Is the Ford Thunderbird making a comeback? Carmaker files a new trademark for the iconic car

Is the Ford Thunderbird making a comeback? Carmaker files a new trademark for the iconic car driven by Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley

  • A principal trademark for the Ford Thunderbird nameplate was filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office on January 13, Muscle Cars and Trucks reported
  • The filing, which is listed as live, says the trademark is intended for motor vehicles, namely concept motor vehicles and four-wheeled motor vehicles
  • Ford has not announced any plans to bring back the iconic car
  • The firm often renews trademarks to protect its unused intellectual property 
  • The T-Bird was driven by stars including Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis 
  • Ford is resurrecting several of its popular legacy models such as the Bronco
  • Ford faced a backlash after announcing in June it would launched the Bronco on OJ Simpson ‘s 73rd birthday – 26 years after his infamous car chase in a Bronco
  • The Thunderbird first hit the roads in 1955 and was soon credited with single-handedly inventing the personal luxury car market
  • It went through 11 generations before it was discontinued in 2005 

Car enthusiasts are getting in a spin about the rumors that the Ford Thunderbird could be making a comeback, after the auto giant filed a new trademark for the iconic vehicle last week. 

A principal trademark for the Ford Thunderbird nameplate was filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office on January 13, according to Muscle Cars and Trucks.

The filing, which is listed as live, says the trademark is intended for motor vehicles, namely concept motor vehicles and four-wheeled motor vehicles.

The Ford Thunderbird (above) could be making a comeback, after the auto giant filed a new trademark for the iconic vehicle last week

A principal trademark for the Ford Thunderbird nameplate was filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office on January 13, according to Muscle Cars and Trucks

A principal trademark for the Ford Thunderbird nameplate was filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office on January 13, according to Muscle Cars and Trucks

Ford has not announced any plans to bring back the car, which was once a firm favorite among stars including Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley, and MC&T notes that the firm has repeatedly renewed the T-Bird’s trademark in recent years.

The last time it was renewed was back in 2016 as the company aims to protect its unused intellectual property.

But, while the filing does not necessarily mean a revival of the 50s icon, it comes at a time when Ford is resurrecting several of its popular legacy models.  

Ford announced in June plans to launch new versions of two of its classics – the Ford Bronco and the Ford Mustang Mach 1 – in 2021. 

The car firm sparked a backlash as it announced the Bronco would be launched on OJ Simpson‘s 73rd birthday on July 9 – 26 years after it became one of the most infamous vehicles on the road when the former football star led cops on a televised car chase in Bronco following the double murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.   

In its heyday, it was the ride of choice for many a famous face. Frank Sinatra with his 1955 T-Bird

In its heyday, it was the ride of choice for many a famous face. Frank Sinatra with his 1955 T-Bird

American actress Marilyn Monroe and playwright Arthur Miller ride in a Thunderbird convertible with American photographer Milton Greene in 1956

American actress Marilyn Monroe and playwright Arthur Miller ride in a Thunderbird convertible with American photographer Milton Greene in 1956

Elvis Presley, right, in a T-Bird Roadster. Other stars such as John Travolta and Oprah Winfrey have also driven T-Birds over the years

Elvis Presley, right, in a T-Bird Roadster. Other stars such as John Travolta and Oprah Winfrey have also driven T-Birds over the years

Simpson was controversially acquitted of the murders but was later found responsible for the wrongful deaths of the two victims in a civil trial.  

At the time of the car chase and trial, Ford was reportedly far from pleased with being tied to the case.

The car company has pushed the launch back to July 13, after it came under fire for the timing, including by Brown Simpson’s family.  

On January 13, the same day Ford filed a trademark for the T-Bird, the Blue Oval announced it would be taking orders from January 20 for the new Bronco.   

Several other retro models have been brought out of retirement including the Lincoln Aviator and Corsair.

Ford announced in June plans to launch the Ford Bronco. Pictured is the white Ford Bronco during the 1994 chase when the former football star was charged with double murders

Ford announced in June plans to launch the Ford Bronco. Pictured is the white Ford Bronco during the 1994 chase when the former football star was charged with double murders

It is not clear what a reimagined T-Bird would look like but it could be modernized into an electric vehicle, reported MC&T.  

The Thunderbird first hit the roads in 1955 and was soon credited with single-handedly inventing the personal luxury car market.  

Over the years it went through 11 distinct generations before it was discontinued in 2005.

In its heyday, it was the ride of choice for many a famous face.

Frank Sinatra was pictured posing in his during filming for The Tender Trap, while  Marilyn Monroe was said to have two different models.

Monroe and her husband Arthur Miller were pictured in a Raven Black 1956 model in New York. 

Other stars such as John Travolta and Oprah Winfrey have also driven T-Birds over the years.   

1941 Lincoln Continental

2018 Lincoln Continental

1941 Lincoln Continental (left) and 2018 Lincoln Continental (right). Ford has brought several retro models out of retirement in recent years

1967 Ford Mustang

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E

While the T-Bird filing does not necessarily mean a revival of the 50s icon, it comes at a time when Ford is resurrecting several of its popular legacy models including the Mustang (above)