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Dec 03, 2023

10 Awesome Things That You Didn't About The Ford Thunderbird

The Ford Thunderbird is an iconic car built to destroy the Corvette, but times

The Ford Thunderbird is an iconic car built to destroy the Corvette, but times have changed, and the T-Bird has been put to bed!

The Ford Thunderbird is one of the most iconic cars that Ford has ever made. The idea of the two-seater Thunderbird began long before 1955 when the first model was sold on the market. The problem at that time was that sports car sales were so low that it did not make logical sense to create one. In fact, the sales were so low that Ford turned its attention away from the T-Bird and towards the Ford Custom Deluxe, which was in line with the market's demand. As time went on, the needs of consumers changed, and after Chevy began selling the Corvette, Ford knew that they had to join the fray with the new Ford Thunderbird.

During WWII, the troops from America got to see some of the best sports in the world, which were overseas at that time. Many car manufacturers in the States began drawing up plans to duplicate European sports cars' success. The Chevrolet Corvette was the first of the kind to be released onto the market in 1953, capturing the hearts and pocketbooks of American performance lovers. Shortly after, Ford threw in their take on the sports car, the Ford Thunderbird, which took the country by storm and changed the history of Ford forever.

The Corvette had been selling reasonably well during the first couple of years, but in 1955, Chevy only produced and sold 400 cars. On the other hand, the Ford Thunderbird that had been introduced for the '55 model year rocketed to success with the luxury car and a V-8 under the hood. Ford produced and sold 16,155 T-Birds for the year. When doing the math, this shows that the Thunderbird outsold the Corvette by 40 cars to 1. That goes to show just how popular the T-Bird was from the start.

Related: A New Ford Thunderbird Could Serve As A Direct Rival To The Chevy C8 Corvette

Naming the car was more complicated than would be thought. Ford allowed the people working for them to put in some suggestions for a name; by the end of the count, there were over 5000 suggested names. None of them fit the new sports car built with luxury in mind. The Executives from Ford then posted another request, but this time, the person who came up with the name they ended up using would get a $250 check. Alden Giberson, a Ford employee, was sitting in the breakroom one day and was hit by a solution. The Ford Thunderbird was born.

Since Ford marketed the Thunderbird a couple of years after the Corvette sprung onto the scene, they were able to learn from the mistakes that Chevy had made. The T-Bird was designed to match the current demands of the public, which is why it was such a hit. The car became as iconic as the Ford Mustang would soon become, perhaps even more so. The sports car was what the consumers wanted. For years to come, the Ford Thunderbird became the landmark that other American car manufacturers tried to match.

Related: 1957 Ford Thunderbird E-Code

At first, the Thunderbird was built as a personal luxury car. It had two seats up front and all of the amenities that would have been expected in those times. The engine was a V-8, but it was meant for performance rather than power. As the years went by and the muscle car era began, the Ford Thunderbird once again stepped up, switching out the old 5.1L Y Block and slamming a 7.0L V-8 under the hood. The once luxury performance car gained some muscle but kept all the interior components that made it a joy to drive.

Cars throughout history have been made popular by some of the most famous people of the time. History has shown that the rich and famous can propel a car's popularity to new heights, which is precisely what happened to the Ford Thunderbird. In 1961 John F. Kennedy used 50 Thunderbirds in his inaugural procession. Then in 1964, the Beach Boys sang a song, "Fun Fun Fun," that brought some serious notice to the car. After that, the car has shown itself in many movies, including the hit "American Graffiti" in 1973.

Related: 10 Classic Fords That Reshaped the Automotive Industry

Under the hood of any 11th-generation Ford Thunderbird sits a Jaguar-designed engine paired with a Ford transmission. In the first couple of years, the only engine in the T-Bird was the Jaguar AJ-30 3.9L V-8, which could produce 252 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque. In 2003, the engine was swapped out for another variant of a Jaguar motor, the AJ-35. This motor brought with it variable valve timing and electronic throttle control. This motor could pound out 286 pound-feet of torque and produce around 280 horses.

As a general rule, a sports car is supposed to be designed for one person - the driver. An extra seat thrown in the front is also acceptable, but who would have thought that a company would go beyond that idea and put some seats in the back for more passenger room. In 1956, that is what the consumers were clamoring about, so for the '58 model year, Ford complied by putting seats in the back. 1957 was the last year ever that the Ford Thunderbird was only designed for two.

Related: What If Ford Slapped The Thunderbird Name On A Mid-Engined Competitor To The Chevy C8 Corvette?

The Ford Thunderbird was designed so well as a performance car that it took to the track like it was home. 184 wins are what the Ford Thunderbird has racked up over the years in the NASCAR series. The car was perfectly designed to speed through the high banks of the corners, and on the straight stretches, it could walk away from any cars close to it. In fact, NASCAR driver Bill Elliot set the NASCAR record at Talladega for the fastest qualifying lap, which was 212.809 miles per hour.

Every great thing will come to an end, and the Ford Thunderbird is no exception. In 2005, Ford decided to scrap the T-Bird for more fuel-efficient, smaller cars that the public demanded to have. There are rumors that the Ford T-Bird may come back as a nameplate on another car, more than likely an electric version of the car that America has loved for over 65 years. Time will tell, but for now, all the Ford Thunderbird lovers need to embrace the future of cars but grasp onto any of the classics from the past.

It has been rumored that the Ford Thunderbird will be built for 2023 as a mid-engine beast designed to do one thing; beat the Chevy C8 Corvette. This is not too surprising because that was why the original 1955 Thunderbird was built, to compete with the 'Vette. Whether this happens or not is still up in the air, but Ford did trademark the Thunderbird name so keep your eyes open because there will be something coming out of the Ford production lines soon.

In 2005, the sales of the Thunderbird dropped to 9,295 which is well below the number of sales the company needs to be able to keep the car alive. Plus, it has been said by many experts in the car industry that the design of the exterior was horrible, and the lack of luxury additions inside that consumers expected from the Thunderbird. It has been said that the change in how the car looked and drove effectively killed the nameplate, but that is not always the case because once a nameplate has a place in history, it continues to rise from the ashes.

The price of the Thunderbird will vary greatly depending upon the generation and year of car that you are considering. The 2000s models can sell for up to $30,000, which is about ten grand less than you would have paid for it new. The farther back you go, the more you will pay for a car. The 1st generation cars that are the most prized of the group will run you right around $65,000 on average, but they have gone for close to $100,000. The cars in the middle will run anywhere between the two ends of the spectrum, depending on the condition and trim.

It is a common misconception that the original 1955 Ford Thunderbird is the rarest, but that is not the case. In 1957, Ford Racing Group designed and built a car that would dominate the NASCAR circuit. This is the Thunderbird that is the rarest because the company only made 15 of them, and due to damage and scrapping for parts, there are currently only eight of them in existence. The official name of the car is the Ford Thunderbird Phase One D/F Supercharged. If you get your hands on one of these cars hold on to it tightly.

The Ford Thunderbird has been around for over 65 years, and throughout that time they have gone through 11 generations. Just like every other car on the road, they had some great years, and some that were not so good. Overall the owners of the cars state that the Thunderbird is one of the most reliable cars that they have ever owned, as long as they kept up with the routine maintenance. That is the key to the life of any car, as can be seen by the bad reviews from people that did not keep up with the basic steps needed to extend the life of their cars. There have been some common complaints about electrical problems, and 15 recalls on the car. Most of these were in the 1991 and 1992 models so it may be a good idea to stay away from those two years.

Chad has been a muscle car and classic truck lover since he could walk. The classic vehicles from the '60s and '70s are the best in his eyes, but he is more than willing to give the new technology a chance!