Minneapolis Street Sighting: Ford Thunderbird SC

By now, readers should realize that the Ford Thunderbird is one of my favorite nameplates in automotive history. Ranking right up there with the Chevrolet Camaro and Corvette, and Ford's own Mustang, the Thunderbird represents a symbol in American motoring; virtually everyone-- not just car people-- has heard of any one of these four nameplates-- and for good reason; each one of these cars has a distinct heritage that not many cars can match.
I usually glance over this generation; the cliche'd 1955-1957 cars, the 1961-1963 cars, and the 1977-1979 cars are my favorites, and in that order. I usually don't even give the MN12 cars a once-over; I think of them that much. This, on the other hand, represents something special. The Thunderbird SC strayed away from the typical 5.0 V8 that Ford loved at end of the 1980s. Instead, stuffed under the hood was a Eaton supercharged 3.8 V6 producing 210 horses and 315 ft/lbs of torque. Unlike the vast majority of Thunderbirds, the SCs rocked a 5 spd manual, making it a unique vehicle, and as a result drew a relatively limited customer base. The black on black treatment marks this car as a 1990 model, marking the 35th Anniversary of Ford's luxury coupe. To this day, I can safely say that this one is the only one I've seen.
Like most of my spottings, I tried to get the best example I could; despite my hatred for this bodystyle, I have been wanting to feature one for awhile, and I definitely think this rare piece is most fitting to represent this era in Thunderbird motoring. Bathed in deep black with black wheels and silver lower body cladding, this example definitely looks more sinister that any of its MN12 kin; rather that shout "hurr durr durr low rent", this 'bird appears angry and focused, even when sitting still. It's not often I say this generation looks nice, but this one actually does; aside from being rare as heck, this lone 35th Anniversary SC is in remarkable condition. It looks like it could've been opened from a time capsule yesterday, and that's ever so fitting for such a rare piece. I respect that the owner takes great care of such a rare car, especially in our harsh winter climate. Kudos to you, Ms. SC owner.