Ford produced the Thunderbird model from 1955 to 1997 and again from 2002 to 2005. Over its production history, the Thunderbird was available in a variety of body styles including hardtops, convertibles, and coupes. So did Ford ever make a Thunderbird model that was both a hardtop and a convertible? Let’s take a closer look at the history and styles of the Thunderbird to find out.
Overview of Thunderbird History and Styles
The original Thunderbird launched in 1955 as a two-seat coupe and is credited with pioneering the personal luxury car market segment. Early generations of the Thunderbird were offered only as a two-door coupe with removable hardtops. The first four generations of Thunderbirds, produced from 1955 to 1966, were built on a unibody chassis and had a distinct two-seater, personal luxury coupe styling.
For the fifth generation produced from 1967 to 1971, the Thunderbird saw more major changes. The body style was switched to a four-seat coupe design with four doors to better compete with other luxury coupes of the era. This fifth generation abandoned the two-seat styling and was built on a body-on-frame platform.
The sixth generation from 1972 to 1976 continued the four seat coupe body style. For the seventh generation from 1977 to 1979, the Thunderbird was downsized and offered as a two-door coupe only. In 1980, Ford decided to shift the Thunderbird from a personal luxury coupe to a grand touring coupe with the eighth generation model. The coupe continued through the ninth and tenth generations until 1997.
After a hiatus of several years, Ford relaunched the Thunderbird for 2002-2005 as an eleventh generation model. This generation returned to the two-seat coupe layout but was now built on a unibody chassis and featured a retractable hardtop convertible. The eleventh generation Thunderbird was the first model to offer a retractable hardtop convertible.
Did Ford Produce a Thunderbird Hardtop Convertible?
Based on the overview of the various Thunderbird styles and generations, it appears Ford did produce some models that could be considered hardtop convertibles:
- The original 1955-1966 Thunderbirds had removable fiberglass hardtops. Owners could switch between a hardtop and a convertible soft top, allowing for an open-air driving experience.
- The eleventh generation 2002-2005 Thunderbird featured a powered retractable hardtop. This allowed it to function as a coupe or a convertible.
So in the early models, owners had to manually remove and install the hardtops to get a convertible experience. But later models were true power hardtop convertibles able to quickly switch between coupe and convertible modes. However, there was no single Thunderbird generation that came stock from the factory as both a complete hardtop coupe and a full convertible. Owners of the early cars with removable tops had to purchase both hardtop and convertible components separately.
Breakdown by Generation
Here is a more detailed breakdown of the roof styles offered on each generation of the Thunderbird:
First Generation (1955-1957)
- Two-seat coupe with removable fiberglass hardtop standard.
- Manual convertible soft top was available as an option.
Second Generation (1958-1960)
- Two-seat coupe with removable fiberglass hardtop standard.
- Manual convertible soft top was available as an option.
Third Generation (1961-1963)
- Two-seat coupe with removable fiberglass hardtop standard.
- Manual convertible soft top was available as an option.
Fourth Generation (1964-1966)
- Two-seat coupe with removable fiberglass hardtop standard.
- Manual convertible soft top was available as an option.
Fifth Generation (1967-1971)
- Four-seat coupe hardtop only. No convertible option offered.
Sixth Generation (1972-1976)
- Four-seat coupe hardtop only. No convertible option offered.
Seventh Generation (1977-1979)
- Two-door coupe hardtop only. No convertible option offered.
Eighth Generation (1980-1982)
- Two-door coupe hardtop only. No convertible option offered.
Ninth Generation (1983-1988)
- Two-door coupe hardtop only. No convertible option offered.
Tenth Generation (1989-1997)
- Two-door coupe hardtop only. No convertible option offered.
Eleventh Generation (2002-2005)
- Two-seat coupe with power retractable hardtop convertible.
Conclusion
In summary, while Ford did produce some Thunderbird models that allowed owners to remove hardtops or featured power retractable hardtops, there was no single generation that came directly as both a complete hardtop coupe and soft top convertible from the factory. The original 1955-1966 cars with removable fiberglass tops came closest to being “hardtop convertibles”, but owners had to supply their own soft tops to complete the convertible experience.
So while Thunderbirds spanned a wide range of body styles including hardtops, convertibles, two-doors, and four-doors, Ford never made a model that was specifically marketed as a “hardtop convertible”. The eleventh generation retractable hardtop was probably the closest the Thunderbird came to fulfilling this combination.