FLIGHT PLAN CLEARED THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO

After starting life as the US’s first version of a European sports car, the Ford Thunderbird evolved into a truly American statement in the form of a powerful, personal luxury car within just a few short years. Those early, compact ‘small birds’ gave way to the larger, more substantial ‘square birds’ by 1958. More luxurious than ever, sales just kept on climbing — up 77 per cent in their first year and another 78 per cent for 1959. The Thunderbird had found its niche as a four-passenger personal luxury car.

Although the four-seat formula was set in stone, there was an all-new T-bird for 1961. The space age–inspired ‘bullet birds’ arrived, and with sales continuing on from where they left off, these spent three years on the bestseller’s list. With the Mustang set to take the mantle as Ford’s sportiest model, the Thunderbird grew yet again for the 1964 to ’66 model years. Ford’s new Thunderbird looked squarer, in stark contrast to the previous rocket-nosed 1961–’63 models, while still retaining the same dimensions for the various Hardtop coupé, Town Hardtop,