In 1970 the Thunderbird was stylistically updated with the addition of a large, bird's beak-style projection out of its grille. The taillights spanned the full width of the car, and featured, as in previous Thunderbird models, sequential turn signals. Large C-pillars (and a small "formal" rear window on the 4-door) meant poor rear visibility but were the fashion of the time. The belt line kicked up "coke-bottle" style after the rear windows, again a styling trait that would prove ubiquitous. The sides were the barrel-like "fuselage" style that was very popular during this period. The look was clearly influenced by the intakes on jet fighters such as the F-100 Super Sabre, and was enhanced by the flush-fitting front bumper incorporating the bottom "lip" of the "mouth". A gaping wide "fishmouth" front grille that incorporated hidden headlights was the most obvious new feature. Ford's stylists delivered a radical shape that in many ways anticipated the styling trends of the next five years. The 1967 design was radically different from what came before. Ford's response was to move the Thunderbird upmarket. It, like the Thunderbird, was a small, two-door, four-seater with sporting pretensions, but it was more affordable. The introduction of the Ford Mustang in early 1964 had, however, challenged the Thunderbird's market positioning.
The Thunderbird had fundamentally remained the same in concept through 1966, even though the styling had been updated twice. This fifth generation saw the second major change of direction for the Thunderbird. The fifth generation of the Ford Thunderbird is a large personal luxury car that was produced by Ford for the 1967 to 1971 model years.
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