Ford Thunderbird (or the T-bird) was announced for the first time in 1953 as a direct competitor to the just launched – at that time - Chevrolet Corvette. In just a year it went from an idea to a prototype and was unveiled to the public during the 1954 Detroit Auto Show. Sales started shortly after for the 1955 model year. The Thunderbird was produced without interruption for ten generations - from 1955 to 1997, then discontinued until it was brought back to life in 2002. However, the eleventh generation was produced only for 3 years, so in 2005 the name was discontinued again.

Now it looks like the name will be brought back to life – again. It's not all that surprising since Ford has developed some sort of passion for reviving old nameplates. After the Blue Oval resurrected the Bronco, and the Maverick, it also filled to trademark “Thunderbird” with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

We expect the new Thunderbird to be a direct competitor to the current C8 Corvette, but at the same time, you must remember that Ford is also full of surprises. The original Maverick was a sport-styled compact car, and the new model took a completely different path as a compact pick-up.

However, if the new Thunderbird will indeed try to take on the C8 Corvette, it will have to face a very tough competitor. Ever since the current generation launched, the Corvette is in high demand and right now it dominates the premium sports car segment. For example, in the U.S. sales went from 21,626 units in 2020 up to 33,041 units in 2021. Of course, there is room for competition in this segment, and if Ford will do its homework right it can end up with a very successful model.

The first-generation Thunderbird was launched in 1955 with a 4.8-liter V-8 engine that delivered a total of 201 horsepower and 285 pound-feet of torque. By the time 1957 came, a more powerful 5.1-liter V-8 engine with 300 horsepower and 439 pound-feet of torque was also added to the lineup.

So, for sure the Thunderbird has the potential of becoming a very successful sports car. But if it really will compete with the C8 Corvette, it will have to offer something a lot more powerful than that. As a reminder, the C8 Corvette is powered by a 6.2-liter V-8 engine that delivers a total of 495 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque (when also equipped with the Z51 package). Its Z06 version is even more impressive: it features a 5.5-liter V-8 engine that delivers 670 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque.

So, the question is, can Ford develop something just as powerful? Something other than the GT supercar that doesn't start out well into the six-figure price range?