"on a 14% volume gain."" New ""luxury"" competitors and hanging consumer demand for the traditional personal luxury models meant the Lincoln Mark series was discontinued after 1998, the Buick Riviera after 1999, and the Cadillac Eldorado after 2002. An effort by Ford to reintroduce a small, two-seat, retro-themed Thunderbird in 2002 was ended after three years of slow sales. Personal luxury car A personal luxury car is an American car classification describing a highly styled, mass produced, luxury vehicle with an emphasis on image over practicality. Effectively high priced Veblen goods, personal luxury cars favor style and perceived cachet while"
"of 1997, and was replaced by J Mays. Telnack and his team of designers were responsible for ushering a new era of aerodynamic design to America's mainstream marketplace. Cars like the 1979 Ford Mustang, 1983 Ford Thunderbird, 1984 Ford Tempo and Lincoln Mark VII were moderate successes that showed Ford's intention to change their traditional design language for a more contemporary, European style. Telnack's team of designers, known collectively as ""Team Taurus"", were responsible for the 1986 Ford Taurus: a car widely acknowledged as the main reason why Ford Motor Company's turnaround strategy was successful during this period. The Taurus'"
"of Type 430 stainless steel. At the time of their production, because of the maximum rolling mill for stainless steel only produced stock that was in width, both cars' roofs were constructed from two 42-inch-wide sections welded together in the middle. Both T-Birds received mechanical and interior restorations in the 1980s and survive to this day, with one on permanent display at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The new Thunderbirds were produced at a new assembly plant at Wixom, Michigan, built as part of a corporate expansion plan to increase the sales of up-market cars (Mercurys, Lincolns, and"
"Ford Thunderbird called FAB 1. It is a fully functional full-sized six-wheeled prototype. Rolls-Royce was originally approached to build and design the prototype since the original FAB 1 was a Rolls-Royce, but BMW (current owner of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars) declined due to their development of the Phantom. Ford then replaced Rolls-Royce and designed and built the car based on the film's namesake vehicle. The car was featured in a segment of Top Gear in which presenter James May test drove the vehicle on public roads. Ford Thunderbird (eleventh generation) The eleventh generation of the Ford Thunderbird is a personal luxury"
"it began assembly of Mazda-based models, such as the Laser (Mazda 323), Telstar (Mazda 626) and Festiva (Mazda 121). The Taiwan-built Laser hatchback was exported to Canada in the late 1980s, badged as the Mercury Tracer. Former Ford models unique to Taiwan include the Ford Tierra, based on the Mazda 323 sedan, later rebadged as the facelifted Ford Laser in other Asian markets, the Ford Activa, a rebadged Mazda 323 sedan and hatchback, and the Ford Mondeo Metrostar which later also sold in China, based on the European Mondeo sedan. Taiwan-market Ford and Mazda vehicles include locally assembled Ford Mondeo,"
"the Taunus series ""GBTS"". The Taunus and Cortina Mk IV were in most cases now almost identical, apart from regional variations (in terms of specification changes and trim levels). The Taunus TC along with the Cortina Mk III and their successors have been produced in slightly updated forms in Europe, Argentina and widely across Asia by Ford or their local co-operators. Cortinas were also built in small numbers starting with the predecessor Cortina Mk II throughout the model series' European/east Asian lifespan under license by Korean automaker Hyundai. This led to the Cortina 80 at the end of its production"
"plough into the roof of a barn. A blue 1948 model Taunus was driven by Steve Forrest in the very first episode of the 1965 TV series ""The Baron"". A 1979 Ford Taunus is a main feature of the Swedish classic television show ""Ronny and Ragge"". Modified Taunus TCs are used as the Omega forces patrol vehicles in the Italian ""Mad Max"" clone ""Warrior of the Lost World"". Ford Taunus TC The Ford Taunus TC is a range of large family cars that were built by Ford Germany from 1970 until 1982. The Taunus TC was based on Ford UK's"
"Ford Thunderbird was retired after 1997, without Ford having any two-door intermediate bodies, the four-door Ford Taurus body was used (although NASCAR racers actually have no opening doors). While the manufacturers and models of automobiles used in racing were named for production cars (Dodge Charger R/T, Chevrolet Impala SS, Toyota Camry, and the Ford Fusion), the similarities between NASCAR Cup Series cars and actual production cars were limited to a small amount of shaping and painting of the nose, headlight and tail light decals, and grill areas. Until 2003, the hood, roof, and decklid were still required to be identical"
"Ford Taurus The Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by Ford in the United States. Now in its sixth generation, it was originally introduced in 1985 for the 1986 model year, and has remained in near-continuous production for more than three decades. It has had a Mercury-branded twin, the Sable (1985–2005; 2007–2009), as well as a performance variant, the Ford Taurus SHO (1989–1999 and 2009–); in addition, it served as the basis for the first-ever front-wheel drive Lincoln Continental (1987–2002). It was a front-wheel drive mid-size car until 2007, and has been a ""global"" full-size car (built on the Ford"
"The Otosan Taunus was also differentiated from Taunus TC3s previously built in Europe and Argentina by its distinctive sculpted front panel with rectangular or dual square headlights and a colourmatched grille. A black 1976 model Taunus was driven by henchman chasing James Bond (Roger Moore) - in his Lotus Esprit - in the 1977 film ""The Spy Who Loved Me"" on the roads of Sardinia. A notable passenger of the Taunus was the iconic Jaws (Richard Kiel), who was presumably the only survivor when Bond managed to shake off the pursuing car and cause it to overshoot a cliff and"
"Ford Thunderbird Ford Thunderbird (colloquially called the T-Bird) is a nameplate that was used by Ford from 1955 to 1997 and 2002 to 2005 over eleven model generations. Introduced as a two-seat convertible, the Thunderbird was produced in a number of body configurations through its production life, including four-seat hardtop coupe, four-seat convertible, five-seat convertible and hardtop, four-door pillared hardtop sedan, six-passenger hardtop coupe, and five passenger pillared coupe, with the final generation produced as a two-seat convertible. The 1958 addition of a rear seat to the Thunderbird, while initially controversial, marked the creation of market segment eventually known as"
"shape. The jet-like styling extended to the rear where sharply pointed vertical light clusters hinted at fins. The overall styling was shared with the early 1960s Ford Thunderbird. This American styling cue was originally inspired by a styling study for the upcoming 1960 Ford Taunus in Germany that Ford designer Elwood Engel saw on a visit. He utilized its front end design in both the 1961 Thunderbird and Lincoln Continental. The car was initially offered with the larger , single carburettor, 1.5 L Kent engine that was also used in the smaller Cortina, in standard and GT form. The range"
"design philosophy rested in part due to the aging Ford Pinto and Ford Maverick, and two oil embargoes which led to a rise in more fuel-efficient import vehicle sales. Taking note of this, Ford set out to revolutionize the automotive industry, and would later lay the groundwork for three revolutionary vehicles: The 1983 Thunderbird (and its Mercury counterpart, the Cougar), the 1984 Tempo (and its Mercury counterpart, the Topaz), and the yet-to be released Taurus (and its Mercury counterpart, the Sable). The Tempo and Topaz would be based on a stretched version of the front-wheel-drive platform used on the Ford"
"Mazda3, was also based on the same platform as the Focus, continuing the tradition of both companies having products in this market segment around the world sharing common componentry. However, updated versions of the Laser known as the Laser Tierra (Thailand), Laser Lynx RS, Lynx (Malaysia) and Tierra were marketed in Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Taiwan. These too were eventually replaced by the Focus in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 respectively. Ford Laser The Ford Laser is a compact car which was sold by Ford in Asia, Oceania, and parts of South America, and Africa. It has"
"Thunder Tiger Thunder Tiger Corporation () is a Taiwan manufacturer of radio controlled models including airplanes, helicopters, cars, boats, accessories and engines. Thunder Tiger is the maker of MT4-G3, Raptor e720, Ghost+ drone, award-winning R/C submarine - Neptune SB-1 & SeaWolf. Thunder Tiger Group was founded in Taichung in 1979. In 1997 it was involved in a takeover of ACE R/C corporation in America. Its 1/8 EB4 car was honored as an Offroad Champion of Europe in 1999. It established a marketing center in Germany for Europe in 2004 and was involved in a takeover of Associated in America in"
"Ford Taunus TC The Ford Taunus TC is a range of large family cars that were built by Ford Germany from 1970 until 1982. The Taunus TC was based on Ford UK's Cortina range, with the ""TC"" badge standing for Taunus Cortina. In September 1970 a new Taunus, the ""Taunus Cortina"" (TC), was introduced by Ford Germany. Ford offered a two- or four-door sedan/saloon and a five-door station wagon/estate (identified as with previous Taunus station wagons, as the ""Taunus Turnier""). Between 1970 and 1975, when the Taunus TC gave way to the Taunus TC2, a fashionable fast-back coupé was also"
"Ford Thunderbird (seventh generation) The seventh generation of the Ford Thunderbird is a personal luxury car that was built by Ford from the 1977 to the 1979 model years. In a key marketing shift for the model range, Ford repackaged the Thunderbird from a full-size car to a large intermediate car. Rather than being the Ford counterpart of the Continental Mark V, the Thunderbird would share design commonality with the Mercury Cougar (doing so through the 1997 model year). Serving as the replacement for the Ford Elite, the seventh-generation Thunderbird was derived from the Ford LTD II. The squarer, sharper"
"2.7L EcoBoost V6 (used in the Fusion and Lincoln Continental), with a 6-speed automatic paired to both engines. Since its 2015 introduction, the Changan Ford-produced Taurus has been produced solely for the Chinese market, with no considerations regarding future export. Ford Taurus The Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by Ford in the United States. Now in its sixth generation, it was originally introduced in 1985 for the 1986 model year, and has remained in near-continuous production for more than three decades. It has had a Mercury-branded twin, the Sable (1985–2005; 2007–2009), as well as a performance variant, the Ford"
"was chosen, and is sold there as the Nissan Bluebird. Yulon Motor, the Taiwan-based automaker, developed this variant of the U13, called the EQ7200-II series, in 2001. This featured a U13 central section but heavily revised front and rear ends. However, the centre of the car remains the same, and the wheelbase is retained. No mention of the Taiwanese connection was made in advertising in mainland China. The EQ7200-I commenced production in 1999 and lasted until 2002 being replaced by the EQ7200-II. The EQ7200-II was built from 2001 to 2003, when it was replaced by a revised EQ7200-III model. The"
"Formula (boats) Formula is a brand of pleasure boats produced in the United States and sold around the world. Formula is owned and operated by Thunderbird Products. Formula was originally a company founded by Don Aronow in 1962 in Miami, Florida. The first successful model was the original 233 Deep-V hull. Formula was purchased by the Alliance Machine Company of Alliance, Ohio in 1964, later combined with Thunderbird Products, and then sold to Fuqua Industries as Thunderbird/Formula in 1969. Vic Porter purchased Thunderbird/Formula from Fuqua in 1976. Porter and his children still own and operate the company today. Formula is"
"into the US market. The 'Thunderbird' name and retro styling recalls the original Triumph company's golden years of the 1960s. It was the first ""classic"" Triumph to be produced by the resurgent company. The engine, redesigned to give a period look and de-tuned for more torque at lower rpm, was a variant of the 885 cc triple engine. Peak power was down to from . Several variants of the Thunderbird were produced, Triumph T309TT Legend, Triumph T309RC Adventurer, and the Triumph T309RD Thunderbird Sport, which produced a claimed 82 bhp. The Thunderbird was produced until 2003 and the Thunderbird Sport"
"tenth-generation Ford Thunderbird, the $2 billion redesign of the two vehicles was intended to create handling benchmarked against far more expensive coupes (BMW 6-Series, Mercedes-Benz 560SEC, Jaguar XJS) while remaining in the same price segment. During the development of the 1989 Cougar, the form factor of coupes shifted significantly, as the quartet of GM G-body coupes were replaced by front-wheel drive vehicles; the introduction of the Acura Legend by Honda marked the introduction of Japanese-produced luxury vehicles. At its 1989 debut, the Cougar was marketed largely as the flagship coupe of the Mercury division. As Mercury revised its model line"
"changed Kaiser's mind. By the end of the viewing, he had not only embraced the building of the car but also green-lighted development of a four-door version. Months later, Kaiser showed his appreciation by having the new sports car named the Kaiser Darrin. As it turned out, there was actually a rush in progress among American car manufacturers to produce a two-seat roadster that would rival British imports. Ford Motor Company was developing the initial version of its Thunderbird and General Motors was working on the Chevrolet Corvette. Darrin's work predated both these projects. Along with Darrin's trademark fender line,"
"grey”, presumably reflecting paint availability in the aftermath of war. In 1949 Ford added a Taunus version with body panels fitted only as far back as the A-pillars, and several alternative body shapes became available, added by traditional coach-builders such as Karmann of Osnabrück, of Heilbronn and Plasswilm in Cologne. Coach-built Ford Taunus versions include two- and four-seater cabriolets with two doors, a special four-door cabriolet for use by police forces, small three-door station wagons and even four-door taxis. In May 1950 Ford introduced the Taunus Special, which featured a four-speed gear change controlled with a column-mounted lever. Externally the"
"years. As a result of an unplanned delay in parts shipments, the final Grand Marquis was produced on January 4, 2011 at 7:46 am. The St. Thomas Assembly plant in Ontario, Canada closed in September 2011, bringing an end to the production of the Ford Crown Victoria and Lincoln Town Car. In continuous production for 36 years, the Grand Marquis was the longest-produced Mercury. In total, nearly 2.7 million were produced, making it the best-selling vehicle sold by the brand. Among Ford Motor Company models in North America, only the Ford Econoline, Ford Mustang, Ford Thunderbird, Ford F-Series, and Lincoln"
"replacing it with the European-sourced Focus. However, the Laser continued in New Zealand until mid-2003, when it was also replaced by the facelifted Focus. Model range; Engine specifications: In Taiwan, Ford Lio Ho Motor renamed the KN/KQ Laser sedan as Ford Tierra while the Laser hatchback was renamed Ford Life, and both was sold as rebadged versions of the pre-facelift Mazda 323 BJ generation without any exterior redesigns. The KQ facelift design was directed by Ford Lio Ho Motor and was based on the Australian KN Laser as the rear fenders are different from the Mazda-derived Ford Tierras. A facelift"
"until 2004. Hinckley also produced an accompanying clothing range consisting of sew-on patches, leather jacket and ankle boots, all featuring Edward Turner's original 'paper-dart' Thunderbird logo. In July 2008, Triumph announced the new Thunderbird, a liquid-cooled parallel-twin cruiser with six gears and belt drive. The Thunderbird went on sale in June 2009. For the 2009–2010 Thunderbird model, Triumph marketed an alternative chromed clutch cover accessory featuring Edward Turner's original 'paper dart' Thunderbird logo and script which harked back to the chain case covers of the later pre-unit Thunderbird as pictured. The black-finished 2011 Thunderbird Storm model with the previously optional"
"Thunderbird. During the 1970s, this led to the latter car becoming heavy and expensive in comparison to competition from Chrysler and General Motors. For 1977, as both cars were redesigned, the Thunderbird was split from the Continental Mark V. As the Ford LTD II replaced the Torino, the Thunderbird replaced the Elite. Alongside the Mercury Cougar XR7, the Thunderbird now competed in the best selling reasonably priced intermediate personal luxury car market against the Chrysler Cordoba, Dodge Charger and the General Motors quartet of the Buick Regal, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, and Pontiac Grand Prix. Although not as"
"During World War II, Ford Australia ceased producing cars to commence military production to support the war effort. After World War II, Ford recommenced assembly of imported Ford models. Initially, they assembled the UK sourced Pilot, then a range of British cars, including the Prefect, Consul, Zephyr and Zodiac. Ford also assembled the Canadian Ford V8. The Laser was produced in Ford's plant at Homebush in Sydney, from 1981 until September 1994 when the plant closed, after which they were fully imported from Japan. The Laser was replaced by the European Ford Focus in 2002. It is currently offered in"
"appropriate supporting paperwork) proving the installation is genuine. The only known 427 cars from the original time frame were dealer built cars from performance oriented car dealers like Tasca Ford who's dealer-built 427 Thunderbird was featured in CARS magazine in 1964. A black 1964 Town Landau later had a major role in the TV series """" as protagonist Duncan Macleod’s main mode of transportation. A green 1966 Thunderbird convertible was prominently featured in the 1991 Ridley Scott film ""Thelma and Louise"", starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, a red 1966 Thunderbird convertible was featured in the 1983 film ""The Outsiders"""
"its General Motors parent. The mainstream German owned auto-makers that had survived till 1970 had not attempted to follow Opel down this path, but Ford had settled into a pattern of generally four-yearly model changes. From production statistics between 1970 and 1973 the Taunus TC was evidently a commercial success, but in 1974 sales were dipping alarmingly, as customers waited for a new Ford Taunus. A new Taunus was not yet ready for launch, but in September 1973 the existing model received a facelift with various changes in respect of trim package and engine combinations. The Taunus TC also received"
"structure heralded by the Opel Olympia, the Taunus did have its body welded to the chassis rather than having the two elements simply bolted together. Essentially, the platform was a stretched floorpan and frame inhereted from its predecessor Eifel. The advertised price at launch was 2870 Marks, but customers had the option of paying an extra 22 Marks for a shatterproof windscreen. Stylistically the new car followed the 1930s fashion for streamlining, but with a North American flavour inspired by the Lincoln-Zephyr of the time. Design work was carried out at the Ford headquarters in Detroit mainly between the then"
"to Turkey to manufacture the Otosan Taunus. The Turkish car, easily distinguishable because of its remolded front and back panels continued in production until 1993. One of the main characters of the short film ""Une histoire d'eau"" by Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut is a proud Taunus owner. A black 1976 model Taunus was driven by henchman chasing James Bond (Roger Moore) - in his Lotus Esprit - in the 1977 film ""The Spy Who Loved Me"" on the roads of Sardinia. A notable passenger of the Taunus was the iconic Jaws (Richard Kiel), who was presumably the only survivor"