After endless spy shots and official concept versions of the Thunderbird, Ford has finally revealed the roadster that's returning next year, sort of.
The 2002 Neiman Marcus Edition Thunderbird looks a lot like all of the images that went before and a lot like the real production car, which means it has unmistakeable styling links to the models of the late 50s.
Ford showed off the first of 200 uniquely designed models that it will sell through the famous catalogue's Christmas Book edition at the 50th Annual Concours d'Elegance in Pebble Beach this weekend. As well as suggesting the final design of the new T-Bird; the special edition also suggests the final price.
The list price in the Nieman Marcus catalogue is US$41,995, which suggests a regular T-Bird will list for somewhere in the mid- to high-$30,000s when it arrives in the U.S. Translated directly into Canadian, that suggests a sticker price in the low-$50,000s.
Ford has made it clear for a while that the T-Bird would be an upscale car, and one with collector status, to boot. Ford Motor Company's vice-president of design, J. Mays, made that clear when he unveiled the first version.
"The Ford Thunderbird is one of the most treasured automotive nameplates in history," he said, and "the 2002 Thunderbird is sure to be prized by collectors and car enthusiasts everywhere. With the Neiman Marcus Edition, we wanted to create a very special, very limited number of cars that would stand out as the most cherished of the new Thunderbirds."