Ford Thunderbird 2001

The classic Ford Thunderbirds are arguably those produced before 1970. Ford kept the ‘personal luxury car’ going for no fewer than 10 generations until 1997, then brought it back for an 11th in 2002. This was the only Thunderbird with retro styling and the first since the 1957 model year with a two-seat convertible body.

The format that had worked before the formation of the Beach Boys was less successful after the hiatus of the Spice Girls. Although it was popular in its first year, 2002, sales of the new Thunderbird fell dramatically thereafter, and Ford canned it at the end of the 2005 model year. Geek fact: platform-wise, it was a sister to the original Jaguar XF.