2002 Ford Thunderbird

The cockpit has all of the modern conveniences. Unfortunately for us fans steeped in nostalgia, the new T-bird lacks the original's chromed horn ring and Philco AM radio.

The new T-bird isn't an all-out performance car, but it possesses excitingly good handling combined with a comfortable highway ride. This is admirable, since Ford used many existing parts in order to get the T-bird to market faster and keep its price down. Sometimes this approach results in mismatched components and too many compromises, but Ford assembled the puzzle so well that most owners won't know—or care—that about 65% of their T-bird's parts are shared with other cars (most notably the Lincoln LS and Jaguar S-Type). Had Ford not done this in order to price the car right, its corporate bean counters might've killed the project in its embryonic stages.

Even the seat-stitching pattern emulates the first-generation car. For the more nostalgic, optional two-tone upholstery exudes the look and feel of the original T-bird.

Like the original, a soft convertible top is standard equipment; a removable hard top is an option. Of course, the hard top has the trademark porthole windows just like the original. How could it not? The power-operated convertible top is exceedingly easy to operate and makes turning your open-top cruiser into a warm and snug passenger car so easy that you'll be tempted to put the top up and down repeatedly just to watch it work. Both tops limit headroom, so if you're taller than six feet, you might be more comfortable driving the 2002 Thunderbird with the top down when the sun is shining.


One option that's a must for true T-bird enthusiasts is the color-inset seats and dash. We drove a number of T-bird variations, and the vehicles with the two-tone interior made the experience just that more rewarding. The car just doesn't seem like a real T-bird without these colorful panels.

"Rocket" exhaust tips and "afterburner" taillights harken back to the 1955-57s. An electric soft-top is standard; the removable hard top is about a $600 option as part of the Accent Package.

Kudos to the Ford brass for getting out of the way and giving the company's car-junkies free rein to do what they do best—give us a convertible that proves that American cars are alive and well. The 2002 Thunderbird stirs the emotions, just like the original did. (Although we aren't as ready for the return of bobby socks, poodle skirts and doo-wop.) Overall, this is an automobile that makes you want to play hooky from work for a cruise on the boulevard. The Thunderbird begs to be seen, so your boss will probably bust you returning from that 3-hour lunch. Next time, maybe you should ask him or her along for the ride. (www.ford.com)