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Some automobiles exist to get you to work. Others exist to make you neglect about work fully. The Ford Thunderbird belonged to that second class, and for practically 5 many years, it reminded People that transportation may very well be transformational. Whereas your neighbor was shopping for a smart sedan, you had been shopping for a press release (a loud, lovely assertion).
The Thunderbird wasn’t simply one other fairly face in Ford’s lineup: it was a cultural phenomenon that occurred to have 4 wheels. From 1955 to 2005, it developed from a two-seat sports activities automotive that might outrun a Corvette to a luxurious cruiser that might out-comfort a Cadillac. Alongside the way in which, it picked up extra followers than a stadium rock live performance and extra chrome than a Fifties diner.
The Beginning of a Legend (1955-1957)
Ford’s brass checked out Chevrolet’s new Corvette in 1953 and thought they might do higher than that fiberglass experiment. The unique Thunderbird debuted in 1955 with one thing the Corvette desperately lacked: a V8 engine that truly labored reliably and a metal physique that wouldn’t crack when you checked out it flawed.
The primary-generation T-Chook got here with a 292-cubic-inch Y-block V8 producing 193 horsepower, or 198 hp when you splurged for the four-barrel carburetor. That may sound quaint by at the moment’s requirements, however in 1955, it was sufficient to embarrass most sports activities automobiles on the highway.
Ford offered 16,155 Thunderbirds in 1955, in comparison with Chevrolet’s 700 Corvettes. It seems that individuals most popular automobiles that began within the morning and didn’t require a PhD in fiberglass restore. The detachable hardtop was genius: you bought the safety of a coupe and the wind-in-your-hair expertise of a convertible, all with out the structural integrity of a moist paper bag.
Going 4-Seat and Getting Wealthy (1958-1966)
In 1958, Ford decided that horrified purists and delighted accountants: they added a again seat. The “Squarebird” technology grew from a sporty two-seater right into a luxurious four-seater that weighed as a lot as a small planet. All of the sudden, the Thunderbird wasn’t competing with the Corvette anymore; it was taking goal at Cadillac.
The 1958 mannequin stretched to 205 inches in size and was powered by a 352-cubic-inch FE V8 engine producing 300 hp. Ford offered 37,892 models that first 12 months, proving that People would fortunately commerce some sportiness for the power to hold their in-laws in consolation. The unibody building was superior for its time, though it made the automotive as agile as a cruise ship.
The 1961-1963 “Bullet Birds” refined the system with cleaner styling and extra energy choices. The 390-cubic-inch V8 produced as much as 340 hp, and the rocket-inspired rear finish made each parking zone appear to be an area program launch pad. These automobiles rode on a 113-inch wheelbase and will cruise all day at 80 mph whereas their occupants remained blissfully unaware of the surface world.
The Jet Age Takes Flight (1964-1966)
The fourth-generation Thunderbird launched the “Jet Chook” styling, which resembled a design impressed by somebody who spent an excessive amount of time watching The Jetsons. The sequential flip indicators had been pure space-age theater: three lights that lit up in sequence like a countdown to coolness. This characteristic was so common that Ford used it for many years on different fashions, as a result of why repair what isn’t damaged?
Below the hood, the 390 V8 was customary, however the true social gathering trick was the elective 427-cubic-inch V8 with 425 hp. This engine turned the Thunderbird right into a gentleman’s muscle automotive; one thing that might out-accelerate a GTO whereas carrying 4 folks in air-conditioned consolation.
The Longest Birds (1967-1971)
The fifth technology stretched the Thunderbird to absurd lengths: actually. At 214.8 inches lengthy, the 1967-1971 fashions had been larger than some studio residences. Ford’s designers apparently believed that larger was all the time higher, which labored nice till the primary oil disaster reminded everybody that gasoline stations existed for a motive.
The 429-cubic-inch V8 grew to become customary, producing anyplace from 360 to 375 hp relying on the 12 months and your relationship with the EPA. The four-door Landau model might seat six folks in consolation that bordered on the ridiculous. Hidden headlights, sequential flip indicators, and an abundance of chrome made these automobiles inconceivable to disregard.
The 1970 Thunderbird weighed 4,824 kilos and acquired about 8 mpg in metropolis driving, which appeared completely affordable when gasoline price 36 cents a gallon. The trunk might swallow a small fridge, and the experience high quality was so clean that passengers usually arrived at their vacation spot extra relaxed than after they began.
Downsizing and Disco (1972-1976)
The power disaster compelled Ford to place the Thunderbird on a weight loss program, comparatively talking. The 1972 mannequin misplaced about 10 inches in size however gained a extra manageable character. The 429 V8 was nonetheless obtainable, however growing emissions laws meant horsepower numbers began dropping sooner than the recognition of bell-bottoms.
The 1977-1979 technology marked a dramatic downsizing to the mid-size LTD II platform. These “Torino Birds” had been extra fuel-efficient and simpler to park, however they misplaced a number of the presence that made earlier Thunderbirds particular. The 351-cubic-inch V8 was the most important engine obtainable, and whereas it was satisfactory, it wasn’t precisely inspiring.
The Aero Period and Turbo Insanity (Nineteen Eighties-Nineties)
The 1983 Thunderbird launched aerodynamic styling that appeared to have been carved by the wind tunnel gods. The drag coefficient of 0.35 was spectacular for the time, and the Turbo Coupe model proved that Ford might construct a complicated efficiency automotive after they put its thoughts to it.
The Turbo Coupe’s 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine produced 190 hp and will propel the T-Chook to 60 mph in about 7.5 seconds. Extra importantly, it dealt with like an actual sports activities automotive, somewhat than a luxurious barge. The five-speed guide transmission and sport-tuned suspension made it probably the most athletic Thunderbird because the authentic two-seater.
The Ultimate Flight (2002-2005)
Ford’s try to recapture the unique Thunderbird magic with the retro-styled 2002-2005 mannequin was noble however flawed. The detachable hardtop and two-seat configuration paid correct homage to the 1955 authentic, however the 3.9-liter V8 produced solely 280 hp, which is barely greater than a contemporary V6 engine in a Camry.
The styling was beautiful, the construct high quality was stable, and the nostalgia issue was by means of the roof. Sadly, the $40,000 price ticket and restricted practicality resulted in Ford promoting solely 68,061 models over a four-year interval. It seems that trendy consumers wished their retro styling with trendy efficiency, not 1955 acceleration.
Why the Thunderbird Nonetheless Issues
The Thunderbird succeeded as a result of it understood one thing that many trendy automobiles have forgotten: transportation will be transformational. It wasn’t sufficient to get from level A to level B: you needed to arrive with type, consolation, and simply sufficient angle to make folks marvel about your story.
From the unique two-seater that might outrun a Corvette to the huge luxurious cruisers that might out-comfort a Cadillac, the Thunderbird all the time knew what it was: America’s private luxurious automotive. It by no means tried to be the quickest or probably the most economical. As an alternative, it aimed to be probably the most fascinating, and for 5 many years, it largely achieved this objective.
The chrome may appear extreme by at the moment’s requirements, and the gas economic system would make a Prius proprietor weep, however the Thunderbird represented an period when automobiles had character. They rumbled after they began, gleamed within the daylight, and made each drive really feel like a special day.
