Great Cars | Thunderbird (1955)
The 1955 Ford Thunderbird was meant to fulfill the desire for a sporty American car.
1955-10-14 19:00:00 - King Rose Archives
Ford never had plans to make the T-Bird a true sports car, but it would possess the elements of a racer -- two seats, sleek styling and high performance. In two years, about 40-thousand T-Birds were sold.
Hoping to appeal to more people, Ford took the Thunderbird in another direction. It became bigger and gained a backseat. It eventually was killed by Ford and then resurrected as wonderful “Retro-Future” roadster reminiscent of the original.
Regardless of the T-Bird's design, it is one of the most durable names in US automotive history. It even spawned a revamp and once again there were cars rolling off the assembly line bearing its name.
The Ford Thunderbird continues to be a part of America's landscape.