The aggressive stock look of the car apparently wasn’t enough for the guys behind this here Thunderbird. The one we have here comes from 1959, meaning it’s a second-gen – that’s the one that made the transition from the original two-seater thunderbird to a four-seater, and looked so sharp it was almost menacing. Counting that little fiasco, the Thunderbird burned through 11 generations before being shelved (apparently) for good. Born in 1955, it was in production well into the 1990s, and then revived for a brief period of time in the early 2000s. The Thunderbird was one of Ford’s longest-running nameplates.
For us, that special something today is this 1959 Ford Thunderbird.
Thunderbird advertising in 1959 targeted women in particular, showing glamorous models in country club and other exclusive settings, and the sales figures bore out Ford's marketing plans.Where are the sculpted panels of before, the flowing lines, all the details that made cars look stunning, or at least made them seem to say “this is me, and I like it”? No, they’re not gone, only you’ll never find them on today’s cars – you’ll have to go back in time to get your fix.Īnd the best way to do that is to surf the open market, looking for that special something that makes you tick. Sales almost doubled again, to 67,456 units, including 10,261 convertibles. A new V8 engine, the 345-hp 430 cu in (7.0 L) MEL-series, was available in small numbers. The rear suspension was revised, discarding coil springs for Hotchkiss drive with parallel leaf springs. Sales totalled 198,191 over three model years, approximately four times that of the earlier two seat model.Īlong with the 1958 Lincolns, the 1958 Thunderbird was the first Ford Motor Company vehicle designed with unibody construction.įor the 1959 model year, Ford made changes to the front, rear, and side ornamentation leather upholstery was available for the first time. In response to Ford-conducted surveys two major changes were made to attract potential buyers: two rear seats were added and the level of luxury and features of a full-sized car were incorporated into a mid-size platform.Īs a result, sales soared and the new model dramatically expanded the personal luxury car market, winning the Motor Trend Car of the Year in 1958. The second generation Ford Thunderbird (also called Square Bird) was produced by Ford for the 1958 to 1960 model years as a successor to the popular 1955–1957 two-seater. THIS 1959 FORD THUNDERBIRD CONVERTIBLE IS LOCATED IN: CANDIA, NH 03034
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