Thunderbird named Car of the Year at Vegas show

The Ford Thunderbird today was named Motor Trend Magazine Car of the Year for an unprecedented fourth time. The announcement was made during a Las Vegas auto show.

"Ford Motor Co. did an absolutely marvelous job at capturing the essence of Thunderbirds," said Motor Trend Detroit bureau chief Jack Keebler.

The T-bird previously won the award in 1958, 1987 and 1989, but its image as a classic American sports car became tarnished in the 1990s when it was redesigned as a larger, family sized vehicle.

Production stopped in 1997, but it was revived two years later with a modern take on the vehicle's classic lines and styling cues.

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