2002 Ford Thunderbird: The Retro Two-Seater Returns

This record's own dek states that the retro two-seat Thunderbird returned for 2002 with a Jaguar-derived 3.9 DOHC V-8, and that it was Motor Trend's Car of the Year; this record's own overview repeats that Wikipedia says manufacture began in June 2001 at Ford's Wixom Assembly Plant, powered by a 3.9-liter DOHC V-8 derived from Jaguar's AJ30 rated at 252 hp and 267 lb-ft, driving through a five-speed automatic.¹

This record's own overview also states that the Associated Press reported the car went on sale in August 2001, that dealers were initially getting $10,000 premiums over sticker, and that Ford had projected 25,000 sales a year; this record's own production section carries separate calendar-year US sales figures of 5,177 for 2001 and 19,085 for 2002, each row's own note stating plainly that these are calendar-year sales of all model years together, not model-year production, since the 2002-model car went on sale during calendar 2001.^2,3

This record's own overview also states that PortholeAuthority gives 2002 production as 31,368 built between June 5, 2001 and November 14, 2002, broken down by colour: Evening Black 8,739 including 200 Neiman Marcus cars, Thunderbird Blue 7,406, Torch Red 7,244, Whisper White 4,188 and Inspiration Yellow 3,791, with Wikipedia giving the same 31,368 total; this record's own production section carries that same total with a note that the enthusiast site's colour counts sum exactly to it.^4,1

This record's own keyFacts section states that the Neiman Marcus edition numbered 200 built at an MSRP of $41,995 per Wikipedia, and that Inspiration Yellow and Thunderbird Blue were 2002-only colours per the enthusiast site; this record's own prices section carries that same $41,995 Neiman Marcus MSRP alongside a $35,495 low-end MSRP for the regular 2002 Thunderbird, the latter explicitly labeled as only the low end of a quoted range rather than a single fixed price.^1,4

This record's own engines section carries a single entry, the 3.9-liter DOHC 32-valve V-8 at 252 hp and 267 lb-ft, standard equipment, with its own standard field stating plainly that the rating basis is not stated by the source and its own induction field describing electronic fuel injection without further detail; this record's own transmissions section carries the five-speed automatic as the sole, standard transmission for the year, with no manual option recorded anywhere in this record.¹

This record's own options section carries two entries: a removable hardtop with porthole windows, including a storage cart, cover and tool, and all-speed traction control, optional on the Deluxe hardtop but standard on the Premium trim; neither entry carries a price. This record's own paint table repeats the five colours from the overview by code and name, each with its own production subtotal sourced to the same enthusiast site, Evening Black's own note again flagging that its count includes the 200 Neiman Marcus cars.⁴

This record's own production notes state that the colour counts come from one enthusiast site that does not name its own Ford source, and that although they partition the stated total exactly, they remain marked "reported" rather than confirmed; this record's own specifications, performance, identification, conflicts and unpublished-leads sections are all empty for the year, leaving overview, keyFacts, production, prices, engines, transmissions, options and paint as this record's own sources for 2002.⁴