Classic Cars You've Probably Forgotten About

20. Ford Thunderbird

Iconic throughout its 50-year production life from 1955 to 2005 (with a gap from 1997-2002), the car featured in the movie American Graffiti was sold as a personal luxury car, not a sports car. In fact, versions of the T-Bird have been sold under the Mercury and Lincoln brands as high-end luxury vehicles. The Thunderbird began as an alternative to the Corvette, providing style and comfort rather than appealing to buyers of sports cars, an approach that proved successful. Initial engine and transmission components were sourced from other Ford standard car lines. While styling and decent performance brought the Thunderbird through fifty years and eleven generations, versions of the T-Bird have had success in NASCAR and at Talladega Speedway.