The ninth generation of the Ford Thunderbird is a personal luxury coupe that was manufactured and marketed by Ford for the 1983 to 1988 model years. In response to the sales downturn of the 1980–1982 Thunderbird, the model line underwent one of its most substantial redesigns for the 1983 model year. While the Thunderbird remained as a personal luxury coupe, Ford transitioned its role, emphasizing performance and handling over outright luxury and comfort content. As a design leader for Ford, the ninth-generation Thunderbird marked the introduction of highly aerodynamic body design for Ford vehicles in North America, followed by the 1984 Ford Mustang SVO and Ford Tempo and the 1986 Ford Aerostar and Ford Taurus.

The eighth generation of the Ford Thunderbird is a personal luxury coupe that was manufactured and marketed by Ford from the 1980 to 1982 model years. Introduced to commemorate the 25th year of the Thunderbird, the eighth generation was substantially downsized, transitioning further into the mid-size segment. For a second generation, the Thunderbird remained the Ford counterpart of the Mercury Cougar XR7; while the Cougar again served as a complete line of mid-sized cars in various body styles starting with 1981 models, the Thunderbird was offered solely as a two-door personal luxury coupe.