The Thunderbird looked ahead of its time with front bucket seats and stylish rear seats, featuring round simple gauges with chrome details and power windows.
#THUNDERBIRD CAR 1959 MANUAL#
This vehicle had a loose square styling with a hood scoop and a V8 engine, with four-barrel carburetors and a dual exhaust, cranking out 300 horsepower with a 3-speed manual or 3-speed automatic transmission. The 1958 Thunderbird's chrome accenting was a note of luxury at the time. Because of this, he realized that adding a back seat would increase the vehicle's appeal and practicality and double sales overnight. Robert McNamara, president of Ford Motor Company, anticipated customer needs and wishes by being the first to study trends. People wanted more luxurious cars with distinctive exterior designs, including the 1958 Thunderbird. Things were changing by the end of the 1950s. Until the Ford EXP in 1982, the 1957 Thunderbird was the last two-seater vehicle Ford manufactured.
The supercharger boosted the power up to 340 horsepower, resulting in an uncharacteristically speedy luxury car. The two engine choices were the same as the 1955 automobile, with slight upgrades. The interior boasted a new dashboard that covered all panels, which provided protection for the stereo and panel buttons.įord also implemented new round dials on an aluminum interior panel and kept the vehicle's gear lever on the floor. Fin-tails decorated the rear quarter panels, a common feature on luxury automobiles.
Ford placed the bumper underneath the grille and removed the 1955 model's chromed components from this new version. This new Thunderbird model was revised in many areas.
#THUNDERBIRD CAR 1959 FULL#
However, Ford unexpectedly sold more Thunderbirds in 1955 than in 1956, even though the 1955 model didn't have a full calendar year of sales. Customers were already asking for a four-seater, which wasn't yet ready at the time.įord upgraded the vehicle in 1957, which worked to increase sales. The 1956 model also featured an engine that was more powerful than the one from 1955. Critics criticized the large steering wheel for sitting too near to the driver's chest, but the public didn't care - the Thunderbird was a huge success. Inside the Thunderbird was a bench that resembled two bucket seats and held two passengers. Unlike the "Vette," the Thunderbird could match the European cars' speed. Moving the spare wheel in a chromed cradle on the rear bumper behind the trunk also led to somewhat improved handling and weight distribution.
#THUNDERBIRD CAR 1959 WINDOWS#
A removable hard-top placed a blind spot in the back of the car, prompting Ford to add circular windows to the 1956 model's side panels. While the vehicle was sportier than the 1953 Corvette, Ford preferred to avoid calling the Thunderbird a "sports car" and instead opted for "personal car." It featured a V8 beneath the hood and a three-speed manual gearbox. Today, people would refer to this as a mild facelift. The Corvette was promoted as a sports car, while the Thunderbird was advertised as a personal luxury car.Īfter the original release, Ford upgraded the two-seat Thunderbird in 1956 as it updated a number of the 1955 models. The Thunderbird proved to be more successful than its rival, the Corvette, and the marketing made the difference. Once the car was shown to the public, over 3,500 orders came in within the first 10 days of the car's unveiling. Ford stylist Alden Giberson gave Thunderbird its recognizable name - the name came to him while he was drinking coffee in a cup with a two-headed bird on it.įord revealed the Thunderbird to the public at the Detroit Auto Show in 1954. Crusoe was impressed by the painted clay model Hershey developed and got Henry's approval for the first design. He based it on his favorite vehicle, the Jaguar XK120, which is why the Thunderbird features a similar interior seating position, steering wheel angle and pedal angles. Hershey was the one who thought to design the new car with a sports car platform. Crusoe worked with Ford's chief designer, Frank Hershey, to create the Thunderbird. Henry Ford II reached out to Lewis Crusoe, a former General Motors (GM) executive, to help him develop a new car to make a swift response to Chevrolet. The Thunderbird was created as Ford's answer to Chevrolet's Corvette. Buckle in and take a trip through the Thunderbird's rich history. This article breaks down each of the generations from the first through the 11th, all the way from the early generations to the newest ones. With each new generation came new adjustments to different aspects of the T-Bird, like the speed, engines, body shape and more.
This automobile has a convertible style and was designed not to be a sports car but a luxury vehicle. Since the first generation, there have been 11 generations in total. The Ford Thunderbird has a long history, dating back to 1955 when the first generation was released.
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