The Ford Thunderbird is one of the most revered nameplates in the history of American cars. Perhaps because it was around for decades before being dropped from Ford's lineup. Or maybe because it simply sounds badass. Either way, you don't have to be a specialist in domestic cars to feel the sense of performance, style, and luxury whenever you see or hear the Thunderbird name.

The T-Bird was first released in 1955 and evolved over eleven generations until 2005. Originally it was intended to compete with the Chevy Corvette as the American take on the fundamentally European gran turismo format of large, luxurious coupes. Whether it succeeded or not is a topic for a completely different discussion. But we can tell you right away that not all of the eleven generations of the Thunderbird were as great and well-received as others.

In this article, we will address specifically the Thunderbird Super Coupe - the tenth-gen model, produced from 1989 to 1997. Stop any gearhead on the street and ask them what the worst T-Bird model was, and they'll probably mention the tenth-gen. Truthfully, the 1988 vintage doesn't get much respect nowadays.

But the Super Coupe wasn't just any tenth-gen Thunderbird - it was the high-performance, range-topping model. And while we kind of dig it, most people don't - here's why.

Questionable styling

Black Thunderbird Super Coupe parked
via Hagerty

One of the main issues that most people seem to have with the tenth-gen Super Coupe is the styling. By 1989, Ford has started to move away from the big, boxy exterior designs of the 70s and towards more sleek, aerodynamic shapes. By the late 90s, this style would evolve into the so-called New Edge design language (think 1999 Mustang). To the many fans of the Thunderbird nameplate, this design was too cheap, bland, and generally unworthy of such a famous nameplate. Naturally, this opinion endured to this day.

RELATED: 15 Cars That Made Ford The Giant It Is Today

But was the design of the Super Coupe really that bad? Sure, it wasn't as opulent and elegant as the first few generations of the model. But it was pretty much in line with the global trend towards more aerodynamic styling at the time. Besides, you might even argue that with larger 16-inch wheels and side skirts, the SC variant was even pretty. If you ask us, it's definitely not the ugliest car to ever come out of a Ford factory, and shouldn't be slammed as such.

Mediocre performance

ford thunderbird super coupe engine bay
via hagerty.com

It's hard to avoid mentioning the term "mediocre performance" when talking about most pre-2000 American cars. And the SC T-Bird is no exception. At its peak during the production run of the fourth- and fifth-gen models, it had enough power to qualify as a muscle car - just under 400 hp, to be exact. But the Malaise Era took its toll, and the T-Bird never quite recovered from the power drop.

But the Super Coupe was the high-performance version of the Thunderbird - so it must have been fast, right? Not quite. Even though it was equipped with the rather innovative supercharged, intercooled 3.8L Essex V6, it only made 230 horsepower at most. A decent number that was nevertheless subdued by the hefty weight of over 3,500 pounds and the painfully slow 4-speed automatic.

And while SC's performance is not out of this world neither by today's standards nor by the standards of the older T-Birds, it was quite adequate of the time. Keep in mind that, after all, the tenth-gen was still a front-engine, RWD coupe with a fully independent suspension all around - double-wishbone in front and multilink in the rear. So the handling was solid.

Moreover, the SC came standard with a limited-slip differential and stiffer adjustable shocks. Most importantly, though, you could equip it with a five-speed manual that brought that V6 to life! Overall, it was an excellent driver's car that, unfortunately, gets a lot of unjustified hate only because it didn't have that big ol' V8.

A Big Name To Live Up To

1956 ford thunderbird
via hagerty.com

Of course, the biggest reason why the Super Coupe is so disrespected in the car community is its legacy. It's hard to live up to such a heavy name as Thunderbird when you're being suffocated from all sides by cost-cutting measures, environmental regulations, and European competitors. But these factors don't matter much to the hardcore fans of the old Thunderbirds - to them, the tenth-gen and the SC are a stain on the T-Birds otherwise distinguished history. After all, it's the fundamental American car that singlehandedly created the "personal luxury car" term that would come to define the American car industry.

However, if one looked at the tenth-gen Super Coupe objectively, it would be hard to deny that it was a pretty good car - especially for its era. Sure, it wasn't as powerful, luxurious, or refined as its predecessors - but the industry trends are a hard stream to swim against. Either way, there is undoubtedly at least one good outcome of the SC's bad reputation - it is pretty affordable on the used car market. And we'd definitely recommend buying one if you're looking for an affordable, reliable, simple driver's car - especially with a manual. Yet for all we know, the prices might not stay low for long - in our opinion, the tenth-gen T-Bird Super Coupe has all the credentials for becoming a future classic.

NEXT: Hemmings Find: Ultra-Rare 1957 Ford Thunderbird E-Code