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The return of the T-bird photo for the Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman The redesigned Thunderbird makes debut in valley. By DAMIAN MANN PHOENIX - For Ed Golden, the unveiling Sunday in Jackson County of a retro-designed Ford Thunderbird was a blast from the past. The Ford executive director of design is a former Grants Pass resident, and he came to the Pacific Northwest Marketplace and Outlet Mall to show off two of his latest creations. Jackson County residents were wowed by the sporty retro-styling of the 2002 Thunderbird with '50s-style porthole, and the new Mustang Bullitt GT, named after the famous movie starring the late Steve McQueen. Golden, 43, left Southern Oregon when he was 17, after living here six years. "I remember cruising Grants Pass," he said. "It was one of the most ideal towns to go cruising in with two one-way streets." The Thunderbird, with lines that recall the original T-birds of the 1950s, is designed for cruising, said Golden. Hundreds of local residents came to see the new cars as well as some vintage Fords on display in the parking lot. After taking the T-bird for a test ride, Shellie Van Buren of Medford said, "It was a smooth ride. It handles great." But she didn't think she'd be buying one of these $35,000 cars anytime soon. "An MGB is my dream car," she said. The Thunderbird, designed more as a cruiser, contrasts with the ultimate muscle car - the Mustang Bullitt, which comes equipped with a throbbing 4.6-liter V-8 that produces 265 horsepower. Both cars are products of Golden's design team, and their slick styling might seem light years from Golden's humble beginnings in Josephine County. But Golden remembers that his favorite pastime as a youth in Grants Pass and in California was drawing cars. In junior high school, his German teacher sent an admonishing letter home to his parents complaining that "Ed lets his doodling interfere with his homework." After graduating from art school in Pasadena, Golden said, "I was pinching myself to think that I could get a B.S. for designing cars." He was then hired by Volkswagen to design cars in Germany. "How ironic that my German teacher would rat me out," said Golden, who now speaks the language fluently. After working for Volkswagen, Golden was hired by Ford to help create cars like the Fiesta or Mondeo for the European market. He later went to work in Detroit designing for the American market. Golden said Ford has decided to produce only 25,000 of the new two-seater Thunderbirds in the first model year because the company is not sure how they'll be received. Butler Ford in Ashland has already sold three of the cars - they haven't been delivered yet - that come equipped with a 252-horsepower, 3.9-liter V-8 engine and five-speed automatic transmission. Butler's senior salesman Bob Goldberg said the retro look in cars is specifically designed for baby boomers. "They had a Mustang in their 20s," he said. "When they got rid of their kids and could afford to go out to dinner again, they are looking at these types of cars." But some Ford purists have said they don't like "retro," he said. "They don't like that word." Golden said more retro-styled cars are on the drawing boards, following the successes of DaimlerChrysler's PT Cruiser and the Dodge Viper. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.