Registration No: G21 UTM
Chassis No: 1FAPP64R7KH151692
MOT: June 2024

• Acquired new by Aston Martin Lagonda
• Used as a development car for the upcoming 1992 V8 Vantage
• Correspondence from AML on file supporting provenance
• Full respray and new sills
• Interior refreshed and roof lining replaced
• Thousands spent on engine, transmission, brakes and suspension

The tenth generation of the Ford Thunderbird was introduced on the 26^th of December 1988 and was in production for the 1989 to 1997 model years. Alongside the Mercury Cougar it was developed on Ford's new Mid-Size North American Project 12 (MN12) platform and featured a more aerodynamic body that, although featuring a nine-inch-longer wheelbase, was slightly shorter in overall length compared to the 1988 Thunderbird. Featuring four-wheel independent suspension, with short-and-long arms (SLA) and a spring strut assembly in the front and multiple links in the rear, the car offered excellent handling and ride quality. This setup made the Thunderbird one of only a handful of American built cars to offer a four-wheel independent suspension at the time. Due in part to its low coefficient of drag, the Thunderbird was relatively fuel efficient considering its overall size and weight. The fuel efficiency rating for the V6 powered car was noticeably better than that of Thunderbirds equipped with higher performance engines and gave the base V6-equipped Thunderbird a significant driving range. The high performance Thunderbird Super Coupe also known as Thunderbird SC was powered by a sophisticated, supercharged and intercooled version of the 3.8 L OHV V6. The Super Coupe was available with either a Mazda-derived, M5R2 5-speed manual transmission or an AOD 4-speed automatic transmission. In 1989, Motor Trend awarded the Thunderbird Super Coupe the ‘Car of the Year’ trophy, which Ford gratefully used in their advertising campaigns. Besides the more powerful engine, the Super Coupe came equipped with a range of unique features, underlining its higher performance character compared to standard Thunderbirds. Among these were larger alloy wheels with high performance tires, a Traction-Lok limited slip differential, standard anti-lock brakes, 4-wheel disc brakes, speed-sensitive variable assist steering, lower body side skirts and bumpers, fog lights, and a stiffer suspension with adjustable Tokico shock absorbers.

The Thunderbird SC offered here was built at Ford’s Lorain plant in the USA in March 1989 and delivered to Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. on the 15^th of September that same year. At the time, Aston Martin was working on the development of the V8 Vantage which would be introduced in 1992. As this car was being designed to be equipped with twin Eaton Superchargers and the latest Ford engine management control system, Aston Martin decided to purchase this Thunderbird SC to help them develop their own version of the system. Copies of correspondence with Mr Steve Waddingham, Aston Martin’s Company Historian, confirms the above and makes it quite clear that it’s very rare for a development car to survive in such good condition. Further correspondence from a local Aston Martin Employee Facebook group shows that several (ex-) employees remember the car being used for tests. The final proof of provenance is the service booklet which has the details of Aston Martin Lagonda as the first owner and shows that the first couple of services were performed by AML themselves. Over the last few years, the car has been the subject of much expenditure on interior, exterior, engine, brakes and drivetrain. It received a full respray after having both sills replaced while the leather seats were refreshed and the headliner replaced. The brake callipers have been reconditioned with new pads fitted all round. An exchange gearbox was fitted at 107803 miles and the engine has had much care and attention lavished on it. Also, at 149,000 miles the odometer had to be replaced with a second hand one reading 67,796 miles as no new units were available. After the restoration, the car was invited by AML to attend their events and will surely be welcome to continue to do so in the future. According to the current vendor, the Thunderbird SC presents very well inside and out and drives as smoothly as it should. Offered with two sets of keys, a full service pack with 34 stamps in the booklet (the first 2 of which are by AML) and an extensive history file with official AML correspondence and sheaves of invoices detailing all the work done, this is a rare opportunity to acquire an important piece of Aston Martin history, linked with the development of one of AML’s greatest cars ever, the V8 Vantage. A very special addition to any Aston Martin collection that will certainly get people talking!

For more information, please contact:
Julian Pinkster
julian.pinkster@handh.co.uk
07889 223 904