Ford Renews Thunderbird Trademark (2001)

[MikeB]

I'm sorry if this is old news but a friend on the Mustang Mach E Forum who also owns a 2002 Retro Bird sent me this: https://fordauthority.com/2021/01/fo...ntial-revival/ . He was wondering to me if Ford might consider making another Thunderbird EV model. I'm sort of like the original Mustang people in that I can't imagine a 2 seater electric Thunderbird. Ford possibly could go to a 4 door version but the emphasis now seems to be SUV's so I doubt it.

Again, sorry if this is old news.

[merlot4]

I wouldn't mind seeing a new version of a 2 seater, or interesting 4 place Thunderbird in either ICE or EV. At some point in time, the fascination with SUV's will wane a bit, although they're hot at the moment.

[007Cruiser]

Remember that only two of the eleven generations had two seats. The nameplate has been all over the place. An upscale electric SUV wouldn’t surprise me. Look at the new Mustang.

[Jimr]

The primary reason for renewing the Thunderbird trade mark to so people can't use the name on merchandise they make without paying for to use of the name. Renewing the trademark may or may not have anything to do with Ford using the name in the future. I personally don't see ford ever using the marque in the future,

[Gobird]

I don't see Ford making a T-Bird SUV, maybe a four seater but I don't think that will happen either. For the near future I don't see anything but SUV's.

[AZTB]

The primary reason for renewing the Thunderbird trade mark to so people can't use the name on merchandise they make without paying for to use of the name. Renewing the trademark may or may not have anything to do with Ford using the name in the future. I personally don't see ford ever using the marque in the future,

I agree totally...we own a trademark name here in Arizona that we must renew every 5 years or we lose it. We have not used the trademark in about 20 years, but we also do not want others to use it as to prevent the sullying, or dilution, of the name.

[RustyFrye]

....but we also do not want others to use it as to prevent the sullying, or dilution, of the name.

(Taking liberties here) Yea! That would be "Dubeous" otherwise!

[birdfan]

I never envisioned there would be a 4-door electric Mustang, so who knows what might happen.

Since Ford now has an electric F150, the Lightning, a 4-seat EV named Thunderbird would be an interesting combo. Seems like Thunder and Lightning should make a natural marketing opportunity to promote electric power.

I thought Thunderbird was a potential EV nameplate well before I heard of the Lightning. Most high-end brands are coming out with luxury 4-seat EVs, so why not a halo Ford Thunderbird EV to bring back the luster of the name.

[007Cruiser]

A 2030 model for the 75th anniversary.

[BirdsAndBugs]

I don't forsee Ford using the Thunderbird as a possibility anytime in the near future. They're just protecting the trademarked name.

[MikeB]

Interesting conversation and take on this. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Like has been said, the traditional Mustang people never thought Ford would come out with a four door SUV crossover "Mustang" but the marketing people at Ford had different ideas. The car has been a huge success even with the name turmoil.

So yes, maybe a four door Thunderbird "luxurious" SUV or something like that. Ford has committed heavily into the EV market and will get away from ICE vehicles in the future sometime. But they're probably just protecting the Thunderbird name right now from anybody else using it.

This isn't as far fetched as you think. Chevy has "electrified" the C8 Corvette! The electric Corvette will use GM's Ultium battery platform, and we speculated in the past that Chevy's trademark of the name "E-Ray" could be used for some sort of electrified Corvette model. We're guessing that the prototype in this video is the hybrid model, as there's a clear soundtrack of a V-8 gasoline engine playing in the background, but Chevy should release some teasers of the EV model in due time. The camouflaged prototype appears to have the exact same body as the gas-powered Corvette—the main visual difference we can spot is the yellow color of the brake calipers.

MORE ON THE CORVETTE

When the electric Corvette arrives, it will have to offer impressive performance specs to compete with its internal-combustion siblings. The Corvette Z06, for one, has a 670-hp 5.5-liter flat-plane-crank V-8, while the hybrid model is rumored to offer around 1000 horsepower from a twin-turbo version of that engine combined with an electric motor powering the front wheels. In the video, we can see that the front wheels start spinning before the rears, confirming this all-wheel-drive setup; we think that the electric version will offer AWD as well.

We look forward to hearing more about both the hybrid and the electric model within the next few months as Chevy prepares to offer a broader Corvette lineup than ever before.

[JerriLampon]

I don't forsee Ford using the Thunderbird as a possibility anytime in the near future. They're just protecting the trademarked name.

Yeah, can you imagine what Toyota would do with the brand?

[EllisonCal]

I also heard the Corvette Brand Manager talking about an all-electric C8 and a possible hybrid version. AWD is easy with Electric motors, the Rivian has an electric motor on each wheel. Our Toyota Venza has a single electric motor on the front but 2 electric motors on the rear of the car for all wheel drive. In addition it has the 2.5 liter ICE. Lots of start up torque from the front electric motor and after it is moving the ICE engine kicks in for a combined 219 hp. It gets to 60 in about 7 seconds.