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The Oakville Beaver, W e d n e sd a y July 31, 2002 - B3 BEST WHEELS OAKVILLE A touch of nostalgia with the T-Bird Rarely has the "wow" factor the fog lamps in the body-colour been higher than four years ago at bumper, that in Canada are only the Detroit Auto Show when Ford plastic caps. Another gripe was president Jacques Nasser the tonneau cover over the appeared on stage retracted roof that with nothing but the is not the easiest to Thunderbird showfit I've ever come car. across. Like the Dodge Lastly, the low Viper and Plymouth slung convertible Prowler, here was a roof when in place car that screamed doesn't leave a lot "I'm North American o f head room for and proud o f it." ingress and egress. Fast forward to You have to today and Nasser is remember to twist gone, Ford has no your body or else new product on the the A-pillar buttress near horizon and the nails you right Jim Robinson company itself has across the top o f the gone through major turmoil. scalp. But you have to remember While Ford has said its mod you are talking about style here ern-day version o f the GT40 will and you have to be prepared to be built, it is the Thunderbird that make accommodation for it. is carrying the emotion-making This is a very satisfying car to torch right now for the Big Blue look at from any angle. From the Oval. blunt nose to the trailing off char I sampled a yellow version o f acter line that terminates in a set the car in the fall and recently had of "afterburner" style round taila chance to spend a few days with lights, the T-Bird makes the most one in glistening black. Marketed o f Ford's DNA pool. as a 2002, the Ford Thunderbird That's also a good thing. has a base price o f $51,550. Because this is a Ford, so it An optional (83 lb) hardtop means parts won't break the bank with circular side opera window a and should be available for many la 1955, bumps the cost to years if the owner decides the $56,500. About the only option keep the car forever - which is has body-color matching seat and what I would be doing. interior trim inserts. Ford has On the road the T-Bird is very kept it simple and that's a good much a boulevard cruiser. But thing. with 252 horses under the hood, it The price is also interesting. is no slouch either. With the top Lower than a Boxster and about up there was a blind spot behind the same as a Prowler, Ford has the left ear. Obviously this disap taken retro and leading-edge pears with the top down. The engineering and put them togeth opera windows on the hardtop er in a straight forward, front- should do the same in inclement engine and rear-drive package, weather. The top goes up in about easy to maintain package that 10 seconds with a simple, and somehow seems the right way to effective, centre locking handle. Just to let you know the rain is goOn the outside, there is no coming, the T-Bird has moisturedoubt what this car is and who sensing variable intermittent made it. wipers. PS, I took the car through With the reverse wedge lines, the car wash and no water got in hood scoop, round headlights, from the high pressure nozzles. side vents and egg-crate grille, The car was equipped with six the look is there. Under the skin way power seat for the driver and it's new age engineering with a two-way power seat for the pas twin-arm independent suspension senger. With a 180-watt stereo front and rear with variable assist system with six CD-changer in rack-and-pinion steering. All four dash, you can play all your disc brakes have ABS and elec favorite stuff from '50s to today's tronic brake distribution. A ll whatever they call it. speed traction control is standard During most o f the week I had and there is an on/off switch on the car it either rained or the tem the dash. perature barely got above ice Power is a 3.9-litre, quad-cam cube. With the top down, win V8 producing 252 hp and 261 dows up and heat on fullblast the lb/ft of torque. Transmission is an cockpit was livable, but a rear electronic five-speed automatic wind deflector is what's needed. that can be shifted sequentially or I'm a bit o f a nut about converts. I left in "D". The car comes with a have the top down regardless of set o f 17-inch, seven-spoke most weather. It's a touch o f the alloys on low profile tires. pre-War British roadster syn Also missing on this car were drome where it was accepted that R O A DW ORTHY Above: The 2002 Ford Thunderbird is a case w here retro has really w orked. From the signature grille and reverse wedge body line, this car is state-of-the-art underneath. Right: The interior too is leadingedge with retro styling cues like the op tion ally available b ody-colour m atching inserts on the seats and door panels. Bottom Right: Trunk space, because o f the need to stow the top, is limited to about two golf bags a bit o f adversity added to the adventure. Well adventure or not, I don't imagine too many people are going to mess with the leather interior especially those with seating inserts that match the body colour. As for the "wow" factor noted at the top o f this story when the car was first unveiled, none of it has worn off. Driving down the street people still stopped to take a long look. The best part was they instantly knew it was a Thunderbird showing the "wow" had hit home and had been remembered across a broad spec trum. With the Prowler now out of production, and the PT Cruiser not in the same league (even though a drop top is coming) the Ford Thunderbird is now perhaps unique in offering a North American interpretation o f twoseat motoring. You can whiz along in a Mazda Miata or a MercedesBenz 500 SL, but if you long for a touch o f nostalgia with hereand-now engineering, the 2002 Ford Thunderbird is hard to beat. T a k e i t , F r e e [ R id e Take a payment-free vacation this summer. PURCHASE* Down Payment Payment for 90 Days Interest for 90 Days On most new in-stock 2002 Ford L S£| LEAS^ ^ I I DownPayment Security Deposit 8 First Month Payment (fo rd makes your firs t paym ent) On most new in-stock 2002 Ford I Monday August 26, 2002 Hosted by A t the BEAUTIFUL D on D a y n a rd o f CH FI Blue Springs G olf Chib! A Pertillo Law Tournament In Support o f Close-by in Acton Bereaved Families o f Ontario - Halton/Peel A Fun Day For A Good Cause! - i PLUS, ALSO GET LOW Q 2002 Focus LX FORD FOCUS IS THE BEST SELLING CAR IN THE WORLD. LEASE FOR ONLY Purchase Financing for 48 months on 2002 Focus, Taurus, Windstar and Explorer Sport. Featuring: · A chance to WIN A CAR or a TRIP TO CUBA With a Hole-In-One! (Courtesy o f McMillan & Saunders Volvo and Casablanca Cigars & Special Events) Registration Includes: · G olf Carts; Lunch; Refreshments; Live Auction; Apres-Golf Neck & Shoulder Massage by Heritage Chiropractic; Silent Auction; great Prizes; Delicious Steak Dinner or cocktail (see below) More details Available at: www.bereavedlamilies.org per m onth/48 month w ith SO down payment, $0 security and $790 freight 5 239 · A chance to WIN TICKETS Anywhere in the World Air Canada Flies! R e g is tra tio n : For only $30 more a month lease a 2002 Focus SE Wagon 2002 Windstar I I 2002 Taurus Payment Information: $900 $225 $700 Name: _______________ Company:____________ ____ Golfer(s) staying for Dinner ____ Foursome(s) not staying for Dinner (after golf cocktails included) ____ Golfer(s) not staying for Dinner (after golf cocktails included) ____Hole Sponsor ____Hole Co-Sponsor ____Sponsor 6 Golf Carts Straight Financial Donation $500 $300 $250 $___ $175 Title: _ _____________ Windstar is the only minivan to earn a Five Star Crash Test Rating eight years in a row for front impact for both driver and front passenger in U.S. Government testing.! Taurus earned the highest U.S. Government Crash Test Rating for front impact - Double Five Star Safety Rating.# ____Foursome(s) staying for Dinner 5-STAR SAFETY 8 YEARS IN A ROW .' OPTIONAL POW ER ADJUSTABLE f~ PEDALS. Department: Address: _ C ity :______ Postal Code:. Phone:____ Fax: ______ Email: ____ Method of Payment: Cheque* (enclosed) 3VISA Mastercard Can# I I I Exp 2002 Mustan FORD F-SERIES IS THE BEST-SELLING TRUCK IN THE W ORLD.* DRIVE THE LEGEND. LIMITED TIME OFFER. Y O U R O NTARIO F O R D D EA L ER S. Cardholder's Name:_________________ Signature:___________ ( ` Please m ake cheque payable to: BF0 - Halton/Peel) WISE BUYERS READ THE LEGAL COPY: 'Lease most new in-stock 2002 Ford vehicles for an annual lease rate of between 1.4 % and 9.9% (varies depending on vehicle model) for the term of the 36 or 48 month lease from Ford Credit to qualified retail lessees, on approved credit. Conditions of a mileage restriction of 60,000/80,000 km over 36/48 months apply. A charge of 8 cents per km over mileage restriction , applies, plus applicable taxes. No down payment or security deposit required. Ford Motor Company of Canada will pay the first month's payment. All lease offers excludes freight, licence, insurance, administration fees and all applicable taxes. E.g. Make no lease payment and pay no interest for 30 days and then for the remaining term of the 48 month lease contract, lease a new in-stock 2002 Ford Focus LX/Focus SE Wagon for $239/$269 per month based on an annual lease rate of 2.9% from Ford Credit to qualified retail lessees, on approved credit. Total lease obligation is $11,472/12,912. $0 down payment. First month's payment waived. No security deposit required. Focus lease offer excludes freight ($790), licence, insurance, administration fees and all applicable taxes. **0% purchase financing on most new in-stock 2002 Ford vehicles for 90 days to retail customers, on approved credit. After the 90 day payment deferral a 0% - 5.9% credit offer/purchase financing (varies depending on vehicle model) is required on most new in-stock 2002 Ford vehicles for a maximum of 36/48 months to retail customers, on approved credit. No down payment required. All purchase financing offers exclude freight, licence, insurance, administration fees and all applicable taxes. Financing not available with any other offer. 0% purchase financing on all new in-stock 2002 Focus, Taurus, Windstar, Explorer Sport, is available for a maximum of 48 months to retail customers, on approved credit. E.g. $20,000 financed at 0% annual percentage rate for 90 days, monthly payment is $0, cost of borrowing for the first 90 days is $0 and total still owing after the 90 days is $20,000. After 90 days $20,000 financed at 5.9% annual percentage rate for 36/48 months, monthly payment is $607.63/$468.86, cost of borrowing is $1,874.68/$2,505.28 and total to be repaid is $21,874.68/$22,505.28. All offers exclude Lincoln, Thunderbird and F-Series above 8500 GVW. oFocus is the World's Best Selling Car based on Top Three Global Car Sales by Nameplate as of January 2002. ttTaurus has earned the highest front (driver and passenger) impact ratings in U.S. Government National Highway Traffic Safety Administration testing. (www.NHTSA.com) tWindstar has earned the highest front impact rating for both the driver and front passenger in U.S. Government National Highway Traffic Safety Administration testing. (www.NHTSA.com) fF-Series is the World's Best-Selling Truck based on Auto Strategies International Inc. (calendar years 1977 through 2000). Dealer may lease for less. Some conditions may apply to the Graduate Recognition program. Limited time offers. Offers may be cancelled at anv time without notice. See Dealer for details. Ontario FDA, P.O. Box 2000, Oakville, Ontario L6J 5E4 T O T A L Today's date:_______________________ Bereaved Families of Ontario - Halton/Peel 6700 Century Avenue, Suite 204 Mississauga O N L5N 2V8 Ph: (905) 813-0363 Fax: (905) 813-4339 Email: bfo.haltonpeel@beneavedfamilies.oig