What years did they make the Ford Thunderbird?
The Ford Thunderbird was produced across ten generations from 1955 to 1997, with a revival from 2002 to 2005.
What follows is a detailed look at exactly which years Ford built the Thunderbird, how the nameplate evolved across generations, and why there were gaps in production before the later revival. The list below consolidates the production years for each generation and places them in historical context.
Production timeline by generation
Generation-by-generation production years
This list consolidates the production years for each Thunderbird generation, showing when the model was built for U.S. and global markets.
- First generation: 1955–1957
- Second generation: 1958–1960
- Third generation: 1961–1963
- Fourth generation: 1964–1971
- Fifth generation: 1972–1976
- Sixth generation: 1977–1979
- Seventh generation: 1980–1982
- Eight generation: 1983–1988
- Ninth generation: 1989–1997
- Tenth generation: 2002–2005
Note that there was a production hiatus between 1998 and 2001, during which Ford redesigned the Thunderbird, leading to the 2002 revival as a modern two-seat coupe before the model was retired again after 2005.
Context and significance
From its 1955 debut as a stylish two-seat roadster to its later years as a personal-luxury coupe, the Thunderbird reflected Ford’s willingness to reinvent a nameplate to fit changing tastes. The years listed above mark the official model years sold, with some markets following nearby calendars.
Summary: The Ford Thunderbird’s production history spans 1955–1997 in nine traditional generations, followed by a 2002–2005 revival—ten distinct production phases across the model’s five-plus decades of operation.
