1992 Ford Thunderbird

Ford produced 73,892 examples of the Thunderbird in 1992. They came with three engine options including the standard 3.8-liter V6 offering 140 horsepower. With the optional supercharger, horsepower rose to 210. The third engine option was an overhead-valve V-8 displacing 5 liters and offering 200 horsepower. A five-speed manual and four-speed automatic was available.

The 1992 Ford Thunderbird was part of the tenth generation of Thunderbirds, having been first introduced in 1955 in response to the Chevy Corvette. The completely redesigned Tenth Generation Thunderbird was introduced on December 2th of 1988 for the 1989 model year and being alongside its Mercury Cougar cousin. It used Ford's MN12 (Mid-Size North American Project 12) platform, which had been in development since 1984. The suspension was comprised of an independent setup with short-and-long arms (SLA) and a spring strut assembly in the front and multiple links in the back. Initially, only V6 engines were offered, the first time the Thunderbird did not come with a V8. This changed for the 1991 model year, as a V8 was once again offered in the Thunderbird, positioned between the standard and supercharged versions of the 3.8-liter V6.

The Thunderbird was available as a base coupe, a sport coupe, LX Coupe and Super Coupe. The LX and Sport models had new aerodynamic front end treatment in a similar fashion to the Sport Coupe. The Sport model was a one-year-only offering featuring the 5.0-liter V8 engine.

The Thunderbirds came standard with air conditioning, tinted glass, power rack-and-pinion steering, independent suspension, full-length console with a floor-mounted shifter, and power front disc brakes. The Super Coupes came with anti-lock brakes, adjustable suspension, performance analog instrument cluster, and articulated sport seats.

The Super Coupe had fog lamps, colored coordinated lower bodyside stripes, and a unique front fascia.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2012