1979 · Ford · United States
1979 Ford Thunderbird: The Heritage Replaces the Diamond Jubilee
The 400 was gone; a 302 V-8 with SelectShift was the standard power team and the Heritage replaced the Diamond Jubilee.
United States · researched through 2026-09-22
This record's own dek states that the 400 was gone for 1979, that a 302 V-8 with SelectShift was the standard power team, and that the Heritage model replaced the Diamond Jubilee; this record's own overview repeats that the 1979 catalog lists the 5.0-liter (302 CID) V-8 with DuraSpark ignition and SelectShift automatic as standard, alongside a Heritage model offered in an exclusive Maroon (2J) or Light Medium Blue (3F).
This record's own overview also states that Wikipedia says the 400 V-8 was dropped for 1979, leaving the 302 as this record's only listed engine for the year; this record's own production section carries Wikipedia's own seventh-generation total of 284,141 Thunderbirds for 1979 across all bodies and engines, with no body, engine or option split found in a citable source, and its own note repeating that this single figure is the only production number this record carries. This record's own coverage field is marked partial rather than complete for the year, and its own keyFacts, options, interiors, performance and conflicts sections are all empty.1
This record's own overview also states that no 1979 base price was closed in a 2026-09-25 pass, quoting Curbside Classic's own framing directly: "the base price had jumped to either $5,411 or $5,999 (depending on the source)," without adopting either figure. This record's own text adds that $5,411 also happens to be Automotive Mileposts' 1978 base price, raising the possibility one of Curbside Classic's unnamed sources conflated the two years, and that $5,999 traces to no named source at all, so neither figure is entered as a price here; a separate priceNotes field adds that a J.D. Power live-valuation figure once stood in this section's place before being pulled from every page on the site for the same independent-verification concerns stated elsewhere in this record.2
This record's own engines section carries the single 5.0-liter 302 CID V-8 with DuraSpark ignition as standard, with a catalog footnote that it was not available with California or high-altitude emission systems; this record's own transmissions section carries the SelectShift automatic as standard alongside it, both sourced to the 1979 catalog's own Notable Standard Features page rather than to Wikipedia or Automotive Mileposts. Neither engine entry carries a horsepower or torque rating, since this record's own ratings array for the 302 is left empty.
This record's own paint table carries the same two Heritage-exclusive colours named in the overview, 2J Maroon and 3F Light Medium Blue, both sourced to the catalog's own Heritage features page, and carries no colour for the standard, non-Heritage Thunderbird, since this record's own paint array holds only those two Heritage rows. This record's own specifications section gives a 114.0-inch wheelbase, 217.7-inch length, 78.5-inch width, 52.8-inch height, a 21.0-gallon standard fuel tank with a 27.5-gallon extended-range option, and a 4,028-pound curb weight with the 5.0 (302) 2V V-8; this record's own identification section adds the catalog's own form number, Form 172, dated 7/78, printed in the lower left of the same back page as the Measurements table.
Fact sheet · 1979 · United States
The numbers
1979 Ford Thunderbird — The 400 was gone; a 302 V-8 with SelectShift was the standard power team and the Heritage replaced the Diamond Jubilee.
Coverage: Partial — researched sections are shown; missing ones are not yet sourced. Researched through 2026-09-22.
Every figure is labeled with how sure we are. Reported means a manufacturer, registry, or reference figure we cite but have not reconciled against factory records ourselves. Disputed means credible sources disagree and both are shown. Rows are separately scoped; don't add them together unless the note says they make up a total.
Production
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Thunderbirds, 1979 model year (every series, body and engine)1 not stated by source Whole-line total, not a performance-configuration count. | 284,141 | built, model-year | Reported |
No citable production split by body style, engine or option was found for this year; the only production figure is the whole-line total.
Prices when new *
No price is shown here. One was, until 2026-09-24: a figure from J.D. Power's live valuation pages, pulled from every page on this site because those pages can change without our knowing and we have no way to check them independently. We haven't found a source we can stand behind to put in its place yet. A price for this car elsewhere that looks suspiciously exact may be quoting that same J.D. Power figure rather than confirming it — several sites we checked turned out to be doing exactly that, without saying so.
Engines
| Engine | Factory rating | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.0-liter (302 CID) V-8 with DuraSpark ignition 302 cu in | standard (catalog footnote: not available with California or high-altitude emission systems) | Not yet sourced |
Ratings are the manufacturer's advertised figures under the standard shown (SAE gross before 1972, SAE net after). They are not dyno results, and gross and net ratings can't be compared directly.
Transmissions
| Transmission | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|
| SelectShift automatic | standard | Not yet sourced |
Paint
| Code | Color | Built |
|---|---|---|
2J |
Maroon (Heritage) | Not yet sourced |
3F |
Light Medium Blue (Heritage) | Not yet sourced |
Color names are the factory's. We don't show color swatches, because a screen color is no guide for a restoration.
Specifications
| Measure | Value | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Wheelbase | 114 in | all |
| Length | 217.7 in | all |
| Width | 78.5 in | all |
| Height | 52.8 in | all |
| Fuel capacity | 21 gal | standard (27.5 extended-range) |
| Curb weight | 4,028 lb | with 5.0 (302) 2V V-8 |
Identification
- Catalog
- Form 172, 7/78.
Identification
Read a 1979 Ford VIN
The VIN decoder runs in your browser and never sends the VIN anywhere. How the factory numbered this year's cars:
Same model year
Also in 1979
- AMC AMX The Spirit liftback carried the AMX name for 1979 with color-keyed flares, Rally-Tuned suspension and the 258 six or 304 V8. An unattributed secondary report puts deliveries at 3,657.
- AMC Gremlin X and Spirit AMX The Spirit liftback carried the AMX name for 1979 with color-keyed flares, Rally-Tuned suspension and the 258 six or 304 V8. An unattributed secondary report puts deliveries at 3,657.
- Buick Regal Turbo, Grand National and GNX The two-barrel turbo was dropped, the four-barrel Quadrajet became standard at 170 hp, and 21,389 turbo Sport Coupes were built.
- Buick Riviera Front-drive E-body Riviera and Motor Trend Car of the Year; the S Type brought the turbo 3.8 V-6 (185 hp).
- Chevrolet Chevy II and Nova Final year of the 1962-1979 chronology. Enthusiast-compiled production: 97,721 cars.
- Chevrolet El Camino SS RPO Z15 Super Sport trim on the fifth-generation El Camino; no production count from a verifiable source was found.
- Ford Ranchero GT In the Ranchero's last year a secondary source reports 12,159 GTs among 25,010 sold, a lineage no primary Ford record read here confirms.
- Mercury Capri RS and ASC/McLaren The Fox-platform Capri generation, whose trims included the RS and Turbo RS, began; a secondary source puts 1979 output at about 110,000, some 9,500 of them Turbo RS.
- Mercury Cougar Outside the muscle focus: 172,152 Cougars for 1979 per Wikipedia's table.
- Oldsmobile Cutlass, 4-4-2 and Hurst/Olds The Hurst/Olds returned on the downsized Cutlass Calais, built entirely by Oldsmobile with a 350 V-8: 2,499 built, 1,165 white and 1,334 black.
- Plymouth Road Runner A low-volume Volare appearance and performance package.
- Pontiac Firebird and Trans Am The peak: 211,453 Firebirds, 117,108 Trans Ams, and 7,500 Tenth Anniversary cars.
- Pontiac Grand Prix The last year of the SJ with a 301 4-barrel as the top engine.
- Pontiac Tempest and LeMans The downsized LeMans offered its strongest powertrain in the 301 four-barrel (L37), the only V8 listed with a four-speed manual.