The first and last generations of the Ford Thunderbird (Wikipedia entry
here) had seating for only the driver and one passenger. Other Thunderbirds seated four or so.
Wikipedia's take on the 2002-2005 eleventh and last Thunderbird generation is
here. It does not discuss Ford's reason for making the car a two-passenger type, given that cars with that carrying capacity seldom sold in large numbers. And as it happened, the new Thunderbird's sales were not up to expectation.
Today's post compares the styling of the eleventh-generation Thunderbird with that of the original, 1955, model. A strong effort was made by Ford stylists to evoke the original, and that evocation is what I'll deal with here.
The 1955 car images below are via Mecum Auctions, and those of the 2002 Thunderbird are from the American Muscle Car Museum.
Gallery
Thunderbirds of both generations were convertibles. A detachable solid top was available, so that feature is shown in all the images here. The 1955 Thunderbird pictured above is clearly of its pre- wind tunnel testing era. Its most time-dependent feature is its wraparound (panoramic) windshield, various versions of which were found on nearly all 1955 model year American cars.
The 2002 Thunderbird's overall shape reveals its wind tunnel test heritage. Carryover featured from 1955 include the shape of the grille and its bars pattern, the two round items flanking the front license plate location, the air scoop on the hood, and the winged symbol placed between the grille and hood opening.
Mid-1950s American styling stressed length, and to enhance it visually, the tops of the fenderline at each end extend farther than the rest of the fender.
Frenched headlight assemblies are not aerodynamics-firendly, so the 2002 car has a rounded front. Carryover items here are the front fender louvres (fake on the '55s) and the character line extending aft of the lower edges. The round opera window was seen on some 1956 Thunderbird tops.
Rear end details mimic those of 1955 Ford sedans, especially the round tail lights and nearby fender detailing.
Round tail lights are retained here. The license plate nest echoes the shape of the grille. But the tail light shape is the only carryover feature at the rear.
Early Thunderbirds were attractive, though I prefer the looks of the 1957 cars with their modest, canted tail fins to the '55 and '56 models. That said, I think the 2002 Thunderbird is better styled. That's because it is more of a piece, not a shrunken version of a passenger car, as the '55 Thunderbird was.
4 comments:
Ford Thunderbird is one of my all-time favorite designs, as long as we choose to delete the eight generation from our memories. Sticking with the generations that Paul covered, for me the 1956 model year nailed it, afterthought visibility porthole addition and all. As was covered here last year, Ford was considering making the Baby Bird even more like a mini-mainline Ford, which I also like:
http://carstylecritic.blogspot.com/2022/07/1955-ford-thunderbirds-with-checkmark.html
My affinity for this version stems from the late-1970s period of my childhood during which my father owned a Snowshoe White over Tropical Rose 1955 Ford Crown Victoria that he got in an even trade for an early production 1965 Hi-Po (K Code engine) Mustang GT Convertible.
As for the eleventh gen Bird? Meh...if I were to go that route, size and (non)utility-wise, I would probably just go with a Miata.
Of all the retro Ford concept designs of that period the Thunderbird was the only one that got a production version. Several other Lincoln and Ford model based ones (some covered here) might have ended up with far more successful cars. It just has mistakes all over it - the trunk cut line between the tail lights (disguised in the original), the way the big round tail lights are used, the grille which should have at least been recessed and maybe with a surround, and more.
The basic problem is the same as Buick Reatta and two seater Cadillac model(s). There was just a limited market for non-sports car two seater cars.
I forgot to mention how much that indented line around the lower body annoys me. What were they thinking? Does that ever work? The one farther up on Omnirisons was at least usually home for a trim piece. And non-round wheel openings like on most 50s-60s cars might have been better and are now fashionable on SUVs (because Jeeps have always had them, referring to the original WWII front fenders).
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