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.
Puma (car manufacturer) Puma (car manufacturer) Puma is a Sports Car manufacturer, based in South Africa, which originally started out in Brazil. While based in South America, the company built cars from 1964 until roughly 1995, and also produced trucks from 1978 to 1999. The company then returned in 2013 under the name of "Puma Automobiles" and began manufacturing the Puma 52 (made especially for racing tracks) and the Puma GT 2.4 Lumimari. Car Enthusiasts claim the development of Pumas were a result of Brazilian regulations during the 1960s. The regulations restricted imports and were designed to encourage domestic automobile production. High tariffs,