In today's episode of Tony's Fords and Mustangs we're going to talk about the
first generation Thunderbird. This was a car that was manufactured from 1955 through 1957. It was
an answer to Chevrolet's Corvette. Which was an answer to the European sports cars that became
popular in America. post-war era. The Thunderbird proved to be more suitable to the American public
than the Corvette outselling it 16-1 in 1955. It became the flagship for Ford Motor Company.
Its sales success was unquestioned. So why in 1958 did Ford redesign the Thunderbird, lengthen
it, make it bigger, add a rear seat? Well I'm going to definitively answer that question for you at
the end of the video but let's first dive into everything first gen Thunderbird. Henry Ford II
reaches out to a former General Motors executive Crusoe, no not that guy, Luis Crusoe to help him
develop a new car in order to compete with the Corvette. Crusoe works with Ford's chief
designer Frank Hershey to create the Thunderbird. It's dubbed a personal car of distinction by Ford.
It's lightweight for the time and boasts a standard V8 engine. Now the Thunderbird
is focused more on driver comfort than speed. It was not really a rival to the Corvette or the European
sports cars of the day. It was more of a Grand Touring Car and this would be Ford's first GT.
From Ford's Styling and Engineering center in Dearborn Michigan comes another Ford first.
A car designed for those who appreciate the distinctive and personal transportation. The
new Ford Thunderbird. The Thunderbird features an extra wide power adjusted seat cushioned
with foam rubber. A telescopic steering column that lets you tailor the wheel position to suit
your own driving preference, and chrome frame safety glass windows power operated if you like.
To protect you against weather there's a smart convertible top available and a sleek hardtop
that lifts on or off with ease. When you drive the steel body beauty you'll feel an exciting surge of
power, trigger torque power for beneath the hood is the Thunderbird special y-block V8 engine.
Like the thoroughbred it is, the Thunderbird responds to the slightest touch of your toe.
See your Ford dealer tomorrow and ask about the new Ford Thunderbird. Ford unveiled the 1955
Thunderbird at the Detroit Auto Show on February 20th 1954. The first production car came off the
assembly line on September 9th 1954, and went on sale in October of 1954 as a 55 model. It sold quickly
3,500 orders were placed in the first 10 days. Ford planned to sell only 10,000 units however
16,155 cars were sold with a listed retail price of $2,944 that would be the equivalent to around
thirty five thousand dollars today. The Thunderbird came standard with a removable fiberglass top a
fabric convertible top was a common option. The engine was Ford's 292 cubic inch V8. The
exhaust pipes exited through twin bumper guards bolted to the rear bumper. The car used existing
chassis and suspension designs from off-the-shelf Ford components. It was constructed using the body
on frame technique utilizing a version of the standard Ford design cut down to a 102 inch wheelbase.
Available transmissions were either the Fordimatic automatic, or manual overdrive transmissions. The
car featured four-way power seats, push button interior door handles, a telescoping steering
wheel, and a tachometer. It was designed to be a touring car and not a sports car. It was quite
capable however attaining speeds of 100 to 115 miles per hour depending on the transmission. Ford
presents the newest version of an automotive classic. The Ford Thunderbird for 1956.
You'll recognize the beauty of lime that in only one year has won the heart of all America. For the
1956 model year more trunk space was added the spare wheel was mounted outside the rear
bumper. The exhaust tips were moved to the ends of the bumper and air vents were added behind
the front wheels to improve cabin ventilation. To improve rear quarter visibility, with the
removable hardtop in place, porthole windows were available as a no-cost option. A 312 cubic
inch V8 was added as an option. Production total for 1956 was 15,631 units.
These are the Thunderbirds United States Air Force jet demonstration team. Their F-100 Super Sabers
are powered by Brad and Whitney j-57 engines manufactured by the Ford aircraft engine division.
Now here are three more super performers from Ford. The 1957 Ford Thunderbirds. You're looking at the
latest version of America's most talked about car. For 57 Ford has shaped the classic Thunderbird
profile into a completely fresh completely distinctive style all its own. New swept back
tail fins and the longer rear deck add elegance to its lower than ever lines. These new dimensions
give you more luggage room too even with a spare tire inside you get more luggage space than last
year. You know there's not another car like it in America. The 1957 Thunderbird saw few changes. The
front bumper was reshaped, the grille and tail fins were made larger, and larger tail lights
were added. The spare wheel was moved back inside the trunk which had been redesigned to allow it to
be mounted vertically. The side Thunderbird script was moved from the fins to the front fenders. A new
option was the dilematic four-way power seat that would move rearward when the ignition was turned
off to allow for easier exit and entry. In addition to the standard 292 and the optional 312 V8 engine
two higher performance versions of the 312 were offered. One being a dual four barrel configuration
or one could opt for a supercharged version that boosted performance to over 300 horsepower. 1957
sales were 21,380, this included three months of extra production because the 1958 models were late.
The 1957 Thunderbird was the last two-seater Ford sold until the 1982 Ford EXP. So why did
Ford lengthen the 1958 Thunderbird and add a rear seat? Well you can thank Robert McNamara
for that and by the way Henry Ford II actually did thank him. Now here's a side note to Robert
Robert McNamara. He was part of a group that Henry Ford II brought into modernize things at Ford. To
elevate the company. They brought in new techniques such as computers for the first time. They used
spreadsheets to look at trends and these are things that today we consider pretty commonplace
but in the mid 50s it was revolutionary. One of the trends that McNamara saw was that the
Thunderbird was being held back by the lack of a rear seat at least that's what his spreadsheets
told him. So he added one and lengthened the car and the result, the next three years they sold 200,000
Thunderbirds. That's four times what they had sold in the previous three years.
So for Ford this was an overwhelming success story. It also developed a new car line the
personal luxury car. That was something that became very popular in the 50s 60s 70s into the
80s and into the 90s. Now we don't see that car line anymore, it's one of my personal favorites,
it's unfortunate they're no longer around. Now if you like this video please give it a thumbs up
that way other people can see it. Also maybe check out this video over here it's on the Ford Torino
that was a very popular personal luxury car in the late 60s early 70s. That video goes over all
the options features and models. So thanks for watching until next time. we'll see you.