(EXPANDED FROM 5/6/2024)
Some have argued that the 1967-71 Thunderbird four-door Landau was a strategic error. For example, James E. Duvall (2024) wrote that the new body style played a major role in “forever” changing “what a T-Bird was supposed to be. Image positions in the mind of consumers are very fragile.”
In a Dean’s Garage comment, Duvall (2024) noted that the market position occupied by previous Thunderbirds was not a six-passenger sedan. To come out with such a body style made the car too much like lower-priced Fords.
Did that make the four door an evolutionary wrong turn? I began to mull this question as I was photographing a 1969 model. This strikes me as being a crucial year for the Thunderbird because the Buick Riviera outsold it for the first time. Perhaps most alarmingly, the T-Bird’s production was down 24 percent whereas the Riviera and its corporate sibling, the Oldsmobile Toronado, were both up by around 7 points.
General Motors was now handily outselling Ford in the premium-priced personal coupe field. This represented a sea change from 1967, when the T-Bird outsold the Riviera and Toronado combined. Could this shift have been partly because the four-door sedan undercut the nameplate’s stature as a personal coupe — unlike the two-door convertible it replaced?
Four door was essentially a baby 1961-63 Continental
The four-door Thunderbird was a cheaper, smaller and somewhat sportier variation on the 1961-63 Lincoln Continental. Designers borrowed its “coupe sedan” vibe, replete with the iconic clamshell doors. The T-Bird was more gimmicky with its fake landau bars, but that may have better fit the times than the Continental’s more austere persona.
Giving the Thunderbird this body style may have made sense to Ford’s catsup oracles for three reasons. First, because the Continental had grown in size to the point where it was once again a full-sized luxury car. Meanwhile, the automaker had a weak presence at the top of the premium-priced field. A T-Bird four-door sedan might compete better against the Buick Electra and Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight.
Secondly, the Thunderbird’s convertible had never sold particularly well — peaking at approximately 12,000 units in 1960 and falling to 5,000 by 1966.
Thirdly, the wildly successful Mustang arguably appealed much better to buyers seeking a sportier car, so Ford quite rightly shifted the Thunderbird more toward luxury.
Thunderbird falls behind the Riviera in 1969
Ford pointed to the four-door model as a big reason why the Thunderbird did so well in 1967 against the Riviera and Toronado. With the addition of bench front seats in 1968, the automaker expected new “conquest” sales from the Electra and Ninety-Eight.
Conquests were likely few because the four-door Thunderbird sold best in 1967 — almost 25,000 units. Output drifted down to under 22,000 in 1968 and then below 16,000 in 1969.
If that sounds bad, note that the four-door model’s steady decline was similar to total Thunderbird sales. In addition, this body style did much better than the convertible. On the other hand, the four door only outsold the Continental in the latter car’s first, recession-plagued year of 1961.
Thunderbird falls behind GM in restyling race
I would be more inclined to blame the 1969 Thunderbird’s relatively poor performance on Ford’s decision to give it only minor styling updates. What that meant was the car was now in its third year of production with few changes. In contrast, the GM cars were only in their second year since being given a facelift in 1968.
Why would that matter? Because luxury personal coupes were “halo” cars that tended to do best when their styling was fresh. In addition, the 1968-69 Riviera was a particularly attractive design.
In 1970 the Thunderbird was given a partial reskinning that made it look more like a GM car, with a Pontiac-like beak and a semi-fastback roofline for two-door models. This was not coincidental because former GM executive Semon “Bunkie” Knudsen had been hired as Ford president when the cars were being developed.
The Thunderbird quickly regained its No. 1 status but over the next two years sales were mediocre — roughly 50,000 units in 1970 and 36,000 in 1971. Could it be that playing “follow the leader” may not have been so smart?
Four door went into sharp decline with 1970 facelift
In 1970 the four door received less of a design update and lower prominence in marketing. Output fell by almost half. By 1971 the body style made up only 18 percent of Thunderbird output. That was a drop from its peak in 1968 of almost 34 percent.
Even though the four door sold better than the convertible, it was still a niche model. That was the opposite of the Electra 225, whose four-door hardtop and sedan comprised almost 70 percent of total production in 1969. The Electra lineup also sold in much higher numbers — almost 159,000 cars left the factory in 1969 versus slightly more than 49,000 T-Birds.
Todd Duhnke (2024) argued that the four door “created buzz on the showroom floor” but it was “a money loser as it had so many unique parts and its frame had to be lengthened 2 1/2 inches to accommodate back seat passengers.” However, the cost of the longer frame was shared with the Continental Mark III, “which did make lots of money for Ford.”
This suggests that the four-door was not a huge success but hardly a failure. And while the body style didn’t save the T-Bird from being outsold by the Riviera in 1969, I don’t think you can blame that on offering a six-passenger sedan.
Richard Langworth noted that by 1969 Thunderbird buyers “continued to show a marked preference for the now-standard bench seat” regardless of which body style they chose (1986, p. 254). By the same token, although the four door lost altitude after 1969, one could at least partly blame that on Ford’s flagging attention.
The four door could have been a contender . . .
This body style arguably had potential if Ford had stuck with it — particularly if the Thunderbird did not grow into virtually a full-sized car with its next major redesign in 1972. A mid-sized, luxury “coupe sedan” might have carved out a decent market as more buyers grew tired of land yachts such as the Electra.
Instead, Ford pumped up both the Thunderbird and its mid-sized cars to the point where they were strikingly close to the big LTD in external dimensions. The only way a four-door model would have made sense was if it had been given a taller roofline so that skimpy headroom could have been improved.
I would also push back on the argument that a four-door sedan undercut the Thunderbird’s image. Adding a coupe sedan body style was hardly a radical step for Ford given the iconic status of the 1961-63 Continental.
The biggest reason why Ford did relatively well in the 1960s was arguably because it pioneered new market niches rather than playing follow the leader. The discontinuance of the four-door Thunderbird was yet another indication that the automaker was losing its flair for innovation in the early-70s.
NOTES:
This story was originally posted on Sept. 6, 2024 and expanded on Oct. 14, 2026. Specifications and production figures are from auto editors of Consumer Guide (1993, 2006), Consumer Reports (1970), Flory (2004) and Gunnell (2002).
Share your reactions to this post with a comment below or a note to the editor.
RE:SOURCES
- Auto editors of Consumer Guide; 2006. Encyclopedia of American Cars. Publications International, Lincolnwood, IL.
- Consumer Reports; 1970. “Auto Buying Guide. April edition (link unavailable).
- Duhnke, Todd; 2024. “A Design at a Crossroads — 1967 Thunderbird.” Dean’s Garage. Posted Jan. 12.
- Duvall, James E.; 2024. Comment in “A Design at a Crossroads — 1967 Thunderbird.” Dean’s Garage. Posted Jan 12 at 12:47 am.
- Flory, J. “Kelly” Jr.; 2004. American Cars, 1960-1972. McFarland & Co., Inc.
- Gunnell, John; 2002. Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946-1975. Revised Fourth Ed. Krause Publications, Iola, WI.
- Langworth, Richard; 1986. The Complete History of Ford Motor Company. Beekman House.
ADVERTISING & BROCHURES:
- Fordheritagevault.com: Ford Thunderbird (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972); Mercury Montego (1972)
- oldcaradvertising.com: Ford Thunderbird (1969)
- oldcarbrochures.org: Buick Electra (1969); Buick Riviera (1969); Ford Thunderbird (1969)
I am perhaps very biased here: My wife’s late aunt and late uncle bought a new Thunderbird every three years starting in 1958, trading in their beloved 1956 Plymouth, their first new car. They both worked in management for R.C.A. at the Indianapolis Color TV manufacturing plant. The 1958, 1961, 1964, 1967 and 1970 Thunderbirds were trouble-free, but the four-door 1970 Landau was their favorite and their last Thunderbird as they did not like the successor 1973 and later Thunderbirds. A 1968 red Mustang joined their garage, but they kept the 1970 T-bird until 2006, when they donated it to a high school for restoration and sale. They also moved in 1977 to a Cadillac Sedan deVille and later added a 1981 Chevrolet Caprice. But of all the cars they owned, even the later Cadillacs (1977, 1984, and a 1994 Fleetwood Brougham), the 1970 four-door “Bunkie-beaked” T-Bird was their favorite car. They used it for very special occasions and kept it in good running order, although by the turn of the century, the Indiana winters had taken a toll as they had not had the car Z-Barted when the T-Bird was their daily driver. The aunt and uncle valued the quiet the fully optioned T-Bird offered given their long work hours hectic work duties. The times I rode and drove their 1970 T-Bird, it was undeniably a quiet, prestige automobile: Nicer riding and quieter than their 1964 and 1967 Thunderbirds. It is no wonder they loved the 1970 model.
I would challenge the contention that the Thunderbird was restyled that much between 1967 and 1971: Yes, there were grille texture and taillight variations year-to-year, but the 1970-1971 beak was the biggest change. Ford really did not have to spend money on sheet metal changes as both the Mark III and the Thunderbird were winners, so Ford, even though the T-Bird sales fell off after 1967, the cars (platforms) made profits.
Thunderbird sedan may have been an idea 20 years too early. I’ve seen pictures of a clay model of sedan version of the 1980 Thunderbird, which may have been a proposal to replace the LTD II sedan. The car looked similar to a 1981 Granada with the Thunderbird grill and tail.
Since Childhood I was a bird fancier perhaps beginning around 1961. Most cars at the time I did not like – finny – garish multicolors , too sci fi etc.
The tubular bird was truly a sensation – space age in a good way – and the interior was leaps and bounds away from the dull seeming interiors of the day.
I owned an 1981 1993 and 2004 and 2005. The last 2 were disasters. Maybe the 81 was my all time favorite. And there were many in my city – which caught the eye of many observers.
The 1967 and up 4 doors were just another dimension of the Thunderbird alchemy that no one could equal. They didnt last long – but while they were here – no other car seemed to compare. My favorite was the wide sailed 1969 – with its Continental like coved roof.
Ford completely lost their midas touch after 1999 and was never the same company. The current CEO has promise – he owns a 1937 Lincoln K coupe. Now thats saying something. Mulalley by comparison – only had a foggy idea of what a Ford was – let alone a Lincoln or Bird.
In my view the 67-69 were some of the finest looking sedans Ford ever made and wile all the collectors rave about the two doors the four doors t-birds from end to end have a better look. I have a 1969 four door and it gets attention when I drive it. From 1970 and on the T-Bird was never the same the 70 model looked like a GM car.
IMO the 4 door Bird fell between two stools. Its image was compromised by its sedan practicality and its practicality was compromised by its coupe style.
The Mark III effectively ended the era of the Thunderbird as an exclusive luxury car. By 1972 the T Bird was just a big Ford hardtop. It ran out of gas when the loyalists and the buyers who had aspired to own a Thunderbird got the news.
The 1977 Torino Bird was a big hit but I think it would have sold pretty well if it had been called Elite. It was a gorgeous car targeted at the sweet spot of the market.