According to J Mays, Ford's vice president of design, the concept car features design elements from Thunderbirds of 1955-57 and 1961-62 "simplified into contemporary forms." Those cues include those portholes, aluminum-finished chevrons, hood scoop, round headlamps, taillamps and fog lamps, and the trademark Thunderbird badge. "The design of the Thunderbird concept reflects the attitude of a simpler time," explains Mays.
"The unbridled optimism and the confident attitude of the 1950s comes through in an absolutely modern design." As to why that's not a retro look in Ford's view, well, "When college students buy bell bottoms from a second-hand store, that's retro. When car designers put white-wall tires and fins on a vehicle, that's retro, too. But the new Ford Thunderbird concept vehicle is a modern interpretation of a classic American icon." Okay. No matter how you describe it, it's a great looking car and will likely cost about $50,000 and more when it arrives in Canadian Ford stores in 18 months or so.
Mays says the Thunderbird concept's stance is designed to be relaxed and confident. This look is "achieved through a negative-wedge design -- in which the front of the vehicle appears to be set slightly higher than the rear." The 18-inch, 8-spoke aluminum wheels and P245R50-18 tires help are supposed to give the car "an equally sporting stance."
A circular theme runs throughout the vehicle, Mays explains, starting with the round headlamps and fog lamps and going back to the taillamps. The removable hardtop with its portholes is the signature cue from the original Thunderbird. The oval grille opening remains true to the original with an aluminum finished egg-crate design, Mays says, and there are two large foglamps set into the front bumper along with a secondary grille opening below them. The wraparound windshield is set at a 64-degree angle and is completely surrounded by a wide band of chrome, as are the portholes.