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Happy Birthday to the Thunderbird

3K views 27 replies 15 participants last post by  Grog6 
#1 · (Edited)
According to Wikipedia:

The first production car came off the line on September 9, 1954, and went on sale on October 22, 1954 as a 1955 model. . .
The original 1955 Thunderbird!















 
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#5 · (Edited)
It's the other way around. One contributing factor to the production of the Corvette was the introduction of the Thunderbird.

From Wikipedia:

GM was seriously considering shelving the project, leaving the Corvette to be little more than a footnote in automotive history, and would have done so if not for two important events. The first was the introduction in 1955 of Chevrolet's first V8 engine (a 265 in³ {4.3 L}) since 1919, and the second was the influence of a Soviet emigré in GM's engineering department, Zora Arkus-Duntov. Arkus-Duntov simply took the new V8 and backed it with a three-speed manual transmission. That modification, probably the single most important in the car's history, helped turn the Corvette from a two-seat curiosity into a genuine performer. It also earned Arkus-Duntov the rather inaccurate nickname "Father of the Corvette."

Another key factor in the Corvette's survival was Ford's introduction, in 1955, of the two-seat Thunderbird, which was billed as a "personal luxury car", not a sports car. Even so, the Ford-Chevrolet rivalry in those days demanded that GM not appear to back down from the challenge. The "T-Bird" was changed to a four-seater in 1958.
 
#11 ·
what a tank!!! I have a rule of thumb I dont want to drive anything larger or heavier than a late model crown vic. But thats pretty pimp though, just not for me. And quite clean too, someone really took some care of it.
 
#27 ·
I was thinking the same thing! Prolly 110 max speed, though the speedo might optimisticly read 130 for bragging rights.

Al
 
#23 ·
Bump! Happy Birthday!

Fifty-Fifth anniversary this month~!

Here's a fine example from the sixties (I think it's a '61 "Bullet Bird") that I saw on display in Pennsylvania this past summer.















 
#28 · (Edited)
My 1963 averaged ~101mph everyday on the interstate for a week, in the 80's, going to school; till I calculated out how fast I was going. :facepalm:

10 minutes of that time was in bumper to bumper traffic; I'd hate to know what I peaked, on drum brakes in a 5500 lb car. :eek:

A trooper told me once you couldn't read radar off that car from the front; IDK if that's true or not. But he was pissed when he said it... :)

Here's a fine example from the sixties (I think it's a '61 "Bullet Bird") that I saw on display in Pennsylvania this past summer.
Other than being a 'vert, it looks just like my 63. :)

The last time I saw my 63, it was fully restored, rechromed, and beautiful, like this one you posted. My car was baby blue, with a blue on white interior.

Sold to a movie company last I heard, 20 years ago. :dunno:

390 V8 4bbl.

Weirdest thing about these cars: The windshield wipers are hydraulic, and run off the power steering pump. :)
 
#25 ·
Sniff...

God, I miss my 63... :(

Those pics are great, guys.

:zbeer:
 
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