1989 Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe: The MN12 and Car of the Year

This record's own dek states that the new MN12 Thunderbird launched the supercharged, intercooled 3.8 V-6 Super Coupe for 1989, and that it was Motor Trend's Car of the Year; this record's own overview repeats that Ford's 1989 catalog specifies the Super Coupe with that supercharged, intercooled 3.8-liter V-6, dual exhausts, an 8.2:1 compression ratio and sequential multiple-port fuel injection, rated 210 hp, alongside a standard five-speed manual with Automatic Overdrive optional, automatic ride control suspension, a Traction-Lok rear axle, anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes, and Goodyear Eagle P225/60VR16 tires on 16 by 7.0-inch cast aluminum wheels.

This record's own overview also states that Wikipedia records the Super Coupe as Motor Trend's 1989 Car of the Year and gives the engine 315 lb-ft of torque; this record's own engines section carries that same 210-horsepower, 315 lb-ft supercharged V-6 available on the Super Coupe only, alongside a separate naturally aspirated 3.8-liter V-6 at 140 hp standard on the regular Thunderbird and the LX.^1,2

This record's own overview also states that Wikipedia's tenth-generation production table gives 122,909 Thunderbirds of all series for 1989, while the Thunderbird infoway compilation lists 12,809 Super Coupes, 8,041 of them with the five-speed manual; this record's own production section carries all of these as separate rows, including a fourth row for 102,059 non-Super-Coupe Thunderbirds with the naturally aspirated 3.8, with its own note stating that the infoway rows come from one enthusiast compilation crediting Ford media material rather than a named document, are not reconciled against the Wikipedia/Tast whole-line total, and are not added together in this record.^1,3

This record's own keyFacts section states that the Super Coupe's 210-horsepower supercharged, intercooled 3.8 V-6 came with the five-speed manual as standard, and that Preferred Equipment Package 157A was the Super Coupe package, which the catalog itself calls the Super Coupe Special Value Package; this record's own options section carries that same 157A package with a note listing what it bundled at no extra charge per the catalog's own footnote: a rear window defroster, power lock group, AM/FM cassette, speed control, tilt wheel and power driver's seat.

This record's own options section also carries an optional Automatic Overdrive transmission for the Super Coupe, all-season Goodyear Eagle GT+4 performance tires, and leather seating surfaces with a split fold-down rear seat on the Super Coupe; this record's own transmissions section carries the five-speed manual standard on the Super Coupe and the four-speed Automatic Overdrive optional on it while standard on the regular Thunderbird and LX.

This record's own paint table carries 5 colours for the Super Coupe: Black, Bright Red, Light Titanium Clearcoat Metallic, Twilight Blue Clearcoat Metallic and Oxford White. This record's own interiors section carries 3 trims for the Super Coupe: Titanium, Currant Red and Shadow Blue, all eight paint and interior entries sourced to the same catalog Colors and Trims page rather than to Automotive Mileposts or the infoway compilation used elsewhere in this record's own production section.

This record's own specifications section gives a 113.0-inch wheelbase, 198.7-inch length, 52.7-inch height and 72.7-inch width for all 1989 Thunderbirds, and a 19-gallon fuel tank scoped specifically to the Super Coupe table rather than the whole line, all five figures from the same catalog Measurements page. This record's own performance, identification and conflicts sections are all empty for the year, leaving overview, keyFacts, production, engines, transmissions, options, paint, interiors and specifications as this record's own sources for 1989.