Thunderbird car 50s driver#
Thunderbird car 50s manual#
Thunderbird car 50s windows#

Cole answered, “It’s the new sports car built by Chevrolet.” “What’s a Corvette?” the photographer asked. He sent a note that read, “How would you like to take a ride in my Corvette?” When Cole read it, he called the photographer and invited him to take a ride in his new Corvette. Scott, a photographer in the public relations department, came up with the name Corvette and wanted to “sell” the name to the head of the project team, Ed Cole…in a unique way. How that name came to be “the one” is a good story.Īs legend goes, Myron E. The names for both the Corvette and the Thunderbird weren’t known until well into their development.Ĭorvette: A corvette is/was the name of a sleek, fast American WWII transport ship that was instrumental in chasing down German U-boats. In the early months of 1955, Snowshoe White and Goldenrod Yellow were made available. Just three colors were offered on the first Thunderbirds: Raven Black, Torch Red, and Thunderbird Blue. October 22, 1954, Thunderbird hits the public showroom floorįord had anticipated sales of 10,000 Thunderbirds-in actuality, more than 16,000 T-Birds were sold in 1955. The price tag? Around $3,490.ĭebut of the Thunderbird: February 20, 1954. To this day, all Corvettes have been produced with a composite-material body.Įvery Corvette produced in 1953 came with a Polo White exterior and a red interior.

Of course, the revolutionary body construction of those first Corvettes was the most distinguishing feature of the car, rolled out in 1953 with a revolutionary all-fiberglass body. The number of Corvettes produced the next year was 3,640, over 10 times more. Chevrolet decided to put out a limited production run of 300 Corvettes just six months later. Reaction to the new sports car was enthusiastic, with thousands of people eager to buy the new car as soon as they could get it. The automotive showcase, independent of the annual auto show at that same time of year, was held at New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel. As the baby boom continued, by 1958, the Thunderbird grew to include a back seat on an all-new frame and body style, making the 1957 model the final 2-seater Ford for the next 25 years.January 17, 1953: Corvette takes the stage for the first timeĬorvette made its debut as a prototype concept vehicle at General Motors’ own Motorama in New York City on January 17, 1953. Despite having bench-style seats, only 2 adults fit in the Thunderbird. Power-assisted steering made the car more friendly for casual and city driving. In the top range “F” models, a centrifugal supercharger boosted performance to over 300 hp but only 500 were made.įord fitted 1957 models with wire-spoked wheels with white sidewall tires along with rear fender skirts, giving the appearance of a bigger more luxurious car.

Thunderbird car 50s manual#

Ford boosted the power with a 312 cubic inch engine option with twin 4-barrel carburetors combined with either an automatic transmission or 3-speed manual with overdrive on just 1500 “E” spec cars, such as this Starmist Blue example. These made up the vast majority of the 21,380 cars sold in 1957. Supplied on the base model T-Bird was a 290 cubic inch V8 mated to a 3-speed manual transmission, noted with a “D” designation on the car’s VIN.

Superior engine power came with 3 different V8 options offered to buyers on the Ford. While adding weight, the hard roof made road trips quieter and dryer while bodywork made completely of steel gave the car a more solid feel when compared to the ‘Vette.

Thunderbird car 50s windows#

Unlike the Corvette, the first generation of Thunderbirds lacked a retractable soft roof with only a removable hardtop with “port” style side windows to keep out the elements. The car grew 6” longer too, as the trunk was extended to accommodate a spare tire that previously had been attached externally to the rear bumper. Larger tail fins rounded “jet engine” styled taillights, and a bigger front grill were part of the model year restyling in 1957.

Thunderbird car 50s driver#

Ford took a great risk in the development of a 2-seater car as market trends leaned towards larger and heavier cars for the open road, but by utilizing a V8 engine and user-friendly options, the Thunderbird reached a much larger audience due to its superior long-distance abilities and driver amenities. Entering the market in 1955, by the third year of production, the T-Bird was outselling its Chevrolet rival 10 to 1 with several V-8 engine options and styling matching the larger Ford models. One of the longest sports cars built in the 1950s.ĭespite Ford’s long history of offering practical transportation, the Ford Thunderbird of the mid-1950s answered the demand for a V8-powered 2-seater roadster that could take on the Chevrolet Corvette and European sports car imports that were popular with returning war veterans.