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1955-57ThunderbirdHistory
1955-57Thunderbird

ThereisnodenyingtheawesomedesignandstyleoftheFordThunderbird.1955-1957isknownasthefirstgenerationofFordThunderbird.Thiswasthetimewhenthe2-seatconvertiblewasintroduced,whichwasactuallythefirst2-seatFordvehiclesince1938.AtthetimeChevroletintroducedtheChevroletCorvetteattheNewYorkAutoShow,andFordsimplyhadtocompetewithitsowngreatcaror,astheycalledthisnewmarket,thepersonalcar.Thefocuswasoncomfort,notonspeed.

The1955FordThunderbirdmadeitsdebutattheDetroitAutoShowinFebruary,1954.TheyrolledofftheproductionlineinSeptemberofthatyearandwentonsaleinOctoberasthe’55model.Withindays3,500weresoldand,bytheendof195516,155weresold,outsellingtheCorvettemorethan23-to-1,astheCorvetteonlysold700unitsthatyear.PhysicallytheThunderbirditlookedlikealotofotherFords,withcircularheadlampsandtaillampsandamodesttailfin.Still,itwassleekerandhadastylishhoodscoop.Eventhespeedometersaiditcouldgoupto150mph.

WThetopofthe1955FordThunderbirdwasfiberglassandremovable.Therewasanoptionalfabricconvertibletop.Ithadfenderskirtsandtheexhaustpipesexitedthroughtwinbumperguardsboltedtotherearbumper.Theenginewasa292Y-BlockV8.

TheentireframewasaversionofthestandardFordbody-on-framedesign.The102-inchwheelbasewasthesameastheCorvette.Between1055and1957atotalof53,116carsweremadeforthethreemodelyears.IthadamanualoverdrivetransmissionoraFordomaticautomatic,4-waypoweredseats,pushbuttoninteriordoorhandles,telescopingsteeringwheelandatachometer.Whileitwasnotdesignedtobeasportscar,itcouldit110-120mphwithitsV8engine.

In1956thesparewheelwasmountedtotheoutsideofthecar,givingthecarmuchneedtrunkspace.Airventswereaddedbehindthefrontwheelcabin,whichboostedinteriorventilation,andtheexhaustsweremovedtotheendofthebumper.Smallportholewindowswereaddedtohelpimproverear-quartervisibility.Ifyouwantedmorepoweryoucouldoptfora312Y-BlockV8.Productiondroppedthisyeartoonly15,631units.

The1957Thunderbirdhadamoredramaticlook.Thegrilleandtailfinswerebigger,aswerethetaillights.Thesparetirewasnolongerontheoutsideofthecar,butinsteaditwasmountedverticallyinsidethetrunk.Thescripted“Thunderbird”letteringwasmovedtothefrontfenders.Passengerslovedthenew4-waypowerseat“dial-o-matic”option.Forengines,therewasa312and292engine.Someversionsofthe312hadhigherstatesoftune.TherewasalsoaMcCullochsuperchargedversionratedat300and340hp.SalesoftheThunderbirdwentuptoover21,300unitssold.

1958-1966ThunderbirdHistory 1958-66Thunderbird

In1958theThunderbirdgotaredesignasa4-seater.Whilethe2-seatersof1955-1957wereoutstanding,the4-doorblewthelidoffthesalesforce,selling200,000inthreeyears.Thiswasthebeginningofthepersonalluxurycar.ThiswasthefirstindividualmodellinetoearnMotorTrend“CaroftheYear”honors.

TThe1958Thunderbirdwasfirstreleasedasahardtop,andinJune1958theconvertiblebodystylewasreleased.Theentirebodywasmuchlargerthanthefirstgeneration.Thewheelbasewasnow113incheslongbecauseofthenewbackseatinthecar.Alsointroducedwasdualheadlights,moreprominenttailfins,largerhoodscoopandamoredramaticchromegrille.Anew352cuV8with300hpwasavailablewithautomatictransmissionsor3-speedmanuals.

In1959anewgrilleandoptional350hp430cuMELV8wasintroduced.Salesjumpedupto67,456thatyear.

In1960morestylewasintroduced,anothernewgrilleupgrade,andoptionalmanuallyoperatedsunroofforthehardtopmodels.Thetaillightsthatwereinplacefor1958and1959werenowreplacedwithtriple-units,incompetitionwiththelookoftheChevroletImpala.Salesbrokerecordsin1960,with92,843vehiclessold.

1961sawabigchangefortheThunderbird.Infactthe3rdgenerationwasadramaticredesign.Thestylewassleeker,givingthecarnowclassicbulletshapedfrontend.Thestandardenginewasa390cuFEV8.ThisV8produced300hpandcamewitha3-speedautomatictransmission.IfyouseephotosofPresidentJohnF.Kennedy’sinauguralparadeyouwillseea1961Thunderbird.The1961FordThunderbirdwasalsoIndianapolis500’spacecarforthatyear.

In1962aSportsRoadsterpackagefortheconvertiblemodelswasadded,aswasavinyl-roofedLaundauoptionwithsimulatedS-bars.TheSportsRoadsterhadaspecialfiberglasstonneaucoverfortherearseatstosimulatea2-seatappearance.Thereweren’tmanyThunderbirdswiththiscoverfeature,asitwascomplicatedandexpensiveatthetime.Otheroptionsincludedabetterversionofthe390cuV8,knownastheM-Code,equippedwiththree2-barrelHolleycarburetors.

In1963Fordaddedahorizontalstylelinethatranfromwherethebumperandfendermeetatthebackthroughtothedooranddown.Alternators,insteadofgenerators,wereaddedtothe1963Thunderbirds.

ThefourthgenerationofThunderbirdwasfrom1964-1966.In1964Fordintroducedasquaredappearance.Thewheelbasewasstill113.2inchesandkeptitssimilargrilleanddualheadlights.Itwasavailableinhardtop,Laundauandconvertible.Thestandardenginewasstillthe390cuFEV8withits300hp,alongwiththe3-speedautomatictransmission.

The1965FordThunderbirdwasupgradedwithnewstandarddiscbrakes,sequentialturnsignals,horizontaltaillightsfrominsidetooutsidetoindicateturns.

In1966theFordThunderbirdgotanewegg-cratestylegrillewithThunderbirdembleminthecenter.Therearfasciaandrestyledbreaklightsdesignwasnew,andtheenginewasgivenanupgrade.Thestandard390cuV8wasnowpairedwithasingle4-barrelcarburetorwith315hp.Evenbetter,however,wastheaffordableoptionofa428cuFEV8with345hp.

1967-1971ThunderbirdHistory 1967-71Thunderbird

1967wastheintroductionofthefifthgenerationofFordThunderbirdandwouldbeatimeofredesignandreconceptualizationoftheThunderbirditself.ForddecidedthattheThunderbirdwasnowgoingtobeamoreluxuriousvehicle.Itwaslargerandnowhadabody-on-frameconstruction.Theconvertiblemodelwasdroppedanda4-doormodelwithsuicidereardoorswasintroduced.Hiddenheadlightswerenowinafighterjetlikegrilleopening.

In1970sequentialturnsignalswerenowincorporatedintofullpaneltaillightsintherearofthecar.Designwise,carbuyerslovedthenewlongerangularlinesinthehood.

The1971wasverysimilartothe1970modelandtheleastyearthata4-doorThunderbirdwasavailable.

1972-1976ThunderbirdHistory 1972-1976TheSixthGenerationofThunderbird

Nowlongerandlargerthanever,the1972FordThunderbirdhadthesamebodyandframeastheLincolnMarkIV.Thelengthwas214inches,witha120.4inchwheelbase.Thestandardengineofferedwasa429cuV8andoptional460cuV8.After1973this460cuV8wasstandard.Onewouldthinkthatthismotorwouldmeanmorepower,buttheoverallperformancewasactuallynotthatgreat.Thecarwasastaggering4800lbswiththe460cuV8,and,whencombinedwithemissionscontrols,theoverallfuelefficiencywasdisappointing.In197387,000vehiclesweresold,butby1975salesfelltounder43,000.Salesdidgoupin1976,butFordrealizeditwastimetodealwiththefederalemissionsstandardsandthefuelpricesandredesigntheThunderbirdonceagainforanewgeneration.

TheseventhgenerationofFordThunderbirdstarted1977offwithasmalleroveralldesign.Thewheelbasewastrimmeddownto114inches.ThisyearwouldseetheThunderbirdbeatOldsmobileCutlasssalesasAmerica’stopsellingpersonalluxurysedan.Over8inchesofoveralllength,now217.7inches,wastrimmedoff,anditwasnowabout900poundslighter.Asmallersmall-blockV8replacedthebig-blockV8,reducingtheweightofthecarandgivinggreatperformance.InCaliforniathe351cu351Menginewasrequired,withthe400cuasanoption.OutsideofCaliforniathestandardenginewasa302cuWindsorV8.Thebigger351cuand400cu,aswellasT-topswereavailable,alongwiththe351W.

TheDiamondJubileeEditionofFordThunderbirdcommemoratedthecompany’s75thanniversaryin1978.Thiscarliveduptoitsnamewithapricetagofcloseto$12,000,closetotwicethepriceofastandardFordThunderbird.Everyoptionwasavailable(exceptforthemoonroofandengineblockheater).In1979FordreleasedasimilaroptionpackageknownastheHeritagepackage.

Thisgenerationhadenormoussalesofwellover955,000vehiclesinthreeyears.StillFordrealizedthatfuelefficiencyconcernsandfurthercallsforemissionscontrolsmeantitwastimetodiscontinuethe400CIDengineandlookaheadatanothergenerationofchanges.

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