I beg to differ! The 1961 to 1963 was the greatest model. It was very futuristic and still is! I know, I still have one. A 1962, hardtop, 427 ci, dual 4 barrel, with A/C and windows. It was given to me as a wedding present by my then to be wife. It was 1986, she paid $2000.00 for it because it had a bad transmission, it wouldn't go into reverse! She drove it 20 miles with no reverse!!! She hid it in a neighbors garage untill the Wedding party. She told me it was going to be junked! It was (and still is) Perfect! She "felt" she had to save him... She gave it a name- "Phoenix" would never burn. It is the greatest present anyone's ever given me. (Love you Baby) I installed a C6 Transmission and it became a dream to drive. At every stop light, I had to tell them it's a 62', and yes I drive it every day. In 1990 the gasoline had to much alcohol in it, no lead, and the engine oil had no zinc. I found a 427 engine to rebuild for no lead gas. While I was at it I installed power disc brakes. When it was finished it was like a brand new car. I have had many other cars, but none as cool as my T bird . I still drive it today, I take it to car shows, it's got a few trophy's. I take my beautiful wife out on a "date" in the Phoenix. I will never let go of that car. Some day, when my time is near, I will find a young person that feels the way I do about the car and sell it to them. But only after they have convinced me they really want it. That was one of the few things Ford got right. I love my Thunderbird!
Also let me know what you’d sell yours for, I’m trying to get a ‘62 that I can daily! Saving up for a ‘57 and hopefully can find a ‘65 that needs a little love to Restomod!
A close high-school friend of mine had a 64 T Bird w/a 390 4 barrel, black over silver exterior, black and chrome interior. That machine cornered like a shark in water and moved! But one one faithful day , we barely bumped a car in front of us at an intersection and the dash went up in smoke. For some stupid reason Ford put the voltage regulator just behind the grill and that's all it took to finish her off. But fond memories abound in that car... the Fighter Jet looking dash & cockpit lighting at night was way WAY ahead of its time. A replacement instrument panel was put in but never matched and it was sold shortly afterwards. That car was eleven years old when he last drove it, but many thought it was less than five. Shame its demise but great are the memories. Looking back...its probably a good thing it ended like that, my friend drove it like A J Foyt and many were concerned for everyone's safety, and I have to admit it was probably for the best.
We had a 1963 T-Bird we bought in 1969. What a car!! Had all the usual critter comforts, except power windows, and was a ball to drive. I would love to buy one and do a rebuild on it.
I bought a super clean blue 1966 Q code 428 Tbird with 62,xxx original miles for $600 from a old lady a couple years ago. I tried to convince her it was worth significantly more money and she repeatedly said it wasnt worth a dollar more then the $600 because it was " a ugly as hell and drank gas like it was free ! " ...her words . I intended to restore a Tbird . But theres no need with my 66 its so clean. I did replace all the bushings and converted it to electronic ignition system as well as upgrading the exhaust to dual stainless 2 1/4 with X pipe and flowmasters. And flushed the transmission and added a oil cooler. It Runs very very strong . From 30 mph to 80 mph it will pin you to the seat
Do you get drone at certain rpm with the flowmasters? I had the flowmaster 40s on my 1995 bird, and the drone was terrible at 2000 rpm when pulling a grade.
70 Series Tires The 428 FE was debuted in 1966 but only for Ford's full sized offerings. Think of the Galaxie 500 7 liter coupe. In the Thunderbird it was known as the Thunderjet.
Ford should’ve always kept the Thunderbird as a Grand Touring Roadster to compete with the Corvette, powerful & agile enough to race down a highway or carve a windy mountain road, yet luxurious & practical enough to take a suitcase or two in the trunk & give a relatively comfortable, air-conditioned ride for its two occupants.
I just recently bought a 59 square bird. I love the car I've only ever seen one other one like it and that was when I was about 16 years old back in the 70s
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What a beautiful machine. I always loved them since I was a kid. My uncle had a red one with red and white upholstery.
I saw one of these yesterday morning at St.Margaret's Bay, Kent, U.K. Open top. Red. Whitewall tyres. Looked brand new, immaculate. Came down the steep hill, paused for a few moments at the bottom, slowly turned round and went back up hill. The two guys in it could have parked the car for free in the pub car park and had a drink (great views out to sea), but evidently they just wanted to drive.
Fuller version: I've realised who the passenger was now, lol: ''On Sunday (yesterday, 6th October 2019),, at about 2p.m., I saw a red open top Thunderbird come down the last part of the steep, winding hill into St.Margaret's Bay, Kent, England. Two men were in the front seats. The car was absolutely immaculate - it had been raining for quite a while up till 10 minutes previously, but it was bone dry, as were the occupants. The passenger looked vaguely familiar to me - obviously American, with long white straggly hair, droopy white moustache, long white straggly beard. As they slowed right down beside me, I made a thumb and forefinger circle to show how 'ace' I thought the car was, and said 'I thought this was a Daimler Dart at first' - only when I saw 'Thunderbird' emblazoned on the nearside rear fin did I realise my mistake. The passenger, who was very smiley and cheerful, said 'it's a Thunderbird.' I replied 'right - what a beauty.' As the car slowly turned round, I thought they were looking for somewhere to park, so suggested they use 'the pub car park - it's free.' It was right beside them. Someone else near me waved to them, and the car started back up the hill, the passenger waving cheerily. It's only today that I realise who he was - David Crosby.''
I owned a 1994 with the then brand new 4.6-Liter V8. Lotsa power and you better have good rubber, that rearend can catch you by surprise! I could see the ressurection of the Thunderbird running fully battery electric! It'd be fast and the platform would be well suited to the Ford standard electric platform. Of course, two wheel versions should run the rear wheels by default. Would REALLY like to see what Ford could do with it!
1958 4-seater was a great idea for sales while abandoning what may have been a great move to offer both a 2-seater and the new 4-seater. The 2 seater would have survived for great competition to the Corvette.
@William Kiene I had a red 1959 convertible, that I paid $450.00 in 1966. It was a 430 engine, (who knew) just another Thunderbird. I drove it to Fla. to start a new job teaching H.S. biology. One year later I gave it to my mother, cause I was buying a used Jaguar. She didn't like it, too low and too big, traded it on a new. PINTO. OMG.
I had a 67 4-door, black top over white, then much later a 91, red with gray interior. Liked both, but looking back I liked the 59 and 64 best. I drive an 06 Audi A4 cabriolet now.
I have owned a 63 and a 64, the 64 is probably my favorite T-Bird. In the future would love to find a 72 to 76 big bird, even if they were more Lincoln Mark IV than Thunderbird, I like them and remember them as a young man in the 70's. As someone else said this past over the late 60's early 70's birds, would like to see more about them.
@@V8_screw_electric_cars Back in 1982, I found a 62' Thunderbird, it was Ford "Oxford white" with a black interior, and wire wheels. One of that times problems was the "Ford 'o' matic" Transmission. It was found on a steep driveway in front of it's owners garage. It would not shift into reverse. He couldn't move it to even open his garage doors. Believe it or not he was asking $1000.00 for it. ( I was prepared to pay $5000.00!) I whipped out the cash, we signed the papers and I towed out with my truck. In 10 minutes it was mine. After a newer C6 trany, and a good wash and wax it was running again like it was brand new. We ( my wife and I) drove that car for 10 years. It was a mistake to sell it for $20,000 dollars. It still it the prettiest car in the world. T
I second that since I own one myself. It’s sad how it never got the attention it deserved. Even in documentaries like this one, they only talk about it for like 30 seconds before moving on.
I always loved the T-Birds, so much so I owned a '57, '59, '63, '74 (aka a Lincoln Mark 4 without the "Continental Pack"), and finally an '89 Super Coupe
The 1958-60 Thunderbird was a design milestone and set the standard for car design well into the 1980s. The two -seater Thunderbirds have been overly romanticized. The two seaters were dropped because they did not sell.
Personally, I like the 1961 model the best, mainly because it emphasized a "grand touring" role more so than a full-on sports car. At the same time, it looked MUCH more sleek than the preceding 1958-60 generation. I've never cared too much about outright performance anyway.
For the 2001 car, look at the international team design at 22:10 compared to the accepted version favored by the "focus group" at 22:20. The one that was shot down has a Ferrari look with stylish headlights reminiscent of the '58 T-bird. The winner has a boring, tired look that ultimately failed. The lessons to be learned are: Focus groups can be a horrible way to judge success of a product, or arrogant Ford styling execs ignored the better design in order to have their way. I would like to see the side profile and rear end of the international design.
There’s also the unspoken prevailing mindset of American made cars can’t look European. The exterior and interior styling is far superior to anything American made, but it can’t look European. So the big swooping curves, large empty spaces, fake, cheap materials , and squeaks and rattles from the poor build quality, are all willingly accepted as being American. A low bar has been set, that American buyers and the auto companies perpetuate. There’s a reason german and Asian car companies sell well here. They build better products. Especially the pricier luxury models.
I had 2 T-Birds. A'65 and a '69. The '65 had some cool features. Swing away steering wheel and sequential turn signals, five on each side, infinitely adjustable wipers and wrap around back seat etc. The '69 was nice but nothing special.
I love America for it vibrant attitude towards life and its no nonsense life style ...however, quality and sophistication is not one ... I am octogenarian old codger ...real sports cars are Italian ...they are sleek, elegant, temperamental and need a lot of attention ...I remember 'them' days when an E Type Jaguar has four carburetors ... aligning / tuning them required patience, knowledge and skill ...the worst was that they never stayed tuned ...there were Morgan, Lotus and Stag ...yes, those were the days ...
I owned a 1957 and a 1962 T BIRD, loved both of them, they were sleek and sporty and fast. Ford made Gabi mistake turning away from the sporty look and ruined it. Now the sporty look is back--finally !
I owned '66, '70, and '77 Thunderbirds. When Ford announced the new bird I waited... and waited. The birds finally hatched, but there were big problems. The price was much higher than had been rumored - plus, more than sticker, and they were sold out. I spent a little more and bought a Mercedes SLK32 AMG. Sadly, my flight of T-Birds has ended.
The mid to late 1960's T-Bird model had a formidable range and quality. My question to the American Ford Company is: "What in the hell went wrong with your thinking regarding this car and why?"
Personally, I like the 1961 model the best, mainly because it emphasized a "grand touring" role more so than a full-on sports car. At the same time, it looked MUCH more sleek than the preceding 1958-60 generation. I've never cared too much about outright performance anyway.
Nice history. But now no more Thunderbird and I can't imagine Ford bringing back a 2-seat car since they are going to stop selling regular cars in USA and the Mustang continues to sell well. The smart folks have the 55-57 Birds....they continue to increase in value. Of course the 2002-2005 has its fans, so they may eventually become collectible. Good used ones are quite a bargain compared to what they originally sold for.
While there is merit to what you're saying, I like the 1961 model the best. Mainly because it emphasized a "grand touring" role more so than a full-on sports car. At the same time, it looked MUCH more sleek than the preceding 1958-60 generation. I've never cared too much about outright performance anyway.
Thanks for this fabulous retrospective. I hope that the next iteration will be even more exciting, a higher roof with better headroom that the 2002 New T Bird, and hopefully the next will include a model with the sheer swank of the 1967 4 door. There is no reason why there couldn't be a range of different style versions under the Thunderbird name. If Ford is able to revive it, Ford would be wise to give it the quality and model variety seen in Duesenberg, Marmon, Pierce-Arrow and other makes that put quality as "job one".
There were some very elaborate T-bird designs over the decades, but the most iconic styles were the original and the square birds. Ford could successfully market a retro Bird based on a futuristic square bird design with Mustang Coyote 5L power plants.
The Thunderbird was not made as a true sports car like the Corvette. The two-seater was not going to last very long because of low sales. They did the right thing making it a personal luxury car. It needs to be brought back as a technological flagship car for Ford.
james adams...what'd it have under the hood, the 312? If so, that was a good, under appreciated power plant. My Uncle had a 57 Thunderbird with a pumped up 312....it actually came stock with two 4bbl carbs on a cast iron high rise intake, some "Special Edition" T-Bird, though I can't recall it's designation, it was a beautiful rig.....
I am waving the shenanigans flag. That car made 202 horsepower and weighs over 3100 lbs. My buddy had one that had a 1966 merc 410 wedged into it and a ton of mods and we could barely get to 136 at El mirage dry lake in the late 1990s. in stock form it was probably 110 with a tail wind pushing it along. I don't think anyone realizes that car was about as aerodynamic as a brick and made terrible power numbers. even with horrific freeway gearing the car just couldn't power through the air.
damn I am a pretty good guesser 108mph can't tell I have broke a few speed laws at 2am lol www.automobile-catalog.com/make/ford_usa/thunderbird_1gen/thunderbird_1gen_convertible/1956.html
The Only Beautiful T Birds were the 55 , 56 and 57 , They Ruined it When they Went to the Larger Body in 58 , My Friend Had a new 58 , He said it Was a Dog !!
The Corvette was not the first American sports car after the war. Nash in 1951 came out with the "Nash Healey", the Cunningham C3 came out in '52. But Crosley beat them all by introducing the "Hotshot" in 1949.
All you folks forget the amazing Chrysler 300. The business mans jet. Blew the pants off of the new Corvette and T bird. And it was a four door. Killer
Ford always had a habit of building half a sports car and then redesigning it into a luxury barge. GM had the guts to build a sports care and maintain its sporting nature. That's why the Corvette still exists and the T-Bird became a dodo bird.
Meh. With EVs the future these cars values will tank SOON especially with the people that bought them dying off. Same thing with Vintage Guitar values. 🗺
interesting thought, I sold my classic mustang because I couldnt stand the smell of the carbed motor anymore, after 25 yrs, great if its cheap enough, lots of artwork in the older cars , lost today , had a mint classic 56 t bird go by me as I rode my bike the other day, darn near pure fuel coming out the exhaust, thats why I believe the newest two seater will go up at least a bit more in value.
cuda426hemi I can really see that with a early fender Stratocaster lol All it takes for something to become valuable is for demand to out do supply, I am only 39 and I would sport the hell out of a "squarebird" if I could afford one. I don't see the values getting hurt anytime soon with the classic car hobby as a whole because everyone that likes to tinker or just wants to be different owns an old car. I daily drive my 1973 Continental because it is relatively fast, it is a blast to drive and just looks great in a sea of modern jellybean cars and crappy front drive SUVs
c 21:00, they stole the egg-crate grille from the Corvette, unless someone remembers a Thunderbird with that grille. I liked the T bird. I don't like GM. But what was is what was. BTW, the 64 thru 66 Thunderbirds were very nice cars. I would say they were the best. Not of the Thunderbirds, but of all the cars on the road in the US at the time or since. The public failed to appreciate them. The public is fickle and idiotic.
To me it feels like Ford throws up the bird to see what works and whats left of the corpse is fed to the other Ford cars. The bird sounds like a phoenix instead of a thunderbird.
It sounds like the Thunderbird started out with promise in ‘54 but devolved over time, struggling for an identity. Meanwhile, almost 70 years later the Corvette marches on.
I had a 1964 T-Bird that was great. In 1975 I bought a '73 with the 460. It was a classy Mark IV and I loved it. In 1999 I bought a 1996 model, but this T-bird was a huge disappointment.
Sadly, you skipped over the fabulous 10th generation birds. They are superior when compared to the 11th generation retro birds. The retros are actually longer than the 10th gen., and who wants a Volvo engine in a Ford? The 1996-97 birds with the 4.6 will blow the doors off of the retro birds. Plus, the 10th gen. birds are NASCAR friendly.
I had a 96 V8 and every Monte Carlo would try to run me, I wouldnt bother cause after all , they were front drive replicas, you could tell they were upset over their set up. mine handled great.
The new T-Bird wasn’t pretty, but so were other cars like the Cayman, the Boxster, The TT, the Miata etc. the 40k $$$ price tag had a lot to do with poor sales I think. Small, underpowered and pricey don’t match well with the words “American car”
I was a big T Bird fan. I had a red 65 Convertable and currently own a 57 Thunderbird. I never liked the style of the new little T Bird. That front end. The headlights and no bumper. Rounded tail lights and no fins? What is a T Bird without whitewall tires? I have talked to owner's who have them and like them. That is perfectly fine.
ya ya.... the new design(s) were just a way to make a smaller, lighter, less expensive to manufacture car. And that's exactly what they did everytime they redesigned it. Everytime!
The 1958-60 "square birds" had the same disappearing top as the 1961-63 Birds. Good grief, who writes this crap??? And the "swing-away" wheel started in 1961 not 1966. Sheeesh!!
"Who writes....?" Answer: The preparer of this video didn't know his cars. This is definately not a source video, so just enjoy the pictures and have a good day. Better still, cut the volume off so it won't distract your viewing!
My dad had a white 58, a red with the white top 59, and then a light yellow 60. He would give the previous car to my mom. Then an off-white 61 and then a silver-blue mink 63 with the tonneau cover and wire wheels. The problem with the tops if you did use them the motorized screw to hold it down would stick which was a problem since the spare was in the trunk. Required a rachet, extension, and socket carried under the seat.Acess was remove a nut under the car.
the Turbo Coup should've had a 250 or 300ci straight 6. The 4 Cylinder only made it as powerful as the v8. A turbocharged six cylinder would have been much more powerful.
I think Chrysler was cash strapped. Which is too bad because they were working with Italian designers and probably would have build something stunning.
Really? Look at the 1955 Chrysler Falcon ( thats right F A L C O N) designed by V. Exner. They were ready to produce it then saw Chevrolet Corvette disastrous sales and its possible discontinuation of the car, and yes Chrysler ran scared. They never forgot the Airflow, and backed off advanced styling design.
They had been losing money and consolidating- the DeSoto had just been dropped and they weren't looking to expand into the limited 'American Sports Car' market. One major marketing mistake at that point would have sent them into the sinking boat of Kaiser, Nash, Packard, Studebaker, and all the other small US car manufacturers of the era so they were playing it safe until they regained their financial footing. They did beat the rest into the 'Personal Luxury Car' market with the 300, which was actually faster than the T-Bird and Corvette, but too costly to compete directly with them. Their day was coming when they brought out the 426 Hemi; a game-changer for everyone into going fast.
Ford always came out on top- they basically beat the shit out of gm in the engineering and looks department over and over and over again- The only "KILLER" the "general"had was the CHEVY- always a beauty- never made a bad looking ride- amazing- even caddy couldnt do that-
The last T Birds should of had a V8, and more room inside plus more stylish taillights that didn't look like taken off a VW Bug, kinda cheesie But other than that I think it was a nice looking car..🙄
@silverbird58 Glad to hear that I love the older birds. Ford got off track with their design team. Had to hock everything, including their emblem to finally turn things around. Too much family.
I beg to differ!
The 1961 to 1963 was the greatest model.
It was very futuristic and still is!
I know, I still have one.
A 1962, hardtop, 427 ci, dual 4 barrel, with A/C and windows.
It was given to me as a wedding present by my then to be wife.
It was 1986, she paid $2000.00 for it because it had a bad transmission, it wouldn't go into reverse!
She drove it 20 miles with no reverse!!!
She hid it in a neighbors garage untill the Wedding party.
She told me it was going to be junked!
It was (and still is)
Perfect!
She "felt" she had to save him...
She gave it a name-
"Phoenix" would never burn.
It is the greatest present anyone's ever given me.
(Love you Baby)
I installed a C6 Transmission and it became a dream to drive.
At every stop light, I had to tell them it's a 62', and yes I drive it every day.
In 1990 the gasoline had to much alcohol in it, no lead, and the engine oil had no zinc.
I found a 427 engine to rebuild for no lead gas.
While I was at it I installed power disc brakes.
When it was finished it was like a brand new car.
I have had many other cars, but none as cool as my T bird .
I still drive it today, I take it to car shows, it's got a few trophy's.
I take my beautiful wife out on a "date" in the Phoenix.
I will never let go of that car.
Some day, when my time is near, I will find a young person that feels the way I do about the car and sell it to them.
But only after they have convinced me they really want it.
That was one of the few things Ford got right.
I love my Thunderbird!
Yeah ‘61-‘63 are the coolest in my opinion too. I have a ‘63
Also let me know what you’d sell yours for, I’m trying to get a ‘62 that I can daily! Saving up for a ‘57 and hopefully can find a ‘65 that needs a little love to Restomod!
A close high-school friend of mine had a 64 T Bird w/a 390 4 barrel, black over silver exterior, black and chrome interior. That machine cornered like a shark in water and moved! But one one faithful day , we barely bumped a car in front of us at an intersection and the dash went up in smoke. For some stupid reason Ford put the voltage regulator just behind the grill and that's all it took to finish her off. But fond memories abound in that car... the Fighter Jet looking dash & cockpit lighting at night was way WAY ahead of its time. A replacement instrument panel was put in but never matched and it was sold shortly afterwards. That car was eleven years old when he last drove it, but many thought it was less than five. Shame its demise but great are the memories. Looking back...its probably a good thing it ended like that, my friend drove it like A J Foyt and many were concerned for everyone's safety, and I have to admit it was probably for the best.
57,60 and 63 are my fav T-Birds
I hace a 57 E Bird and 60 convertibile J Code 430 😃
We had a 1963 T-Bird we bought in 1969. What a car!! Had all the usual critter comforts, except power windows, and was a ball to drive. I would love to buy one and do a rebuild on it.
Thebestcareverunienallt hi eworlld
I've own a 61' convertible. For a heavy car it rides great. Low to the ground and happy to cruise all day at highway speeds.
I bought a super clean blue 1966 Q code 428 Tbird with 62,xxx original miles for $600 from a old lady a couple years ago. I tried to convince her it was worth significantly more money and she repeatedly said it wasnt worth a dollar more then the $600 because it was " a ugly as hell and drank gas like it was free ! " ...her words . I intended to restore a Tbird . But theres no need with my 66 its so clean. I did replace all the bushings and converted it to electronic ignition system as well as upgrading the exhaust to dual stainless 2 1/4 with X pipe and flowmasters. And flushed the transmission and added a oil cooler. It Runs very very strong . From 30 mph to 80 mph it will pin you to the seat
You are one lucky person! And the 66 is a beauty!
Do you get drone at certain rpm with the flowmasters? I had the flowmaster 40s on my 1995 bird, and the drone was terrible at 2000 rpm when pulling a grade.
electronic ignition is the key . might want to open the gap on the plugs another 5 thou
70 Series Tires The 428 FE was debuted in 1966 but only for Ford's full sized offerings. Think of the Galaxie 500 7 liter coupe. In the Thunderbird it was known as the Thunderjet.
This sounds like a man who bought a paint by numbers picture and likes to pretend he bought a Rembrandt.
Ford should’ve always kept the Thunderbird as a Grand Touring Roadster to compete with the Corvette, powerful & agile enough to race down a highway or carve a windy mountain road, yet luxurious & practical enough to take a suitcase or two in the trunk & give a relatively comfortable, air-conditioned ride for its two occupants.
My dad had a '79 and my uncle had a '74. Loved those cars. My uncle kept up with his '74 til he died in 2011.
I just recently bought a 59 square bird. I love the car I've only ever seen one other one like it and that was when I was about 16 years old back in the 70s
What a beautiful machine. I always loved them since I was a kid. My uncle had a red one with red and white upholstery.
I saw one of these yesterday morning at St.Margaret's Bay, Kent, U.K. Open top. Red. Whitewall tyres. Looked brand new, immaculate. Came down the steep hill, paused for a few moments at the bottom, slowly turned round and went back up hill. The two guys in it could have parked the car for free in the pub car park and had a drink (great views out to sea), but evidently they just wanted to drive.
Fuller version: I've realised who the passenger was now, lol: ''On Sunday (yesterday, 6th October 2019),, at about 2p.m., I saw a red open top Thunderbird come down the last part of the steep, winding hill into St.Margaret's Bay, Kent, England. Two men were in the front seats. The car was absolutely immaculate - it had been raining for quite a while up till 10 minutes previously, but it was bone dry, as were the occupants. The passenger looked vaguely familiar to me - obviously American, with long white straggly hair, droopy white moustache, long white straggly beard. As they slowed right down beside me, I made a thumb and forefinger circle to show how 'ace' I thought the car was, and said 'I thought this was a Daimler Dart at first' - only when I saw 'Thunderbird' emblazoned on the nearside rear fin did I realise my mistake. The passenger, who was very smiley and cheerful, said 'it's a Thunderbird.' I replied 'right - what a beauty.' As the car slowly turned round, I thought they were looking for somewhere to park, so suggested they use 'the pub car park - it's free.' It was right beside them. Someone else near me waved to them, and the car started back up the hill, the passenger waving cheerily. It's only today that I realise who he was - David Crosby.''
My uncle had a white with black vinyl top 64' T Bird with black interior like the one in this video, a very rich & classy car.😎
I have owned many Birds, but the one I love and own is the 50th Anniversary 2005. Great fun to drive.
I saw Sammy Davis Jr in traffic driving a 59'T Bird in Sacramento ca. back in the day..👍
1962 Thunderbirds are Go!
I owned a 1994 with the then brand new 4.6-Liter V8. Lotsa power and you better have good rubber, that rearend can catch you by surprise! I could see the ressurection of the Thunderbird running fully battery electric! It'd be fast and the platform would be well suited to the Ford standard electric platform. Of course, two wheel versions should run the rear wheels by default. Would REALLY like to see what Ford could do with it!
1958 4-seater was a great idea for sales while abandoning what may have been a great move to offer both a 2-seater and the new 4-seater. The 2 seater would have survived for great competition to the Corvette.
Can you imagine a 4 seater Corvette? I like the 2-seater Mustang original.
The 57 was the absolute best of the crop/
@William Kiene I had a red 1959 convertible, that I paid $450.00 in 1966. It was a 430 engine, (who knew) just another Thunderbird. I drove it to Fla. to start a new job teaching H.S. biology. One year later I gave it to my mother, cause I was buying a used Jaguar. She didn't like it, too low and too big, traded it on a new. PINTO. OMG.
It was but I like the "Big car" it became in the 60s
The fastest of the old models. It was the racer of the group
You are right, then its "Pregnancy" should have been aborted.
My favorite is the 62 black Ext. and Int. convertible. Occasionally you can see one on the old Perry Mason reruns. Cool looking ride.
And I love my 2003 Tbird
I like Thunderbirds. My issue with the last models were the price was too high for me to afford.
All look .... people want more .... exclusivity through price range had better produce something special ...tbird did not .
I had a 67 4-door, black top over white, then much later a 91, red with gray interior. Liked both, but looking back I liked the 59 and 64 best. I drive an 06 Audi A4 cabriolet now.
I have owned a 63 and a 64, the 64 is probably my favorite T-Bird. In the future would love to find a 72 to 76 big bird, even if they were more Lincoln Mark IV than Thunderbird, I like them and remember them as a young man in the 70's. As someone else said this past over the late 60's early 70's birds, would like to see more about them.
I thought those T-Birds looked like Lincolns a few years.
My favorites were the '56 and '59 T-Birds.
When I was a kid, my dad had a big black 74, loved the red int.
Best years?
The 61 thru 63.
Nothing produced by Ford ever since has been that good.
Yes I agree great styling, the interior is amazing and those jet engine tailights.
@@V8_screw_electric_cars
Back in 1982, I found a 62' Thunderbird, it was Ford "Oxford white" with a black interior, and wire wheels.
One of that times problems was the
"Ford 'o' matic"
Transmission.
It was found on a steep driveway in front of it's owners garage.
It would not shift into reverse.
He couldn't move it to even open his garage doors.
Believe it or not
he was asking $1000.00 for it.
( I was prepared to pay $5000.00!)
I whipped out the cash, we signed the papers and I towed out with my truck.
In 10 minutes it was mine.
After a newer C6 trany, and a good wash and wax it was running again like it was brand new.
We ( my wife and I) drove that car for 10 years.
It was a mistake to sell it for $20,000 dollars.
It still it the prettiest car in the world.
T
I second that since I own one myself. It’s sad how it never got the attention it deserved. Even in documentaries like this one, they only talk about it for like 30 seconds before moving on.
They should have put fins and rocket tail lights on that last design.
I loved the 61 - 63 styling.
Got me a ‘63 :)
In my view 60 was the ultimate bird i have a 66cvt.
T Birds 64-66 cannot be beat. Then came the 429 Thunderjet 69. After that it became another cool car reflecting the economic instability of the day.
Another great informative video thank u
Thank you. Much appreciated.
Isn't it funny that the T-Birds that sold the most are not the ones people want to collect.
I always loved the T-Birds, so much so I owned a '57, '59, '63, '74 (aka a Lincoln Mark 4 without the "Continental Pack"), and finally an '89 Super Coupe
The 1958-60 Thunderbird was a design milestone and set the standard for car design well into the 1980s. The two -seater Thunderbirds have been overly romanticized. The two seaters were dropped because they did not sell.
The Ford Thunderbird, the car that couldn't decide on what body style to stick with. Me the first ones are what they should of stayed with.
Personally, I like the 1961 model the best, mainly because it emphasized a "grand touring" role more so than a full-on sports car. At the same time, it looked MUCH more sleek than the preceding 1958-60 generation. I've never cared too much about outright performance anyway.
Magnificent is the word.
The 1972-1976 was extremely successful. They sold almost 100,000 in 1973 alone. Far more than the original generation Thunderbird.
For the 2001 car, look at the international team design at 22:10 compared to the accepted version favored by the "focus group" at 22:20. The one that was shot down has a Ferrari look with stylish headlights reminiscent of the '58 T-bird. The winner has a boring, tired look that ultimately failed. The lessons to be learned are: Focus groups can be a horrible way to judge success of a product, or arrogant Ford styling execs ignored the better design in order to have their way. I would like to see the side profile and rear end of the international design.
I'm with you.
That's what you get when designed by committee
You'd think Ford would learn that lesson by then. Remember the Edsel?
I guess I'm in the minority, but I think the new T-Bird is a beauty.
There’s also the unspoken prevailing mindset of American made cars can’t look European. The exterior and interior styling is far superior to anything American made, but it can’t look European. So the big swooping curves, large empty spaces, fake, cheap materials , and squeaks and rattles from the poor build quality, are all willingly accepted as being American. A low bar has been set, that American buyers and the auto companies perpetuate.
There’s a reason german and Asian car companies sell well here. They build better products. Especially the pricier luxury models.
I had 2 T-Birds. A'65 and a '69. The '65 had some cool features. Swing away steering wheel and sequential turn signals, five on each side, infinitely adjustable wipers and wrap around back seat etc. The '69 was nice but nothing special.
I own a 1985 T Bird and loved it
I owned a 64 bird. I think it had the best chrome of all years. I thought about the "newer" model, but the reviews were disappointing.
What is the classic reverse wedge shape? 23:40
The front is a little higher than the rear
I love America for it vibrant attitude towards life and its no nonsense life style ...however, quality and sophistication is not one ... I am octogenarian old codger ...real sports cars are Italian ...they are sleek, elegant, temperamental and need a lot of attention ...I remember 'them' days when an E Type Jaguar has four carburetors ... aligning / tuning them required patience, knowledge and skill ...the worst was that they never stayed tuned ...there were Morgan, Lotus and Stag ...yes, those were the days ...
Americans can make cars with elegance and quality if they want to, thank you very much.
American classic that bloated into a heavy estate. The 80s turbo Lima was a breath of fresh air but it died as Ford let the brand suffer
I owned a 1957 and a 1962 T BIRD, loved both of them, they were sleek and sporty and fast. Ford made Gabi mistake turning away from the sporty look and ruined it. Now the sporty look is back--finally !
I owned '66, '70, and '77 Thunderbirds. When Ford announced the new bird I waited... and waited. The birds finally hatched, but there were big problems. The price was much higher than had been rumored - plus, more than sticker, and they were sold out. I spent a little more and bought a Mercedes SLK32 AMG. Sadly, my flight of T-Birds has ended.
50s TBird is the best TBird. The first real American Sports Roadster...
The mid to late 1960's T-Bird model had a formidable range and quality. My question to the American Ford Company is: "What in the hell went wrong with your thinking regarding this car and why?"
I would love to have a Daniel in my life, so cute and masculine at the same time, I wonder how well endowed he is!!!
Personally, I like the 1961 model the best, mainly because it emphasized a "grand touring" role more so than a full-on sports car. At the same time, it looked MUCH more sleek than the preceding 1958-60 generation. I've never cared too much about outright performance anyway.
The 63 had more body style than 61 and 62s my first car was a 63 Thunderbird!
Nice history. But now no more Thunderbird and I can't imagine Ford bringing back a 2-seat car since they are going to stop selling regular cars in USA and the Mustang continues to sell well.
The smart folks have the 55-57 Birds....they continue to increase in value. Of course the 2002-2005 has its fans, so they may eventually become collectible. Good used ones are quite a bargain compared to what they originally sold for.
While there is merit to what you're saying, I like the 1961 model the best. Mainly because it emphasized a "grand touring" role more so than a full-on sports car. At the same time, it looked MUCH more sleek than the preceding 1958-60 generation. I've never cared too much about outright performance anyway.
My favored t birds are 64 tru 66
Thanks for this fabulous retrospective. I hope that the next iteration will be even more exciting, a higher roof with better headroom that the 2002 New T Bird, and hopefully the next will include a model with the sheer swank of the 1967 4 door. There is no reason why there couldn't be a range of different style versions under the Thunderbird name. If Ford is able to revive it, Ford would be wise to give it the quality and model variety seen in Duesenberg, Marmon, Pierce-Arrow and other makes that put quality as "job one".
McNamara was a heartless beast
See McNamara's Morons per the Viet Nam War
There were some very elaborate T-bird designs over the decades, but the most iconic styles were the original and the square birds. Ford could successfully market a retro Bird based on a futuristic square bird design with Mustang Coyote 5L power plants.
I've got a 2005 50th Anniversary and it's just a great car .
55, 57, 61-63, 64-66, 77-79 and the 01-05 for me.
4:39 The nimble, smart and economical Henry J...Why not stop by your Kaiser-Frazer dealer for a test drive today?
The Thunderbird was not made as a true sports car like the Corvette. The two-seater was not going to last very long because of low sales. They did the right thing making it a personal luxury car. It needs to be brought back as a technological flagship car for Ford.
I Ran a 56 T Bird to 145 Mph , It was a 3 Speed with Overdrive ,
james adams...what'd it have under the hood, the 312? If so, that was a good, under appreciated power plant. My Uncle had a 57 Thunderbird with a pumped up 312....it actually came stock with two 4bbl carbs on a cast iron high rise intake, some "Special Edition" T-Bird, though I can't recall it's designation, it was a beautiful rig.....
Stock 312 !
I am waving the shenanigans flag. That car made 202 horsepower and weighs over 3100 lbs. My buddy had one that had a 1966 merc 410 wedged into it and a ton of mods and we could barely get to 136 at El mirage dry lake in the late 1990s. in stock form it was probably 110 with a tail wind pushing it along.
I don't think anyone realizes that car was about as aerodynamic as a brick and made terrible power numbers. even with horrific freeway gearing the car just couldn't power through the air.
damn I am a pretty good guesser 108mph can't tell I have broke a few speed laws at 2am lol
www.automobile-catalog.com/make/ford_usa/thunderbird_1gen/thunderbird_1gen_convertible/1956.html
1987 t bird 5,0 litre was the last Nice es t bird fast and handling , sporty and luxury
my 93 V8 TBird disagrees with you
The Only Beautiful T Birds were the 55 , 56 and 57 , They Ruined it When they Went to the Larger Body in 58 , My Friend Had a new 58 , He said it Was a Dog !!
The Corvette was not the first American sports car after the war. Nash in 1951 came out with the "Nash Healey", the Cunningham C3 came out in '52. But Crosley beat them all by introducing the "Hotshot" in 1949.
All you folks forget the amazing Chrysler 300. The business mans jet. Blew the pants off of the new Corvette and T bird. And it was a four door.
Killer
@@matadorman78 The Studebaker Golden Hawk could easily toe the line with MoPar's best though in that era.
The 70's, & 80's T-bird were ugly, but what the heck were they thinking with the last one? It was about as exciting as a bar of soap!
Ford always had a habit of building half a sports car and then redesigning it into a luxury barge. GM had the guts to build a sports care and maintain its sporting nature. That's why the Corvette still exists and the T-Bird became a dodo bird.
i still own a 65 t bird
the new two seaters are getting very collectible now
Meh. With EVs the future these cars values will tank SOON especially with the people that bought them dying off. Same thing with Vintage Guitar values. 🗺
Evidence? Mecum and Barrett-Jackson - steady decline for past 10 years...... unless you have VW Microbus' from early 60's that is.....🚌
interesting thought, I sold my classic mustang because I couldnt stand the smell of the carbed motor anymore, after 25 yrs, great if its cheap enough, lots of artwork in the older cars , lost today , had a mint classic 56 t bird go by me as I rode my bike the other day, darn near pure fuel coming out the exhaust, thats why I believe the newest two seater will go up at least a bit more in value.
Maybe. But I doubt it. As we baby boomers die off nobody will care and it will be too expensive for too little pay-off.
cuda426hemi I can really see that with a early fender Stratocaster lol
All it takes for something to become valuable is for demand to out do supply, I am only 39 and I would sport the hell out of a "squarebird" if I could afford one.
I don't see the values getting hurt anytime soon with the classic car hobby as a whole because everyone that likes to tinker or just wants to be different owns an old car. I daily drive my 1973 Continental because it is relatively fast, it is a blast to drive and just looks great in a sea of modern jellybean cars and crappy front drive SUVs
c 21:00, they stole the egg-crate grille from the Corvette, unless someone remembers a Thunderbird with that grille. I liked the T bird. I don't like GM. But what was is what was. BTW, the 64 thru 66 Thunderbirds were very nice cars. I would say they were the best. Not of the Thunderbirds, but of all the cars on the road in the US at the time or since. The public failed to appreciate them. The public is fickle and idiotic.
I love...
correction. There was a Turbo model in 1983. I had one. Better car than it had any business being.
Turbo coupes began in 83, not 86. Weird they missed that
One word... Thundercougarfalconbird.
Most interesting.
in 58 they should have sold both, 2 and 4 seaters. that would have changed everything
Same thing with the Mustang. I would buy a two-seat Mustang.
Very well done docu. I agree with Rick J, the European version looks much better, maybe if they had gone with that... ? A shame FORD blew the revival.
To me it feels like Ford throws up the bird to see what works and whats left of the corpse is fed to the other Ford cars. The bird sounds like a phoenix instead of a thunderbird.
It sounds like the Thunderbird started out with promise in ‘54 but devolved over time, struggling for an identity. Meanwhile, almost 70 years later the Corvette marches on.
I had a 1964 T-Bird that was great. In 1975 I bought a '73 with the 460. It was a classy Mark IV and I loved it. In 1999 I bought a 1996 model, but this T-bird was a huge disappointment.
Sadly, you skipped over the fabulous 10th generation birds. They are superior when compared to the 11th generation retro birds. The retros are actually longer than the 10th gen., and who wants a Volvo engine in a Ford? The 1996-97 birds with the 4.6 will blow the doors off of the retro birds. Plus, the 10th gen. birds are NASCAR friendly.
I had a 96 V8 and every Monte Carlo would try to run me, I wouldnt bother cause after all , they were front drive replicas, you could tell they were upset over their set up. mine handled great.
When I searched for one of those 97's, I couldn't find a nice one. I wound up 'settling' for a beautiful Mark VIII.
They should’ve brought it back as an SUV
I'll take a 57 with the port hole please.
yes best looking ford ever......maybe best looking car of the 50s
Just build em like the original 57!!!
The new T-Bird wasn’t pretty, but so were other cars like the Cayman, the Boxster, The TT, the Miata etc. the 40k $$$ price tag had a lot to do with poor sales I think. Small, underpowered and pricey don’t match well with the words “American car”
I had a Champagne beige 1963 bird
Beast!
Compared to the style of the 48 Tucker, most classic American cars pale in comparison.
I WISHD ID HAD 4 THUNDEBRIRDS 2 RED ONES 2 GREEN ONES
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Any of the #'s matching First Generation 'Birds are fetching some high dollars these days.
I was a big T Bird fan. I had a red 65 Convertable and currently own a 57 Thunderbird. I never liked the style of the new little T Bird. That front end. The headlights and no bumper. Rounded tail lights and no fins? What is a T Bird without whitewall tires? I have talked to owner's who have them and like them. That is perfectly fine.
ya ya.... the new design(s) were just a way to make a smaller, lighter, less expensive to manufacture car. And that's exactly what they did everytime they redesigned it. Everytime!
I think that is neat. I wonder what a mid engine Thunderbird would look like?
They did but turn to other ford like gt 40 somewhat
Ford Phoenix 2030 75th anniversary edition Ford Thunderbird
The 1958-60 "square birds" had the same disappearing top as the 1961-63 Birds. Good grief, who writes this crap??? And the "swing-away" wheel started in 1961 not 1966. Sheeesh!!
"Who writes....?" Answer: The preparer of this video didn't know his cars. This is definately not a source video, so just enjoy the pictures and have a good day. Better still, cut the volume off so it won't distract your viewing!
My dad had a white 58, a red with the white top 59, and then a light yellow 60. He would give the previous car to my mom. Then an off-white 61 and then a silver-blue mink 63 with the tonneau cover and wire wheels. The problem with the tops if you did use them the motorized screw to hold it down would stick which was a problem since the spare was in the trunk. Required a rachet, extension, and socket carried under the seat.Acess was remove a nut under the car.
the Turbo Coup should've had a 250 or 300ci straight 6.
The 4 Cylinder only made it as powerful as the v8. A turbocharged six cylinder would have been much more powerful.
Mui bueno me gustaria ver videos del modlo1979
Thunder bird the Phoniex rising on a car.
Jack Nasser came from Ford Australia !
In the shadow of the Corvette, Ford responded with the Thunderbird. Why didn't Chrysler also respond with a comparable?
I think Chrysler was cash strapped. Which is too bad because they were working with Italian designers and probably would have build something stunning.
55 300e cvt.w 2 fours was there sport cars. Chrysler .
Was a Pina farina too .
Really? Look at the 1955 Chrysler Falcon ( thats right F A L C O N) designed by V. Exner. They were ready to produce it then saw Chevrolet Corvette disastrous sales and its possible discontinuation of the car, and yes Chrysler ran scared. They never forgot the Airflow, and backed off advanced styling design.
They had been losing money and consolidating- the DeSoto had just been dropped and they weren't looking to expand into the limited 'American Sports Car' market. One major marketing mistake at that point would have sent them into the sinking boat of Kaiser, Nash, Packard, Studebaker, and all the other small US car manufacturers of the era so they were playing it safe until they regained their financial footing. They did beat the rest into the 'Personal Luxury Car' market with the 300, which was actually faster than the T-Bird and Corvette, but too costly to compete directly with them. Their day was coming when they brought out the 426 Hemi; a game-changer for everyone into going fast.
Ford always came out on top- they basically beat the shit out of gm in the engineering and looks department over and over and over again-
The only "KILLER" the "general"had was the CHEVY- always a beauty- never made a bad looking ride- amazing- even caddy couldnt do that-
"Chevrolet never made a bad looking ride" - the 1958 sedan line, the 1973 sedan line, and the entire C4 Corvette series would like a word with you.
The last T Birds should of had a V8, and more room inside plus more stylish taillights that didn't look like taken off a VW Bug, kinda cheesie
But other than that I think it was a nice looking car..🙄
The latest Thunderbird looked like a Smurf Car.
@silverbird58 Glad to hear that I love the older birds. Ford got off track with their design team. Had to hock everything, including their emblem to finally turn things around. Too much family.