How many Ford Thunderbirds are left in New Zealand?
Scarce 1 in 6,622 on the road Built 1954-2005 American
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
Ford's reply to the Corvette, launched for 1955 as a two-seat convertible with a V8, pitched as a personal car rather than a sports car. It outsold the Corvette many times over, grew to four seats in 1958 and went through eleven generations, ending with a retro two-seater built from 2002 to 2005. A 1966 convertible is the car in Thelma and Louise.
Still on the road, by model year
The most are from 1964: 82 still registered. Every year is listed under the chart.
Every model year
| Model year | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1954 | 2 |
| 1955 | 37 |
| 1956 | 35 |
| 1957 | 52 |
| 1958 | 14 |
| 1959 | 41 |
| 1960 | 42 |
| 1961 | 21 |
| 1962 | 61 |
| 1963 | 48 |
| 1964 | 82 |
| 1965 | 77 |
| 1966 | 64 |
| 1967 | 10 |
| 1968 | 8 |
| 1969 | 7 |
| 1970 | 3 |
| 1971 | 7 |
| 1972 | 2 |
| 1973 | 4 |
| 1974 | 1 |
| 1975 | 1 |
| 1976 | 5 |
| 1977 | 10 |
| 1978 | 4 |
| 1979 | 7 |
| 1980 | 1 |
| 1981 | 2 |
| 1982 | 1 |
| 1983 | 7 |
| 1984 | 2 |
| 1985 | 3 |
| 1986 | 3 |
| 1987 | 1 |
| 1988 | 4 |
| 1989 | 1 |
| 1990 | 1 |
| 1991 | 1 |
| 1992 | 1 |
| 1993 | 1 |
| 1996 | 1 |
| 1997 | 1 |
| 2001 | 1 |
| 2002 | 13 |
| 2003 | 2 |
| 2004 | 7 |
| 2005 | 7 |
By generation
How many of each generation are still registered.
| Which one | Built | Left | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| First generation | 1955–1957 | 124 | Rare |
| Second generation | 1958–1960 | 97 | Rare |
| Third generation | 1961–1963 | 130 | Rare |
| Fourth generation | 1964–1966 | 223 | Scarce |
| Fifth generation | 1967–1971 | 35 | Rare |
By badge
The versions the register records, most numerous first.
| Which one | Built | Left | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landau | 6 | Rare |
What Scarce means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 706 still registered, the Ford Thunderbird is Scarce: the grade for cars with 175 to 1,199 left.
By how many are left it ranks 32nd of the 126 Ford models and 522nd of all 2,903 cars in Spotto's catalogue.
The six grades: Common, 8,000 or more · Uncommon, 1,200 to 7,999 · Scarce, 175 to 1,199 · Rare, 25 to 174 · Super rare, 5 to 24 · Unicorn, fewer than 5.
Seen one?
Spotto grades every car on New Zealand roads by how many are still registered, down to the generation and the badge. Log the ones you spot, build a collection, and see who else has found one.