The Thunderbird vastly outsold the Corvette even though they sold for similar prices. Ford created the Thunderbird to compete with the Chevrolet Corvette that General Motors had released a few years earlier in 1953. Available engines were either a 292 or 312 cid V8, and in 1957 a supercharger was added to increase horsepower and torque. The first generation of the Thunderbird lasted from 1955–1957. In 1967, Ford brought out the first four-door T-Bird in history, which was very successful at first, but sales soon slumped. Originally, Ford only made the Thunderbird available as a two-door convertible with a removable fiberglass top, but soon they added a Rayon-top option, and in 1958 Ford introduced a four-seater version. The Thunderbird sold well, almost eclipsing 100,000 cars annually for a few model years. The first six generations of the Ford Thunderbird spanned 22 model years from 1955–1976. Make sure to check out our other article for the 1977–2005 Ford Thunderbird. This article will cover the first six generations of the Thunderbird, from 1955–1976. From 1968–1971, Ford released the ThunderJet variant, which was essentially a muscle car with its 429 cid V8 engine pumping out 360 horsepower and almost 500 lb-ft of torque. The 1950s T-Birds are some of the most recognizable American cars of all-time, with their classic tailfins and headlights. It did make one last comeback from 2002–2005 for an 11th generation, but Ford has since retired the moniker again.Īlso known as the “T-Bird,” in 1957 the Thunderbird became one of the first production cars with a factory equipped supercharger. The original run of the Thunderbird lasted for 10 generations from the 1955–1997 model years, before Ford briefly halted production. First introduced for the 1955 model year, Ford marketed the Thunderbird as a personal luxury car that featured outstanding performance from big-block V8s. I’m interested to see where this car will end up, possibly overseas where big American luxury cars are gaining popularity.Spanning 50 years, the Ford Thunderbird is one of the most iconic cars in American history. The market for this car may be limited but if the mileage is correct and mechanically everything is sound this could be a good investment for the price. Judging by the wear on the seats, the mileage claim of 35K is probably accurate. The interior looks as good as the exterior. Fuel mileage was dismal at around 10MPG average. The 460 only produced 220 HP due to low compression and emission controls. The engine was also affected by government control, in ’74 the 460 replaced the 429 but performance was not outstanding. In ’74 government mandates were affecting cars, here we see a glimpse of the 5mph impact bumper. Interestingly a search of the web shows that Bennett Auto Group is still in business in Allentown although they do not sell Fords. From this angle, the paint looks like it will clean up nicely and no rust can be seen. Some of the pictures show the car in the garage covered in dust while others were taken outside after a wash. Just by the looks of things I would expect some work needs to be done before returning to the road. Running condition is not mentioned, the car is equipped with A/C and has no rust. It is not said how long the car was put away but with 35K miles on the odometer it hasn’t been on the road much. The car is said to have long term ownership and just came out of storage. This thing has nice lines and will no doubt float down the road. Thanks to Barn Finds Reader Ikey Heyman for the tip!įrom this angle, we get a good idea of the sheer size of the Thunderbird. Check it out here on craigslist in Morristown NJ for $7800. This car has low mileage, long term ownership and just came out of long term storage. In fact, this Thunderbird model was the largest ever produced and shared a striking resemblance to its cousin the Lincoln Continental Mark IV. By 1974 the Thunderbird was in its sixth generation of production and had no resemblance to the original 1955 version.
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