Ford retiring Thunderbird... again



The recently re-styled -- retro-styled -- Ford Thunderbird will be discontinued after the 2005/2006 model year according to an article printed in today's Chicago Tribune.

The Thunderbird got off to a roaring start when it was reintroduced into the market in 2001 after a three-year halt. Dealers flooded with pre-orders were asking for, and getting, $10,000 premiums on top of the car's sticker price of $30,000.

It won over critics, securing Motor Trend magazine's Car of the Year award.

But the flurry died down almost as quickly as it had emerged.

Ford had projected sales of 25,000 per year, but fell well short of that mark. Last year, it sold 19,085, and it has sold just 4,065 through this March, down 21 percent from year-ago levels.