This 15-Mile Ford Thunderbird Has Been Sitting Since 2002 And Costs Half What It Did New

  • The retro-inspired Thunderbird is finished in Evening Black with chrome accents.
  • Ford built more than 68,000 examples of the eleventh-generation Thunderbird.
  • This convertible’s cabin is bathed in a combination of red and black leather.

This might be the lowest-mileage and most pristine Ford Thunderbird Convertible in the United States. Given its near-showroom condition and delivery mileage, it’s no surprise the asking price lands right where a brand-new, EcoBoost-powered Ford Mustang would.

Read: Brand New 2002 Ford Thunderbird Was Stashed Away With Delivery-Mileage For 22 Years

The eleventh-generation Thunderbird has always been a quirky thing, wearing a retro, throwback design that looked straight back to the original Thunderbird of the 1950s. More than 68,000 examples of the 2002-2005 model were built, so it’s not exactly rare, though finding one kept as well as this won’t be easy.

Under the hood sits a 3.9-liter aluminum V8, the same unit found in the Lincoln LS and tracing its roots to Jaguar’s DOHC AJ-V8, albeit stripped of niceties like variable valve timing. In the Thunderbird, it made 252 horsepower and 267 lb-ft, down from the 281 hp and 287 lb-ft the Jaguar version produced. A five-speed automatic sends drive to the rear wheels.

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Classic Cars of Sarasota

Listed for sale through Classic Cars of Sarasota, this Thunderbird is a 2002 model and has covered just 15 miles (24 km) since new, which counts as delivery mileage. The listing doesn’t mention how many owners the car’s had, but it’s obviously been stored and kept clean for most of its life, looking like it just rolled out of the Ford line, even if it’s missing the plastic covers.

The window sticker shows an original price of $37,295, which in today’s money, adjusted for inflation, works out to $70,326, yet the dealer is asking just $34,950, meaning this Thunderbird now costs half what it effectively did new.

It’s painted in Evening Black and retains all of the original chrome parts, including the wheels, the front grille, and the badging. The black fabric soft top has also been retained.

A Splash Of Color Inside

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Classic Cars of Sarasota

While the black-and-chrome exterior is relatively subtle, the same cannot be said about the interior. It features a combination of red and black leather, with red accents on the seats, door panels, transmission tunnel, shifter, and steering wheel giving the car an extra dose of personality.

For a collector, the delivery mileage of this Thunderbird inevitably boosts its desirability. However, this might not be the best option for someone who wants a Thunderbird they can actually drive, as it’ll need an in-depth service and likely need some parts replaced given how long it’s been sitting idle.

Still, we bet somebody out there wants exactly this, and they know who they are. Go have a look at the listing over here before they beat you to it.

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Classic Cars of Sarasota


The Auto World

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