If you walked into a Ford dealership in 1987, intent on driving away in a Thunderbird Turbo Coupe, this was the one to have. It features a five-speed manual transmission, making it the most powerful variant of the badge. This T-Bird is a spotless survivor, and with only 56,000 miles on the clock, it should provide its new owner with years of rapid, comfortable motoring pleasure. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Barney for spotting the Coupe listed here on Craigslist in Litchfield County, Connecticut. The seller set their price for this beauty at $15,900.
When Ford released the Ninth Generation Thunderbird range in 1983, it decided to stem falling sales by placing a greater emphasis on performance. The T-Bird remained a Personal Luxury Car, but there was some muscle hiding beneath the surface. This Thunderbird rolled off the line in 1987, ordered by its first owner in Turbo Coupe form. This version featured a few styling changes compared to its siblings. The company eliminated the traditional grille, but added functional hood scoops that fed cold air to the turbocharger’s intercooler. Our featured car looks as pretty as a picture in Silver Clearcoat Metallic, one of the fourteen paint shades available in that model year. The seller describes the Coupe as a one-owner vehicle, and the overall appearance suggests it has been their prized possession. The paint is immaculate, with no signs of deterioration. There are no bumps or bruises, and no rust. What makes the Turbo Coupe interesting is Ford’s restrained approach, because the bright trim is confined to the car’s badges. The aerodynamic additions are in good condition, and the 16″ alloy wheels are spotless. This Thunderbird scores extra points, courtesy of the glass sunroof.
The 2.3-liter OHC four-cylinder engine powering this Thunderbird can trace its roots back to 1970, but by the time this car left the line, things had changed dramatically. It benefits from fuel injection, a turbocharger, and an intercooler. This car features a five-speed manual transmission, which is significant for those seeking maximum performance. Had the first owner selected the optional automatic, they would have had 150hp and 200 ft/lbs of torque at their disposal. However, the five-speed saw those figures soar to 190hp and 240 ft/lbs. The company didn’t merely bolt in a more powerful motor and hope for the best, because standard equipment on the Turbo Coupe included power steering, four-wheel anti-lock power disc brakes, and a special handling pack featuring automatic ride control and Quadra-Shock rear suspension. The Thunderbird was fairly fast in a straight line, and gripped tenaciously in the corners. The seller indicates that this Coupe has 56,000 original miles on the clock. We must take that claim at face value in the absence of documentary evidence, but it seems plausible. Although not stated explicitly, the indications suggest it is a turnkey proposition.
Although Ford placed greater emphasis on performance with this generation of Thunderbird, this car certainly isn’t short of creature comforts. Standard Turbo Coupe equipment included air conditioning, power windows, power locks, and power mirrors. This car pushes the boat out, with the first owner ticking the boxes on their Order Form for the two-tone leather trim, a power driver’s seat, a tilt wheel, a remote trunk release, cruise control, and the upgraded sound system including an AM/FM radio and cassette player. As with the car’s exterior, the interior is immaculate. I was expecting wrinkled leather, but the seats appear as tight as a drum. There is no visible wear or deterioration due to age or UV exposure. Close inspection would probably reveal minor imperfections, but this interior is as clean as you could hope to find in any classic with thirty-nine years of service under its belt.
Ford released the original Thunderbird as a Personal Luxury Car, but this 1987 Turbo Coupe demonstrates that the company could combine a sumptuous interior with impressive performance credentials. This car presents superbly and appears to have no genuine shortcomings. Recent successful sales suggest that the seller’s price is realistic for a car with such a low odometer reading. It will be fascinating to follow the listing and discover whether it finds a new home. Of course, you may wish to be more than a casual observer, and we’d love to know if this Turbo Coupe is all it appears to be if you become the new owner.
This car is amazing! A Radwood gem!
This car looks familiar, wasn’t this listed on BF about 6-8 months ago? I remember the sunroof, not original factory FORD. They did not check the boxes on alot of the options it could have. Cornering lights, power antenna, power passenger seat, electric climate control. I could go on but the list would be fairly long. And I believe it’s had a fresh repaint. Watch out for dent or rust repair. Has anyone else heard of two-tone upholstery? The price is rather high, it’s maybe a $10k car. sry
Yes, this is the third time it’s been featured on this site since March 2025. It presents well and would be fun to drive. No matter the praise it receives here, the market is rejecting it at that price.
Steve R
I’m also 99.99% sure that the sunroof is not factory, because what are those black rails on the roof? Looks like something the sunroof slides on. I will not buy a car that was aftermarket cut up like that.
This 1988 brochure shows a Power moonroof was an option:
https://www.auto-brochures.com/makes/Ford/Thunderbird/Ford_US%20Thunderbird_1988.pdf
Deja vu all over again. Same pics too.
I remember the first time I drove one of these and was shocked how quick it was………….for the time. I didn’t check the fuel economy, but I’m sure it couldn’t be too bad. I think the price is a little high but, I wouldn’t hesitate using this as an EDC.
This one sure looks like a low mileage cream-puff for sure. Went to school with a guy who bought a used ’83. He took me for a ride. I just remember how quick it was once that turbo spooled up. Ford had a terrific performing turbo 4 cylinder back then. He had the cloth interior too and I remember how comfortable those seats were. This one looks great.
Clean and attractive Turbo Coupe.
I think it is the same car Brian K featured for us in May.
Yes it is , Bob , a former MCOH member.
Row your own gears while you drive the magic spool bus.
Still has an Ammeter, seems those were getting rare by 1987 with most cars with gauges having a Voltmeter instead
They should have made the 5 speed an option on the Lincoln Mark VII LSC with that body style.
This is a fantastic car!
I totally agree! What a car that would have been!
Market still hasn’t really moved for the Aero Birds like it has with the Fox Body Mustangs. I go junkyard hunting for parts now and then, good fox parts sell very quickly on feeBay and Marketplace. I got a lot of perfect interior parts from an ’88 Turbo Coupe, and they just will not move. That said, even if this car is all they say it is (it isn’t) it won’t sell for that kind of coin.
Nice Car vastly overpriced.
Not that this car may worth $15K+ to ONE buyer however the current market for Turbo Birds is nowhere near that $15K level at this time.
Take the car to Florida in January at Mecum for the best results and still find out when the auction market prices this Turbo Bird that the car is worth far less than $10K in the real collector car buyers market. Far less than $10K even more so after you pay the auction entry fee and the auction sell fee.
Can’t blame the seller for trying to set a new Turbo sale record HOWEVER after 3 tries on their own trying to sell the car with no success for the last year the market is screaming loudly that this car is VASTLY OVERPRICED for today’s market!
I owned one of these for four years – 1993 to 1997. I also bought it with about 55K miles. It was the most unreliable car I ever owned. It was on a flatbed multiple times with a failed catalytic muffler (the day I bought it), a broken timing belt, failed clutch, failed ignition module and certain other maladies. It was a beautiful care to look at, but I was glad to see it go…
At the dealership, (I was a,Ford service manager when these were sold) And I have no memories of problems with these. Just like the Mustangs and Crown Vics. Back in for regular maintenance and that was it! Wish I could say the same thing about Tempo/Topaz/first generation Exploders and Aerostars with transmission issues.
Use to own an 86 and 88.
Buyer beware of the Teves brake systems on the 88 and 87 models once they go out you’re screwed. No replacement for these.
I bought a stick shift turbo coupe with a vandalized body and I stuck the drivetrain in a Fox body Mustang convertible. The mustang started life as a four cylinder automatic car so other than having to switch out the pedals it was pretty much a bolt in job. Fun project.
I did the same thing with a stripper fastback 4 cylinder automatic Mustang. Complete gutted the interior, scraped out all the factory sealer and welded all the body seams. Installed all the latest suspension pieces of the day. ( 2017?) Rebuilt the engine with standard forged pistons ( not turbo pistons) since I live at 4,200 ft elevation and used mid-grade fuel on a daily basis with no issues. But going to a track day where I knew I would be leaning on it and cranked up the boost to 17 psi. I ran premium AND octane booster. I never had a detination issue. I should have gone to 3.73 gears as the 3.45 gears hampered my all around performance. I had a chance to run it wide open for 5 miles on a slightly windy day. I got 128 mph in one direction and 132 in the other direction. And it wouldn’t pull past 4,600 rpm in 5th gear. Normally in each gear it would pull 6,600 rpm. (That was my self imposed red line.,) After 4 years I swapped to a 5.0 SFI. V8. The car was brindle s_ _t brown with aftermarket dark center wheels. It was a real sleeper! Wish I had kept that car.
Owned a few of these back in the day. Great cars, and that’s coming from a GM guy. The rear wing and aero kit ruin the lines of an otherwise beautiful design, in my opinion.
Price seems steep, but but a very low mileage example just sold in my area for $22k, so I guess if you want it badly enough…
The OEM oil feed line to turbo has a tight bend coming off the block that tends to get a hairline crack since that 2.3 has some naturally evident harmonics. Not fun when it spews oil coming halfway back from Ford Nationals. Braided replacement a good proactive fix.
This car is listed on Hemmings also as a 1988, which is what the VIN decodes to. The Craigslist ad has both 1987 and 1988 in the listing. If this car actually exists, one would think the owner would know what year it actually is!!
Looks nice but the aftermarket sunroof and body add-ons may be holding it back.