Worthy? Oh yes! Although it's been five years since the Thunderbird brand has been available in a Ford showroom, the new car makes everything since the original a distant memory. While T-Birds of the 60's were cool, it's hard not to forget the 1970's, when the once revered marque became little more than a badge-engineered Lincoln Continental - a large, overweight luxury model completely out of touch with the original designer's vision of an American sports car. The euro-inspired 2+2s from the 80's hit closer to the mark, but still didn't incorporate anything close to the body and soul of the 1950's masterpiece.

The latest 'Bird leaves them all in a cloud of proverbial dust. Its subtle hood scoop sits atop a long sweeping hood that gently slopes forward to a classic chrome eggcrate grille. Retro design cues continue along its sculpted front fenders, each adorned with chrome slats mounted just below a reverse wedge belt line. The line tapers gracefully rearward, finished off with classic round tail lamps. A turquoise Thunderbird badge graces the rear, as on the original. Fortunately Ford declined affixing the blue oval beneath, as it "looked like a bird laying an egg," according to chief engineer, Hau Thai-Tang.

While style is one thing, substance is another. Just consider that Mr. Thai-Tang, the man behind the vehicles technical development, refers to the Porsche 944 Turbo as one of his all-time favorite cars. Fortunately he seems to have as much engineering talent as taste in performance cars. "Its dual personality offers undemanding, relaxed cruising, but if you push the car, it handles well," says Hau. I have to concur, this 'Bird flies.

Its handling prowess is due much in part to the Lincoln LS donor platform. The double-wishbone, aluminum front and rear suspension system is virtually unchanged while its wheelbase shrinks by seven inches, helping to make up for a 50% loss in structural rigidity when the roof came off. Beefier rockers, an X-brace in the floor panel and the addition of a rear bulkhead stiffened things up substantially. On the road, there is only a hint of shudder and then only over the worst uneven pavement. Under normal driving conditions the Thunderbird is rock solid, even when cornering aggressively. What's more, the suspension is compliant enough to absorb bumps and dips with no apparent body float.

A 252-hp 3.9-litre DOHC V8 delivers sufficient doses of smooth power while emitting a subtle, yet satisfying burble from the exhaust. No complaints from the 5-speed automatic transmission either, except maybe for the lack of a manual mode.

Brushed aluminum trim graces an attractive cockpit, while retro touches can include optional body color dash and console, door panels, shift knob and seat inserts. The leather seats are comfortable while supportive, offering 6-way power adjustments that should fit most body types. While driving with the top down, intrusive wind hardly interrupted the sweet sounds of Del Shannon's "Runaway" on the 6-disc in-dash CD stacker.

The convertible top incorporates side windows that drop when the doors are opened and rise when closed, sealing outside noise quite well. While this feature is nothing new in premium import brands, it is rare on a domestic. For the long, harsh winter an optional hardtop sporting classic portholes is available. Although a two-person job to remove, it comes with a rolling dolly to make summer storage easier.

Only 25,000 Thunderbirds will be made for the 2002 model year with only 2,000 coming to Canada. Ford wants to make sure low volumes keep this "halo" car exclusive. How are they being received? Well, with 1,600 of the Canadian cars already sold prior to arriving in showrooms, it's a fair guess to think that the remainder will go quickly.