1978 Ford Thunderbird with Sports Decor Group: “Basket Handle” Brougham
I have a history with these.
A long history that goes back to me being a very little kid in the early 1980s, when my Grandma Ruby Klockau had one. For years, I wanted it to be my first car when I turned 16.
You see, my paternal grandparents were Ford people. Well, actually, so were my maternal grandparents. But while Fred and Mae Stamp preferred Galaxies and LTD IIs, Bob and Ruby Klockau had Thunderbirds and Continentals.
Ruby’s first T-Bird was a navy blue ’65 convertible with white interior and navy blue dash and carpeting. She loved that car. So much, that she kept it all the way to 1977, when she finally wanted a new car. And ordered another T-Bird.
This time it was black, with white bucket-seat interior and center console, and red instrument panel, carpeting and seat belts. Plus a factory AM/FM/Stereo with CB, back vinyl roof, and red pinstripes. It was a gorgeous combo. And Grandma Ruby kept it a long time, too.
Back then, oftentimes during summer vacation, she would pick me up and we would go to lunch, then Toys R Us (I would always pick out a diecast car—sometimes a Corgi, sometimes a Matchbox Models of Yesteryear), and then we would go to Sexton Ford and South Park Lincoln-Mercury, where I would gawk at the new cars and collect brochures to take home and study. I still have some of those brochures.
And so it went into my early junior-high years. But then in 1991 or so, she sold the T-Bird. My grandfather had passed away by then, she had been driving his 1987 Lincoln Continental 90 percent of the time, and someone made her an offer. And then it was gone.
But wait! My mom’s sister, Candy Symmonds, got a ’78 Thunderbird. My uncle, Don Symmonds, was a master mechanic and could fix anything. So when the old Blackhawk Foundry down the street from the Symmonds pretty much ruined her ’76 Cutlass Supreme’s paint and glass after several years, he found the T-Bird.
As I recall, Candy telling me long ago, it had been a kind of root-beer-brown color, but it was pretty faded. So Don painted it nonmetallic navy blue and spruced it up with other new parts and trim. And it had the same road wheels and Chamois interior as today’s featured car, owned by my friend Justin Landwehr.
I have many fond memories of riding in that car, too! And like Ruby’s car, it had the bucket seats and center console. It was not until many years later I realized how rare that setup was. By 1977–79, most T-Birds had the bench seat, even the flossier Town Landau models. Technically, you could get it all that time, but not many plumped for it.
The ’77 T-Bird was all-new. Well, for most intents and purposes. The 1972–76 T-Bird had been much larger and was based on the Continental Mark IV. But that all changed in 1977, and the T-Bird shrunk. But it still wasn’t small.
It was now riding the same chassis as the also-mostly-new 1977 Ford LTD II, which was essentially a 1972–76 Ford Gran Torino with an all-new body. Styling was much crisper and razor edged. And while the new Thunderbird looked a lot like the LTD II coupe at first blush, it had exclusive hidden headlamps and a “basket handle” roofline with inset opera windows between the front door and rear quarter glass.
It was a massive success despite the shrinkage. A total of 318,140 Thunderbirds were sold for 1977, riding a 114-inch wheelbase. The pool table-sized hood was standard. A base model started at $5063 ($26,095 today), the tony Town Landau at $7990 ($41,180).
As the 1978 brochure relayed, “Express yourself boldly this year. With one of nine exciting color combinations—yours when you order the optional Sports Decor Group … In this Decor Group, you also get deck lid stripes, dual accent paint stripes, fender louver and hood stripes color-coordinated with the vinyl roof, and styled road wheels with Chamois accents.
“Body side moldings have color-keyed vinyl inserts. Remote control, dual-sport mirrors, and blacked-out vertical grille bars are also included.”
Despite all the extra comfort and appearance items of the Sports Decor Group package, certain things were still optional, including whitewall tires and deluxe bumpers. Because, after all, in 1978 it was still Detroit (or rather, Dearborn), and many things taken for granted in 2023 were a la carte back then.
However, it did have some nice, basic standard equipment; after all, this wasn’t a Pinto or a Maverick. All ’78 T-Birds came standard with a 302-cubic-inch V-8, SelectShift automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, steel-belted radial tires, 10-ounce cut-pile carpeting, simulated burled walnut interior and instrument panel trim, power ventilation, hidden headlights, full-width taillights, and the all-important opera windows.
Some Monday-morning quarterbacks like to pooh-pooh these cars, saying they were nothing like previous Thunderbirds and a cheap cash grab by Ford. Such folks likely never owned, drove, or got within 50 feet of one. There seems to be an unfair bias against ’70s cars, which is kind of funny when you see all the questionable, sometimes willfully ugly cars and trucks made since then.
And they sold. The final, extra-large 1976 Thunderbird, sharing much of its components with the cosmopolitan Continental Mark IV, sold 42,685 examples. However, that went way, way, wayyy up the following year, with the new downsized T-Bird: 318,140 in 1977, 333,757 in 1978, and 284,141 in 1979. That includes the base-trim Thunderbirds, the Town Landaus, and the extra-flossy 1978 Diamond Jubilee Edition Thunderbird, which was available in only Diamond Blue Metallic or Ember Metallic, and was even more luxurious than the already-Broughamy Town Landau.
And it had a price to match. The base ’78 Thunderbird was $5411 ($25,921), the Town Landau was $8420 ($40,335), but the Diamond Jubilee Thunderbird (so-named to celebrate Ford’s 75th Anniversary; a Diamond Jubilee Continental Mark V was also offered) was a princely $10,106 ($48,411). But pretty much everything was standard, including special blanked-out rear sail panels, aluminum wheels, color-keyed bumper rub strips, extra-sumptuous seating and interior trim, and more.
While I couldn’t break down 1978 T-Bird production between the standard model and the Town Landaus, I did find that 18,994 Diamond Jubilee models were built. The DJ Thunderbird would essentially return for 1979 but would be re-named the Heritage. As in ’78, it was a step above the Town Landau—with a price to match.
By the way, if you ever run across one in the wild, it’s really easy to identify the year: 1977s have the checkerboard grille and full-width taillamps, ’78s added the Thunderbird ‘bird’ emblems to the hidden headlight doors, and ’79s got the new grille with fewer bars and the taillights with a central backup light between them. It’s that easy.
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I owned a ‘ 78 Cougar XR7, which in many ways was comparable to the T-Bird.
I remember it well as an ‘elegant piece of under engineering’: great to look at in the showroom, but leave it there.
It’s one of the main reasons I’ve been driving Toyota and Lexus for almost 40 years.
Oh I apologize if I sound like I’m complaining, but tough. I am going to complain. I have a gorgeous 77, Gold exterior with brown interior. Runs beautifully! The attention I get is astounding!! I did put my Bird for sale on eBay. The bidding absolutely dropped dead at an abismal 2000 bucks, once I put the for sale signs on, very few on lookers.
So all this I’m reading ” oh great car!!”. I miss these cars!!! Mom had one!!loved it?! Dad had it!! Sorry…I ain’t buying this love affair.
Btw. 42k miles,no rust. Solid southern car
The owner of the Ford dealership I worked at had a dusty rose exterior with matching vinyl roof and a white interior. Absolutely beautiful car and I’ve never seen another since. Loved the Diamond jubilee cars, but favorite color combo was the jade green with white vinyl top. How I wish we had colors in our cars again.
I had the opportunity to purchase a nearly new Cougar version of the same dark blue/chamois decor group that had been wrecked in the front. My family operated a large independent body shop (so the repairs were not a problem) at the time and my dad was pushing me to buy it. The Cougar version had the padded “hump” on the trunk lid rather than the Thunderbird’s luggage straps. That one had the buckets/console w/ floor shift and was LOADED with options, P/W, P/L, P/seat, tilt, cruise, quadrasonic 8-track, noon roof, everything. I couldn’t get past that decor group, especially the seats with the blue “burlap” fabric with the chamois straps.
Thunderbird sales post opec crisis 1974,5 & 6 were strong. The main reason for the downsizing in 77 was to meet the pending C.A.F.E. standards for 78, or Ford would have faced heavy penalties. Lee Iacocca also told them to slash engineering/design costs so they used the excisting platform for the Torino & Elite which last had a redisign in 1972. It only required new sheet metal from the cowl forward & from C pillar back. Chassis & powertrain were unchanged. 1977 had the smallest standard engine (302) since 1957(292). & the 1st time Thunderbird ever used a 2 barrell carb. It was 900lbs lighter, 9″shorter wheelbase & $900.00 cheaper then the 76 it replaced. It also marked Thunderbirds return to Nascar & Bobby Allison won the Winton cup in 78 with a T-bird. The millioneth T bird was made in 1972(17 years after its intrduction in 1955) 77-79 total production was 956,610, making this generation the most popular ever.
I remember these fondly! My Girlfriend in high-school had a 78 “basic” Ford Thunderbird that was all red inside and out. That thing used to DRINK GAS by the gallon! Eventually,I heard a friend of a friend of mine,was getting rid of his 351 V-8 for nothing (was still a running engine with a performance cam in it) along with a used tranny from an 1980 F-150 to bolt up to. His dad owned a junk-yard so it was pretty much free-play there.
Anyway,once my friends and I,finished sticking that 351 into her T-bird,it was a VERY noticeable improvement! It still drank gas like nobody’s business but did so with tons of power behind it!
…it was 1977, I just graduated from college, and was looking to buy my first brand new car! I remember thinking that I wanted to buy a personal luxury car with an American V8 – while I still could…being a car-guy, I was afraid the world was going to hell and that we’d all be stuck with compact, anemic 4 bangers in the future! It came down to two cars on my top consideration list – the new 1977 Ford Thunderbird, and the 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass Salon Coupe. They were both in the $5,500 range. I came from a “Ford family” and grew-up in Dearborn…”Ford Country” – so I test drove a $5,500 version of the T-Bird…nice, but reminded me too much of my parent’s LTD’s – especially the interior. The Oldsmobile Cutlass Salon had and upscale & sporty interior, bucket seats, console, steel / body colored mag wheels, and a genuine Oldsmobile Rocket V8 350 (I double checked production #’s on it, to make sure it wasn’t a Chevy 350) – it also handled much better – given what these cars were. I went with the 1977 Olds Cutlass Salon – called it “the last great American cruisemobile” – loved that car! The 1977 to 1979 T-Birds also sold well compared to their Lincoln MKIV based predecessors because they were much more affordable too! Unfortunately, they were followed by the 1980 to 1982 Ford Thunderbirds, which were pretty ugly looking (the 1980-82 Mercury Cougar looked even worse!) and they were both huge sales flops – quite understandably!
I owned a 78 T-Bird that I ordered. It was black with a brushed stainless steel basket handle. No vinyl roof. Light gray interior. Gold turbine wheels. Drove it for a few years. Engine broke a rocker arm. Rear quarter panels rusted. Had a cast drivers side mirror and a stamped steel passenger side mirror. I guess Ford purchasing got a lower bid from a different supplier. That was the first and last Ford I ever owned.
The comment that all 1978 TBirds came with a 302 is not correct in my opinion. Although I owned a 302 78 TBird, which I bought new for $6400 (can) in St. Catharines, I remember that three engine options were available. In hind sight, I should have ordered a 351, as the 302 was seriously under powered. I believe mine was manufactured in Chicago, not Detroit.
I really do not like the faux leather straps on the trunk, they look out of place, detract from the lines of the trunk lid, and serve no purpose. I think they also came on the Cougar.
Mine was midnight blue with the chamois vinyl roof, and accents, and with the body styling, it looked really sharp. In fact I had a number of strangers approach me in 1978, commenting on how attractive the car looked, something that never happened before, or after, for any of the other cars I owned.
I presently own a 78 TBird, purchased from Ohio a few years ago, with a 400 cu. in engine, I don’t remember that size being offered in Canada in 78.
I love the 77 to 78 TBird styling, and am glad they aren’t very collectable, as I got my latest one for what I consider a song.
302 was the base engine; options were 351 and 400 CID
I had a ’79 Town Landau in Cordovan Maroon, gold pin-striping, gold turbine wheels, maroon leather interior, PW, PL, power seat, power trunk release, Town and Country AM/FM radio, 351M engine. Special ordered by a father so he could give it to his daughter when she married. Even had the optional 27 gallon tank. Man, I loved that car, & always on the lookout for another one like it.
Ah, yes; the car that changed my life. There I was, working as a salesperson at Bradford Ford in Hamden, Connecticut during the late 1970’s; and thinking about leaving, to start my own business. Back then, I drove (and sold) many Diamond Jubilees and regular T-Birds… but one day, this “one-of-a-kind” T-bird comes rolling off the car carrier, like none I’d ever seen before… A Triple Dark Blue T-Bird, with the Sports Decor Group (Buckets and Console Shifter) and ordered with Deck-Lid Belt delete. I told my Manager that I would stay-on if Ford Motor Credit would finance the car for me. Two days later, he told me that the dealership sold the car to someone else.
I left, and opened my business… I guess it was all for the best… but man I still think about that car often.
bucket seats and center console
Thomas, I am a fan. Was an early teen during this mid-70’s T-Bird change and LOVE the Jubilee – I’ll take mine just as in the brochure, that blue is classy. And, I like the opera window delete. And those wheels… Keep the Klockau Classics a’comin!
I have owned several of these cars and equivalent gm models.all have their own driving dynamics.I prefer the gm car over the ford product,and let’s face it,the spirt equipment trim package on t bird,Lincoln Mark and cougar is butt ugly.
The 400M was available in Canada, & they upgraded the transmission from the FMX used with the 302 & 351M to a C-6.
Thanks for posting. I love T-Birds and grew up with a 1957, 1960, 1963, 1966 Birds. I have a 1966 Bird convertible. Still think the “basket handle” Birds look great.