The Best Ford Thunderbirds of All Time

Ranker Cars
Updated September 22, 2018 2.3K votes 675 voters

List of the best Ford Thunderbirds of all time, ranked from best to worst. This list of top Ford Thunderbirds includes photos of the cars that can be enlarged by clicking on them. If you're looking to find out what the coolest Ford Thunderbirds are then you're in the right place. Do you think the greatest Ford Thunderbird is not towards the top of the list? Be sure to vote so that your opinion is represented. This list is a great resource for both vintage Ford Thunderbirds and more contemporary ones as well. If you're looking to buy a new car you can use this list to see what the best Ford Thunderbirds ever are.

Examples of cars on this list include 2002 Ford Thunderbird and 1958 Ford Thunderbird.

This list answers the questions, "What are the greatest Ford Thunderbirds of all time?" and "What are the coolest Ford Thunderbirds?"
Photo: Karen Roe / flickr / CC-BY 2.0
  • 1
    226 VOTES

    1955 Ford Thunderbird

    The first generation of the Ford Thunderbird is a two-seat convertible produced by Ford Motor Company for the 1955 to 1957 model years. The first 2-seat Ford since 1938, the Thunderbird was developed at nearly the same time as the Chevrolet Corvette. Rather than becoming a rival to the European sports cars imported into the United States, Ford created a new completely new market segment around the Thunderbird, the personal luxury car. While a performance car in its own right, the Thunderbird focused more on comfort than speed. Until the eleventh-generation Ford Thunderbird was unveiled in 2002, this was the only version of the Thunderbird to be produced as a two-seat convertible.
    • Body Style: Coupé
    • Model: Ford Thunderbird
    • Year: 1955
    226 votes
  • 2
    189 VOTES

    1965 Ford Thunderbird

    • Model: Ford Thunderbird
    • Year: 1965
    189 votes
  • 3
    98 VOTES

    1958 Ford Thunderbird

    • Model: Ford Thunderbird
    • Year: 1958
    98 votes
  • 4
    51 VOTES

    1988 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe

    51 votes
  • 5
    129 VOTES

    1967 Ford Thunderbird

    This fifth generation saw the second major change of direction for the Thunderbird. The Thunderbird had fundamentally remained the same in concept through 1966, even though the styling had been updated twice. The introduction of the Ford Mustang in early 1964 had, however, challenged the Thunderbird's market positioning. It, like the Thunderbird, was a small, two-door, four-seater with sporting pretensions, but it was substantially cheaper. The Thunderbird's sales suffered. Ford's response was to move the Thunderbird upmarket. For 1967 the Thunderbird would be a larger car, moving it closer to Lincoln as the company chose to emphasize the "luxury" part of the "personal luxury car" ...more
    • Model: Ford Thunderbird
    • Year: 1967
    129 votes
  • 6
    135 VOTES

    2003 Ford Thunderbird Thunderbird

    • Body Style: Thunderbird
    • Model: Ford Thunderbird
    • Year: 2003
    • Previous Model Year: 2002 Ford Thunderbird
    • Next Model Year: 2004 Ford Thunderbird Coupe Premium
    135 votes