2002 Ford Thunderbird...continued

Then Richard McNamara, the same guy who tried to run the Viet Nam war with a balance sheet, took away the enchantment in search of a few more sales units by changing it to a four seater. Since then the Thunderbird has had memorable cars and even a great record in NASCAR racing, but none had the visceral excitement of the original '55-57 models . . . until now.

According to designer Douglas Gaffka, "We started with the classic proportions - used a reverse wedge to provide motion and still keep the original look. The hood scoop was important, and wanted to be integrated in the design. The porthole was needed to convey T-bird's heritage and insure its identity. The colors are what you remember; not what they were." They succeeded.

The car is offered in five colors: Inspiration Yellow, Torch Red, Thunderbird Blue, Evening Black and Whisper White. All are badged with the American Indian inspired emblem on the cowl, highlighted with nostalgic turquoise. These colors and details pay homage to the past while 21st century materials, technology and design language brings the car into the present.

"This car, its style, the statement it makes, the feelings it evokes - all will make it an icon in its own right," says Jim O'Connor, President of Ford Division. "For those who, like me, really loved the original Thunderbirds, this moment has been 45 years in the making."

The two-place interior reflects the exterior design and the car's romantic heritage with bold style combined with modern comfort and convenience. It comes standard as a convertible and offers an optional removable top with classic portholes, although modern headrests keep them from being useful as windows. The fully loaded "premium" model - which includes the hardtop, chrome wheels, traction control and a unique interior trim color is priced at $39,795. The removable top will take some planning to use and store, but is an excellent feature in our weather and lifestyles.

Back in the fifties one of the unique features was a speed sensitive volume control, which used a Rube Goldberg system of pulleys, cables and slipping clutches between the speedometer and loudness knob. It returns today, made much simpler and more reliable by modern electronics.

On the sensible side, front and side airbags are standard and there is a deactivation switch for the passenger when a latched child seat is installed. Smart lock prevents your keys from being locked inside with a key in the ignition. There is a passive antitheft system, and for comfort and sporty driving, there is a dead pedal left footrest. And to address the needs of modern lifestyles, there is a large enough trunk for two golf bags or all the get away weekend bags a couple needs.

To match the looks, the ride and handling are specially tuned and structural braces were installed under the car enhance the chassis rigidity, giving the roadster the expected driving dynamics and quietness. Chief vehicle engineer Nancy Giolla used extra large shocks to create a well-balanced, rear-wheel drive car that utilizes a fine-tuned, lightweight four-wheel independent suspension system to deliver the ride we thought the original car had. The variable-assist rack-and-pinion steering provides lower turning efforts at parking speeds and better road feel at highway speeds.

Four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes (ABS) and electronic brake force distribution (EBD) comes standard and the brake rotors are vented and calipers are dual piston-type for quick response and safety. An optional all-speed traction control system helps in adverse road conditions. For optimum visual and driving performance, Thunderbird comes standard with 17-inch cast aluminum wheels.

All 2002 Thunderbirds are equipped with the smooth, all-aluminum 3.9-liter DOHC V8 pioneered by Jaguar and Lincoln. The engine is matched to a specially engineered close-ratio, five-speed automatic transmission.

From the slipstream of dreams this car wafts its way into our lives. Last September Neiman Marcus made 200 special edition Thunderbirds available in its annual Christmas Book. The black and silver cars were priced at a premium $41,995 and sold out in a record 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Passion is the key for past owners and with only 25,000 being made, it will be the driving element for today's buyers. To quote one of the original owners from the video, "We should have things we wanted when we are young, because we treasure them more!"

Thank you Doug, Nancy, Jim and all the people from Ford who keep our dreams alive.