The T-Bird quickly became popular with racing enthusiasts, they were a staple of 1950s and 1960s drag racing.įord produced the second generation of the Thunderbird from 1958–1960, and in 1959 Ford gave the T-Bird its first big-block V8 engine, a 430 cid V8 making 350 horsepower and 490 lb-ft of torque. The Thunderbird vastly outsold the Corvette even though they sold for similar prices. Ford created the Thunderbird to compete with the Chevrolet Corvette that General Motors had released a few years earlier in 1953. Available engines were either a 292 or 312 cid V8, and in 1957 a supercharger was added to increase horsepower and torque. The first generation of the Thunderbird lasted from 1955–1957. In 1967, Ford brought out the first four-door T-Bird in history, which was very successful at first, but sales soon slumped. Originally, Ford only made the Thunderbird available as a two-door convertible with a removable fiberglass top, but soon they added a Rayon-top option, and in 1958 Ford introduced a four-seater version. The Thunderbird sold well, almost eclipsing 100,000 cars annually for a few model years. The first six generations of the Ford Thunderbird spanned 22 model years from 1955–1976. Make sure to check out our other article for the 1977–2005 Ford Thunderbird. This article will cover the first six generations of the Thunderbird, from 1955–1976. From 1968–1971, Ford released the ThunderJet variant, which was essentially a muscle car with its 429 cid V8 engine pumping out 360 horsepower and almost 500 lb-ft of torque. The 1950s T-Birds are some of the most recognizable American cars of all-time, with their classic tailfins and headlights. It did make one last comeback from 2002–2005 for an 11th generation, but Ford has since retired the moniker again.Īlso known as the “T-Bird,” in 1957 the Thunderbird became one of the first production cars with a factory equipped supercharger. ![]() The original run of the Thunderbird lasted for 10 generations from the 1955–1997 model years, before Ford briefly halted production. First introduced for the 1955 model year, Ford marketed the Thunderbird as a personal luxury car that featured outstanding performance from big-block V8s. Thank you for looking.Spanning 50 years, the Ford Thunderbird is one of the most iconic cars in American history. Call or e-mail if interested, or to make a reasonable offer. Be sure to check out all the photos and video on our website. It is an awesome looking and equally awesome running vehicle. You will be hard pressed to find another third-generation thunderbird this well-cared for. The original wheels, original manual, shop manual, car cover, receipts, extra keys and extra parts are all included with the sale. The wheels and tires are not original, although we think they make the stance of the car look fantastic. Recent work includes steering box rebuild, transmission filter and oil, new complete exhaust, water pump, front-end alignment and tune-up. Mechanically, this car could drive to California and back without hesitation. The transmission and rear end are also original. It is powered by the original, numbers matching 390ci/300hp V8 mated to the column-shifting automatic Cruise-O-Matic transmission with rear-wheel drive. It is finished in the factory Raven Black (code A) over the original Black Vinyl (code 56) interior, and it has been repainted. The car has just under 53,000 original miles. ![]() He is just the third owner and has traced the car back to its original owner from Detroit, Michigan. This 1961 Ford Thunderbird 2-Door Coupe has been the beloved summer cruiser of a local classic car mechanic for the past 15 years. Offered here is one of the cleanest and coolest classic cars we've had for sale, at a very affordable price point.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |