Due to the loss of the production of this iconic car, it is now a valuable collectable. But what differences did they have? For the most part, Ford attempted to maintain a constant 3 option variance. Typically, this means the same car with 3 different packages. The Thunderbird is no stranger to these variants. Carrying variations as Standard, Sport, and "special". "Special" is a headline that can only be determind by model year. The most popular, and most abundant is the fox bodied cars. These cars are mostly known due to the unibodied undercarriage. This set-up was carried through most of the 80's. The ability to build these cars is really no different than the mustang. Nearly 90% of the parts are interchangeable. There was one major drawback to the Thunderbird. It was heavy.

The Thunderbird began its story as a hope. It was designed in the 50's to match the popular European cars. To acheive this, it was a parts bin car (meaning that the parts were cannibalized from other models). Its almost instant popularity spawned its own look later. In 1957, it was officially from it's own bin. These earlier models are no easy feat to acquire.

In the 60's, the car grew larger. This is the beginning of a very overburdened car. This overweight trend now has no end in sight, especially in the near future. But, one thing did come from the 60's. These were the years of expirimentation. The car went through radical changes. Convertable, hard top, 4 door, tonneau tops, and moving steering columns.

The 70's were not the greatest of years. The Thunderbird was a troubled car. Many of the parts had fitment issues that buyers complained about. For instance, driver side windows in passenger side doors. A vast multitude of problems arose on a daily basis, until the car's redesign in 1983.

Purhaps one of the most widely known model years, the 1983 - 1988 era. In that breif 5 year span, the Thunderbird became more of the "personal sports car". And by no means the least of feats, the design was the first and last in NASCAR to break the 200mph speed mark. That one race boosted the Thunderbird's popularity in that very instant. Thus spawning the "Bill Elliott edition", the "Fila edition", and the "Addidas edition". But, what model year had that distinctive nose that was on that "Melling #9"?

In the 70's and 80's, fuel economy was becoming a concern. In 1984, the release of the first four cylinder Thunderbird became a reality. Although, the car held true to its heavyweight heritage. Tipping the scales at over 4,000lbs anything is a formidable force on a 4cyl. So, this was no ordinary 4 cylinder. The Thunderbird became a turbo. In 1987, Ford was looking to renew the body style. But the tooling wasn't complete. So, in 1987, the Thunderbird was re-released as a 1986 with a nose job. The large grille gave way to a smaller, sleeker look. The turbo gained a more pointed nose (the melling nose), a lowered front valance, functional ram air, and an intercooler. These few changes made the 87 and 88 model years the best mistake. The car was a filler, awaiting its replacement. But, the filler was better than the original. This makes the 87 and 88 model years highly sought after.

The "Fila" and "Addidas" editions were no exception to the rule. These were released as a special edition limited production vehicle. For instance, the "Fila" edition was offered only in a plain white paint scheme. It had accompaning white alloy wheels. Everything in the car had been matched according to the shoe makers specifications to make it a truly unique car. Numbers indicate that there were only a few hundred Fila's or Addidas' cars made. The "Bill Elliot" edition was much lower in figures, pulling in at a minimal 50 produced. The Elliot edition is by far the most sought after of all. A simplistic 2 tone paint scheme of red and white, 87 Turbo coupe nose, 302 V8 carburated power plant, embossed numbered plaque, a jacket, and a signed certificate of authenticity top off the complete collection.

In 1989, ford released the replacement body. This was designated the MN-12. Also a unibody, like its previous predicessor. The car was redesigned for a lower sleeker stance. Although, only minor cosmetic changes were made until its demise. It is, and will always be an icon.

• 1983-86: Turbo coupe (turbo charged 4 cylinder)
• 1983-86: Elan (loaded, digital dash, vent wings on doors)
• 1985: Addidas edition (red and grey, badged)
  
• 1986: Fila edition (white and grey, badged)
  
• 1987-88: Turbo coupe (turbo charged, intercooled 4 cylinder)
• 1987: Bill Elliot edition (Turbo coupe trim minus fog lights, V8)
  
• 1989-95: Super coupe (super charged 6 cylinder)
• 1995: 40th anniversary (V8)
  

1955-2004 Thunderbird met it's demise 1 year before it's 50th anniversary