Whereas the Corvette had been developed to compete with the sleek, fast sports cars coming out of Europe, the Thunderbird took a slightly different route – becoming the “personal luxury car” or essentially the American version of the European grand tourer. When he saw the Chevrolet Corvette unveiled at the 1953 Motorama display at the New York Auto Show he knew Ford needed a competitor, and work began immediately. Years before he started working in the White House, McNamara had helped revolutionize Ford in the years after WW2. Kennedy to be the Secretary of Defense in 1961 and would remain in the role until 1968. McNamara sounds familiar, it may be because he was later tapped by President John F. If you’re thinking that the name Robert S.
It’s one of just 15 hand-built, supercharged Thunderbirds developed for NASCAR and other competition purposes under the direct authority of Ford Division General Manager Robert S. Watch it all burn.In mid-20th century American car collector circles there are few vehicles more desirable than the car you see here. But if Ford brought the Thunderbird back as, say, an electric crossover coupe, it certainly wouldn’t stop the outcry.īut could you imagine the chaos that would ensue if Ford introduced its new Thunderbird as a battery-electric three-row crossover with 500 horsepower and 400 miles of range? Oh, the delicious schadenfreude. Past Thunderbirds have been two-door convertibles, four-seat coupes and convertibles, four-door sedans, six-passenger coupes, so you don’t quite have the same risk of purists yelling about what it is and isn’t. This begs the question: Could Ford be bringing back the Thunderbird name for a new style of vehicle? As MC&T is quick to note, Ford is keen on refreshing its trademarks on the regular and re-upped the Thunderbird trademark as recently as 2016.įord would not likely bring back the Thunderbird as a coupe, sedan, or convertible as it’s been clear on the fact that it’s done with cars not named Mustang for the time being.
This by no means confirms that the Thunderbird will rise like a phoenix from its 15-year slumber. Ford’s classic Thunderbird offered the two-seat droptop style of a car like the Corvette with a greater focus on luxury than performance. The Thunderbird is credited as the originator of the personal luxury car segment. “Say, I sure do love suburban living and this cherry Thunderbird!”įord last sold the Thunderbird in 2005 as part of the 11 th generation, which was based on the same platform as the Jaguar XF.
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