The second of the 'Big Bird' models, the 1973 Ford Thunderbird had very few changes from the previous year. The front end had gotten a slight tweak, with a new grille (sometimes described as an 'egg crate' grille) and dual headlights. Opera windows were also offered for the first time in this model year.

The base engine for the '73 Thunderbird was a 429 cubic inch, 7.0 liter V8 engine with a 360-horsepower output. Buyers could upgrade to a 460 cubic inch, 7.5 liter V-8 if they wanted even more muscle under the hood.

The 1973 Thunderbird was a big old car, closer to a luxury limo than the zippy sports racer it had originally been meant to emulate. Some drivers complained that the '73 Ford Thunderbird was just a rebranded Lincoln Continental, and the two cars did share many features!