I hope it’s true! Ford has filed a new trademark application for the Thunderbird name with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The principal trademark for the Ford Thunderbird nameplate was just filed on January 13, and is currently listed as live by the USPTO. The filing specifically notes that this trademark is intended for motor vehicle use, be that a production car or a concept vehicle.

When the original Ford Thunderbird debuted for the 1955 model year, it single handedly invented the personal luxury car segment. Not meant to combat the Chevrolet Corvette or the sports cars of Europe, Ford referred to the T-Bird as “ a personal car of distinction”. It was a strikingly beautiful car, and remains one of the high-points in the automaker’s history. Eleven generations of the Thunderbird were built over the years, culminating with the retro-inspired 2005 model. In the decade and a half since however, Ford has yet to replace the stately coupe in their lineup, according to Muscle Cars and Trucks.

Fan feedback is starting to roll in:

I wouldn’t get too excited over this folks. First, car makers do this often simply to protect the trademarked name. They’re more than likely is no plans for a vehicle called Thunderbird, since all ford makes anymore are trucks/SUV’s. Chrysler did the same with the ‘Voyager’ name and isn’t using it on anything. – AB

Honestly, I think this should be Ford’s answer to the BMW 3 and 4 series. because Mustang aside, Ford doesn’t have any car that can match BMW, Audi, and Mercedes’s flagship models. – RC

And BMW, Audi, or Mercedes can’t match a F-150. They are different markets that serve different customers. What a silly thought. Cadillac has been trying for over a decade now and has still failed at that exact thing. – Andrew C.