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Ford Thunderbird

The MINI Cooper isn't the only legend making a comeback. While our favourite baby is being shipped to the States for the first time to be met by keen but baffled Americans, we took the wheel of a new US dream machine on British roads to see if it could take the biscuit here.

May 2002

The MINI Cooper isn't the only legend making a comeback. While our favourite baby is being shipped to the States for the first time to be met by keen but baffled Americans, we took the wheel of a new US dream machine on British roads to see if it could take the biscuit here.

Ford's Thunderbird uses the MINI formula of taking a successful classic car and reinterpreting the styling to clothe modern mechanicals. The look borrows heavily from the most sought-after models made in the Fifties. But underneath, the car uses a chassis shared with Jaguar's S-Type, together with a thoroughly modern 3.9-litre V8.

In our car's none-too-subtle shade of custard yellow ί¿½ inside and out ί¿½ it attracts plenty of attention. There are no visible Ford badges, so onlookers assume it is a much more expensive make. Most see the winged logos and assume it's a new Bentley.

Not that the quality is anything like Crewe's finest. The interior has a distinctly cheap feel, and there's plenty of shake through the bodyshell, which makes it unnerving to drive on bumpy roads. The size and left-hand-drive layout mean it's difficult to pilot in traffic, but despite the dimensions there are only two seats, while the boot would be considered small on a sports car. Reach a motorway, though, and the T-bird feels at home. Cruising effortlessly at the legal limit, it wafts along, but can power past slower traffic easily, thanks to that 252bhp V8.

Even if the 'bird seems like your cup of tea, there is a problem. It's not officially available here, so you have to take the personal import route. There are firms which will do the work and get you one for ί¿½44,000 ί¿½ but when it costs ί¿½24,500 in the US, why not go on holiday and bring one back yourself?

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FIRST OPINION

    As American as apple pie and the colour of custard, the Thunderbird may not be everyone's cup of tea. The sloppy suspension and sheer size mean it's not well suited to British roads, either, although the soft ride and powerful V8 make light work of motorway cruising. Even at the inflated prices of specialist importers, it offers Bentley style for a fraction of the cost.
 

AT A GLANCE

    Ford Thunderbird available in US or from specialist importers
    Shares chassis with Jaguar S-Type. Engine is 252bhp 3.9 V8
     
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