Ford Thunderbird developing a new market segment, the personal luxury car. In 1958, the Thunderbird gained a second row of seats. Succeeding generations became larger until the line was downsized in 1977, again in 1980, and once again in 1983. Sales were good until the 1990s, when large 2-door coupes became unpopular. Initial production ceased at the end of 1997. In 2002, production of the Thunderbird started again; a revived 2-seat model was launched which was available through the end of the 2005 model year. From its introduction in 1955 to its final phaseout in 2005, Ford produced over 4.4 million Thunderbirds.
Ford Taunus TC in Argentina, and now with the "TC3" nose and its own unique taillights lay-out. These post 1980 Argentine Taunus fast-back coupès also featured improved performance and a refashioned interior: they used the name "Taunus SP" or "Taunus SP 5", the "5" referring to the five-speed manual gearbox now available as an option. Apart from the five speed option, the transmission choice, as for the European Taunus TCs, lay between a four speed manual and, for larger engined cars, a three speed automatic gear box. The Argentine Taunus TC models did not share the European engine range, instead using the similar