1993 Ford Thunderbird

The 1992 Thunderbird model was available in four body styles while the 1993 T-Bird was only offered as the LX and Super Coupe. The 3.8-liter V6 engine remained as the base engine, with a supercharged version available. on the Super Coupe. A 5-liter V8 was also available, delivering 200 horsepower. A five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic with overdrive were available transmission.

Standard features on the Thunderbird included air conditioning, tinted glass, and power windows. The Super Coupe added anti-lock brakes, Traction-Lok axle, adjustable suspension, and an electronic AM/FM stereo radio with cassette. The LX models had color-keyed exterior mirrors, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a shift knob.

The LX Coupe sold for $15,800 while the Super Coupe went for $22,000.

1993 was part of the Tenth Generation of the Thunderbird, which was built from 1989 through 1997. The 1989 Thunderbird wore a completely redesigned exterior which it shared along with the similar Mercury Cougar. It rested on Ford's MN12 (Mid-Size North American Project 12) platform, which had been in development since 1984. Its wheelbase was nine-inches longer than the previous generation Thunderbird and its suspension was independent, with short-and-long arms (SLA) and multiple links in the rear and a spring strut assembly in the front. This was also the first Thunderbird in the car's history not to be offered with a V8 engine, instead, relying on Ford's 3.8-liter Essex overhead valve V6 in both naturally and supercharged versions.

On September 4th of 1997, the last tenth generation Thunderbird rolled off the assembly line in Lorain, Ohio. Production did not resume until 2002 with the introduction of the Eleventh Generation. Manufactured at Ford's Wixom Assembly Plant, it shared the Ford DEW platform with the Lincoln LS, Jaguar S-Type, and XF. Sales were initially strong but soon dropped off significantly after its first model year, prompting Ford to end production with the 2005 model year.

by Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2012