The controversial prominent “beak” introduced for the 1970 model year was toned down while the sequential turn signals seen since 1965 were deleted for cost saving reasons. Exterior wise, many components were common with the Continental Mark IV, with the primary differences being the front and rear body panels. Instead of the two body styles (two-door and four-door landau sedan) offered for the 1971 model year, the Thunderbird was pared down to a single two-door hardtop model line. The interior featuring round dials and clock would remain the same until the end of the 1976 model yearĪside from the redesign itself, the 1972 Thunderbird represented a simplification of body styles.

In terms of styling, the sixth-generation Thunderbird would heavily influence the styling of the 1974–1976 Mercury Cougar XR7 and Ford Elite, the latter of which was replaced by the seventh-generation Thunderbird in 1977. A sibling of the Continental Mark IV, this generation of the Thunderbird was the largest ever produced weighing in at over 5,000 pounds (2,268 kg), they are also the heaviest coupes ever produced by Ford (aside from its Mark IV sibling car). The sixth generation of the Ford Thunderbird is a large personal luxury coupe that was produced by Ford for the 1972 to 1976 model years.

68 thunderbird 429