Ford Thunderbird

After 20 years, is this retro-styled T-Bird worthy of re-evaluation?

- Matthew Hayward

AS A BOND fan, whenever I see the retro-styled Ford Thunderbird I'm reminded of its fleeting appearance in Die Another Day. Driven by Bond's CIA counterpart Jinx (Halle Berry), it fits the larger-than-life character and joyfully OTT film down to that last T. Yet, out in the real world, there's something slightly surreal about it - especially in the UK.

Although the 1950s and '60s T-Birds are fondly remembered, the model lost its way somewhat through the 1980s and '90s before the forgettable coupé version was killed off in 1997. The revival set out to make a return to the glory years, thanks to a heavy dose of retro styling and a revisiting of its convertible roots. The final design was completed in 1999 under the watchful eye of J Mays, and the first production models landed in 2001.

Under the skin, the Thunderbird was based on the Ford DEW platform that had underpinned the Lincoln LS and the equally retro-looking Jaguar S-type. As the Thunderbird was a prestige model, instead of sticking the Mustang's V8 under the bonnet Ford built its own short-stroke, 252bhp, 3.9-litre version of Jaguar's AJ30 V8 engine, mated to its own five-speed automatic transmission.