The Ford Thunderbird was already at its eighth generation when it was unveiled in 1980.
It was a luxury personal coupe produced for 2 years, between 1980 and 1982.
While the previous generations were framed into the full-size segment, the 1980 version was a mid-size segments, its dimensions being reduced by 10% and, depending on the powertrain, the Thunderbird was up to 635 kg lighter.

The Thunderbird had a unibody construction and was built on the Fox platform. It shared its chassis with the contemporary Mercury Cougar XR7 and Lincoln Continental.

The car had MacPherson strut front suspension and a four-link live rear axle, while both front and rear axles had stabilizer bars. The braking system featured front disc brakes and rear drum brakes.

The classic had a 4.2-liter V8 engine that boasted 115 hp and a more powerful one developing 131 hp, a 5.0-liter V8 unit offered as optional. Both engines were paired with a 4-speed automatic gearbox.

Late in the 1980, a new engine with 6 cylinders was offered, developing 88 hp. It was a 2.3-liter paired with a 3-speed automatic transmission and the same engine was mounted on the Ford Fairmont and Granada.

In 1982, the 3.3-liter engine was offered with the standard trim level.