Ford Thunderbird is a series of classic American luxury cars produced by Ford Motor Company between 1955 and 1997. Often referred to as the T-Bird, the Thunderbird was developed to compete with the Chevrolet Corvette. The first generation of the Thunderbird was produced in 1955 and 1956 and featured convertible, coupe, hardtop, and town car body styles. The second and third generations (1958–1960 and 1961–1963, respectively) featured a squared-off design and a retractable hardtop. The fourth generation (1964–1966) featured a more dramatically sculpted body and the fifth generation (1967–1971) featured a more curvaceous body shape. The sixth generation (1972–1976) was similar to the fifth-generation car but with more angular styling. The seventh generation (1977–1982) featured a unit body and chassis. The final two generations (1983–1988 and 1989–1997) featured rectangular headlights and a more modern design.