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66 thunderbird interior design12/8/2023 Jet Age styling cues, especially inside, set the 1964-66 Thunderbirds apart from the competition and continue to captivate enthusiasts and collectors today. Thunderbird sales remained strong, despite significant internal competition from the newly introduced Mustang after mid-1964. Some innovations intended for the new Thunderbird line were delayed for the launch year and only reached production by 1965, including standard front disc brakes and eye-catching sequential rear turn-signal indicators, which finally overcame approval delays in certain states. HIGH POINT OF MID-1960S AUTOMOBILE DESIGNįollowing the 1961-63 Bullet Bird, the fourth-generation 1964-66 Ford Thunderbird lineup was informally known as the Flair Bird or Glamor Bird for good reason, sporting handsome, all-new styling. Since the 50th model-year anniversary coincided with the end of the current generation, the 2005 limited-edition anniversary models were expected to become collector's items.ORIGINAL SINGLE-FAMILY NORTH CAROLINA CARįACTORY A/C, P/B, P/S, TILT-AWAY STEERINGįRONT BUCKET SEATS & CONSOLE, SEQUENTIAL TAIL LIGHTS Later refinements included additional horsepower and an optional five-speed transmission that shifted like a manual transmission but without a clutch.įor 2004, new interior amenities and colors echoed the relaxed look of the original in a distinctly modern interpretation. Power and Associates for initial quality and "things gone right" based on owner surveys. Awards included "Car of the Year" from Motor Trend magazine (for a record fourth time) and a "Best in Class" ranking from J.D. Thunderbird made its regular production debut on January 8, 2001, returning as a two-seat, rear-wheel-drive, V-8-powered convertible 2002 roadster, a modern throwback to the original. Thunderbird was reborn as a concept car in 1999. Over the next three decades, Thunderbird's fortunes ebbed and flowed with changing consumer tastes, and the company suspended production after the 1997 model year. Design changes for '66 included a single rear taillight across the width of the car. A new Thunderbird emblem replaced the Thunderbird lettering. The interior featured a new "Flight Deck" instrument panel meant to evoke an aircraft cockpit. Thunderbird received a fourth redesign for 1964, with a longer hood, shorter roof and sculpted rear deck with large, rectangular taillights. In 1963, the company offered a Special Limited Edition Landau in tribute to Monaco's Princess Grace-2,000 vehicles that were all white, with white leather interiors and maroon vinyl tops. Kennedy was so impressed that he included 50 in his 1961 inaugural procession. The 1961 T-Bird sported a rounded silhouette and grille design, giving it a bullet-like appearance. An immediate success, the car was named Motor Trend magazine's "Car of the Year." Bullet Birds, 1961-63 Nicknamed "Squarebird" for its angular lines, the 1958 T-Bird was a full two feet longer and had a wider door opening than any car on the market. With the postwar baby boom continuing, the company dropped the two-passenger T-Bird for a roomier four-passenger model. The porthole hardtop endured as a Thunderbird signature. T-Bird's distinctive spare tire mounting and porthole windows were introduced in 1956. This first generation of T-Birds had a 102-inch wheelbase, an overall length of 175.2 inches and a 292-cubic-inch, V-8 engine (193 horsepower with the manual transmission and 198 horsepower with the automatic). More than 4,000 orders waited as the first '55 T-Birds rolled off the line at the Dearborn Assembly Plant on October 22, 1954. Over 50 years, more than 4.25 million T-Birds were sold. That year, Ford Thunderbird celebrated its golden anniversary with a 50th anniversary, limited-edition 2005 model. It went on hiatus after the 1997 model year, but returned in 2001 as a retro-styled roadster.Įarly in 2005, Ford Motor Company announced that it would put the legendary Thunderbird nameplate back into the company's future-product vault after the 2005 model year. ![]() ![]() During the next five decades, Thunderbird went through several design changes with coupes, sedans, convertibles, hardtops, and mid-size and large-size configurations. This was the start of a legend that would grow with each generation. ![]() In October 1954, the Ford Thunderbird went on sale as a 1955 model.
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