The 2003 Thunderbird ‘James Bond 007’ Special Edition was introduced as a tie-in for the James Bond film Die Another Day, as drive by Bond girl Halle Berry (Jinx). In the spring of 2003, Ford sold 700 limited edition 007 Ford Thunderbirds to commemorate the first appearance of a Thunderbird as a featured car in the 40-year history of the James Bond film franchise, however, a Thunderbird was also seen in Goldfinger, driven by Felix Leiter in Kentucky.
The Coral paint, similar to the Sunset Coral hue offered on the 1956 Thunderbird, matches the bikini Berry wears in her role as Jinx. The car in the movie had a coral hard-top instead of the white top offered with the special edition and was a 2002 model, not the 2003 that the 007 edition comes as.
The Limited Edition 007 Thunderbird features unique coral paint, 21-spoke chrome wheels, performance white seats and interior accents, special engine-turned aluminum dash and door trim, and an understated “007” badge placed on the instrument panel. Like all 2003 Thunderbirds, the “007” edition also features a number of performance enhancements, including:· New variable intake camshaft timing for the 3.9-liter DOHC V-8, which helps boost horsepower from 252 hp to 280 hp while simultaneously improving fuel economy, electronic throttle control for improved powertrain response and refinement, and a SelectShift five-speed automatic transmission that can be shifted like a manual transmission, but without a clutch.
Each 2003 ‘007’ James Bond Thunderbird also features a numbered, commemorative plaque mounted on the inside of the glove box. MSRP for this limited edition Thunderbird in 2003 was $43,995. If you missed your chance to buy one new, a few pre-owned ‘007’ Thunderbirds can occasionally be found for sale. If the price of even a used ‘007’ is out of reach for you, you can still buy a brand-new 1/18th diecast ‘007’ Thunderbird model for a tiny fraction of the full-sized version. Click here to buy one today!
