After a misbegotten redesign for the 1980 model year, the awkward and boxy Ford Thunderbird was languishing. Once a glamour machine, the T-Bird was now an also-ran in the midsize luxury sweepstakes. If Ford had killed the T-Bird, not many people would have missed it.
Instead Ford redesigned the Thunderbird for 1983 and threw caution to the wind—almost literally. While the '83 T-Bird rode on the same "Fox" chassis as the boxy '82, the body covering it was rounded in every conceivable way. It wasn't so much beautiful as it was futuristic and aircraft-like. It was an instant hit with the new Turbo Coupe version attracting many enthusiasts.
Ford's success with the '83 T-Bird emboldened it to go forward with the equally aerodynamic and daring '86 Taurus. And the bullet shape of the T-Bird proved very effective in NASCAR stock car racing.
Read more: Best Cars from the 1980s - Forgotten Classic Cars from the '80s - Popular Mechanics
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