sometimes not. And no-one has as funny a Doug is the type that. fan crowd like you. You've earned it. Greetings from Burundi.
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Beautiful lines on that car. Some Italian spyder resemblance fromthe side. I'm 55 and I like cars as much as 25 year old but don't act on it. Come to Burundi Doug and review/ditch my 1999 Nissan Pathfinder non 4x4. But I warn you, it only has 170 hp on the paper and some of the horses have retired so I don't race my kids to school. Air-condition doesn't work so that I don't catch a cold. Fuel economy is not to brag about so people don't get annoyed with me bragging. The car saved my life under the 2015 Burundian crisis so that, among other things, I can respond to this review of yours. Keep up the good work. Like it a lot after getting used to your style. You're a funny guy, sometimes on purpose, sometimes not. And no-one has as funny a Doug is the type that. fan crowd like you. You've earned it. Greetings from Burundi.
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Mallory D
Step 1. Go to YT SearchStep 2. Search this keyword: Mimi Kid ArtStep 3. EnjoyHere's Why the 2002 Ford Thunderbird Was a Retro Failuredoing it; but sometimes we also do things in order to avoid talking and thinking about them. Such as throwing 700 billion at a problem instead of reflecting on how it arose in the first place. Theres enough metaphysics in not thinking about anything. I have always depended on the kindness of strangers. I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something. The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the
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Step 1. Go to YT SearchStep 2. Search this keyword: Mimi Kid ArtStep 3. EnjoyHere's Why the 2002 Ford Thunderbird Was a Retro Failuredoing it; but sometimes we also do things in order to avoid talking and thinking about them. Such as throwing 700 billion at a problem instead of reflecting on how it arose in the first place. Theres enough metaphysics in not thinking about anything. I have always depended on the kindness of strangers. I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something. The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the
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Ari Entyse
Yeah. no. This car is for cruising, not sport. They have wonderful resale value, and are incredibly rare for a vehicle that's 17 years old. It's a testament to the time it came out and the original it was inspired by. Most special vehicles in the 2000s had way too much plastic in the interior. What makes this so different than the others? It's not meant to appeal to our modern tastes in cars. Stuff like this is why I don't really agree your reviews of older cars. We have to look at these cars with the trends of their times in mind.
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Yeah. no. This car is for cruising, not sport. They have wonderful resale value, and are incredibly rare for a vehicle that's 17 years old. It's a testament to the time it came out and the original it was inspired by. Most special vehicles in the 2000s had way too much plastic in the interior. What makes this so different than the others? It's not meant to appeal to our modern tastes in cars. Stuff like this is why I don't really agree your reviews of older cars. We have to look at these cars with the trends of their times in mind.
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TrueNomadSkies
I always thought these looked cool, especially with the porthole windows. but like Doug says, they cost too much, were only aimed at a niche audience, had a boring interior, and weren't in any way practical. The low production numbers helped keep their values up however, and that's why the PT Cruiser for example (another retro reimagination from the early 2000's )which on paper is a better car in every way other than being fwd sells for a fraction of the price on the secondary market.
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I always thought these looked cool, especially with the porthole windows. but like Doug says, they cost too much, were only aimed at a niche audience, had a boring interior, and weren't in any way practical. The low production numbers helped keep their values up however, and that's why the PT Cruiser for example (another retro reimagination from the early 2000's )which on paper is a better car in every way other than being fwd sells for a fraction of the price on the secondary market.
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Craig Elliott
He didnt understand the car. It is clear he thinks it is a sports car going in. it is not and was never marketed that way. It is primarily a styling exercise. I have one and I get a compliment t from a stranger pretty much every time I take it out. And the 3. 9L V8 is a complete beauty. How many other V8 convertibles are there? Unique, stylish, comfortable. Judge it in those attributes.
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He didnt understand the car. It is clear he thinks it is a sports car going in. it is not and was never marketed that way. It is primarily a styling exercise. I have one and I get a compliment t from a stranger pretty much every time I take it out. And the 3. 9L V8 is a complete beauty. How many other V8 convertibles are there? Unique, stylish, comfortable. Judge it in those attributes.
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