Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe

Ford Motor Company, like the Chrysler Corporation was hit hard by the recession in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Yet Ford, without the government assistance that Chrysler had, turned itself around by reinventing many of the products that it made. The 9th generation Ford Thunderbird, introduced in 1983, symbolized this renaissance.

The 1983 Ford Thunderbird was built on the same "Fox platform" as many other Ford products including the 1980-82 Thunderbird and the Ford Mustang. Unlike the previous generation T-Bird, the new-for-1983 model was redesigned with a more aerodynamic look. The drag coefficient of this body style was a mere 0.35 (the lower the number the less wind resistance). The 1983 T-Bird came in base, Heritage, and Turbo Coupe models. Both the base and the Heritage came with either a 3.8 L (232 in³) Essex V6 that produced 110 horsepower (82 kW) mated to a 3 speed automatic. A new 5.0 L (302 in³) Windsor V8 with 140 horsepower (104 kW) was available with the former two models as well. The Turbo Coupe, the top-of-the-line model was special for several reasons. Not only was it the first Thunderbird with a 4-cylinder engine, it was also the first Thunderbird with a turbocharged engine. It used a 2.3 L (140 in³) turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with Ford's EEC-IV or Electronic Engine Control - Fourth Generation. Unlike the other models, the Turbo Coupe came with a standard 5-speed manual transmission (yet another first!). Other improvements included a limited-slip differential (called "Traction-Lok") larger tires and wheels, and a sportier interior complete with analog gauges.

For 1984, the Thunderbird few changes were made. The Turbo Coupe gained a 3-speed automatic transmission as an option.

By 1985, the Turbo Coupe gained power to 155 horsepower (116 kW), but not much else changed for the Thunderbird. A 30th Anniversary Edition model was offered, but was based on the Elan model and most models came with the V8.

By 1986, Ford was already hard at work on the so-called "MN12" project. Supposed to compete against the BMW 6-series, Ford believed that the new Thunderbird would be too big a change for the public and still wanted to capitalize on the success that the "AeroBird" brought. So for 1987, Ford redesigned the Thunderbird and made a good car even better. Larger glass areas and flush headlights furthur reduced aerodynamic drag. Replacing the Elan were new LX and Sport models. The latter came with the V8 while the LX came with the V6. The much-improved Turbo Coupe earned the honor of being the Motor Trend Car of the Year for 1987. For starters, the 2.3 L turbo-4 now included the air-to-air intercooler that was found in the Ford Mustang SVO and boosted power up to 190 horsepower (142 kW) for the 5-speed manual transmission. New for the Turbo Coupe was a 4-speed automatic rated at 150 horsepower (112 kW). The automatic had detuned turbo boost of 9.5 lbf/in² (65.5 kPa or 0.655 bar) instead of 10 to 15 lbf/in² (70 to 100 kPa or 0.69 to 1.03 bar). Ford's rationale for that was "transmission durability". Otherwise, the Turbo Coupe also came with anti-lock 4-wheel disc brakes, Automatic Ride Control, and 16-inch 225/60VR performance tires. Automatic climate control was also an available option.

1988, the final year for the Turbo Coupe, saw only a minor change. The 5-speed manual transmission now allowed the full 15 lbf/in² of boost in all forward gears (as opposed to the first two gears). Alas, the Turbo Coupe was replaced in 1989 by the Super Coupe which had a 3.8 L supercharged V6 engine—a radical departure from the old turbo-4. Though the Turbo Coupe only lasted 6 years, it remains a good buy with its high-tech electronic features and high-performance turbocharged engine.