1997 Ford Thunderbird

The contemporary car is spawned by platform committees made up of representatives from every discipline styling, engineering, manufacturing, purchasing, materials handling, pricing, marketing, distribution and so on. This process makes a lot of sense considering the complexities involved in bringing a new car to market. To elicit interest in their new products, platform committees often increase the number of features offered while keeping the car competitively priced. In this area, the Ford Thunderbird platform committee has hit a home run with its 1994 product line-and they've done particularly well with the Thunderbird LX coupe. Our test car was just loaded with options - a 205-hp V8, a power moonroof, anti-lock brakes (ABS), traction assist, remote keyless entry, a premium sound system with a power antenna and temperature control. These features bumped the sticker price up to $20,550. This amount compares favorably with the Thunderbird LX's competition. The Pontiac Grand Prix SE we tested-with no moonroof and the base 160-hp V6 engine-had a sticker price of $19,436. Put a moonroof and the optional 205-hp V6 in the Grand Prix and the price leaps ahead of the Thunderbird's. Meanwhile, the top-of-the-line Toyota Camry SE Coupe, with leather interior, moonroof and 188-hp V6, comes in at almost $27,000.