We can only imagine the sound and heat experienced by the driver in this jet 'Bird. Observations in the document mention "undesirability of front exhaust" along with considerable lag in start-up acceleration as design drawbacks. Whereas the Chrysler Turbine car had an exhaust system exiting out the back, this Ford prototype dumps it out behind the front wheel. The engine is listed as a Boeing 8c creating 175 hp (130 kW), and presumably, a soundtrack that guarantees double-takes from every person in a one-block radius. In fact, it's a small gas turbine engine supplied by Boeing.įord archivist Ted Ryan shared the image of this prototype on Twitter, along with a snapshot of a document outlining the program. But as the gigantic exhaust outlet in the fender of this 'bird suggests, there's something radically different sitting between the fenders. Ordinarily, one would find a 292 cubic-inch V8 under the hood, making just shy of 200 horsepower (149 kilowatts). Once moving, however, the gear lever just slots happily into place and the gears are easy to find.Feast your eyes on a very curious 1955 Ford Thunderbird. Bob took inspiration for his T-bird from the 1955 Ford. Engaging first requires coming to a complete stop unless the operator wants to hear a nasty crunch. Bob's best-known car is probably his 1946 Merc, built at Valley Custom, Neil Emory and Clayton Jensen's famous shop, also in Burbank. That’s because the Ford uses an antiquated three-speed manual with a non-synchronized first gear. However, as a product of the 50s, theres still plenty of brightwork that was thoroughly restored with the rest of the car. For the Blue Oval Company, that was the year that the Thunderbird really started to make some strides following some design changes. But I have to concur with you, Brian – the Corvette is more satisfying to row through the gears. 1957 was a big year for most car manufacturers. In fact, they felt quite trim going around corners. help Buick rebuild after the recessionary slump of the late '50s. The ride on both cars wasn’t nearly as soft and pillowy as I was expecting. Detroit's Big, Beautiful Luxury Performance Cars of the 1960s and 1970s Eric Peters. Its a fun car and an iconic car that everyone. I find the Corvette interior a little too Buck Rogers. Throughout its history, a Thunderbird has been one of the most desirable cars coming out of the USA in the 1950s. I especially like the “engine turned” metal trim on the Thunderbird’s dashboard, along with the little V8 badge on the glove box. While the Corvette has two bucket seats separated by a console, the Thunderbird has one spacious bench – with no seatbelts. That said, the Thunderbird is easily the more comfortable car to drive. Both cars have comically large steering wheels, which give me the impression of holding a pizza pan around corners. This car changed forever the way Americans looked at cars, and singlehandedly brought new excitement and glamour to the automotive world. My own first few cars were similarly fettled, but I had long since gotten used to ABS-aided disc brakes.ĬS: Ergonomics were a bit less scientific in the 1950s, I think. It’s one thing to crank up the speed and hear the roar, but getting stopping power took a big, long push on the brake pedal. That was tempered by the realization how prehistoric both cars’ drum brakes felt. You might have read that the Thunderbird was Ford’s response to the Corvette, as in this sentence from a publication: The Ford Thunderbird was introduced in February 1953 as a response to Chevrolet’s new sports car, the Corvette, which was publicly unveiled in prototype form just a month before. I couldn’t get the grin off my face as I ran through the four-speed’s gears. But I was blown away by the Vette’s hustle. The very first generation of Ford Thunderbird was built exclusively as a two-seat convertible, and only offered between for a short spell from 1955 to 1957. But lets consider twisting roads and see which one of these handles more like a 1950s Ferrari.īH: Oh, it’s no comparison. And as you said earlier, the Thunderbird takes many styling cues from the contemporary Ferrari sports car. Todays photos return to the colorful cars of the 50s - this. Neither of these cars feel sluggish when you slam your foot down and both have that fantastic V8 soundtrack. One photo included the back of the red 1955 Ford Thunderbird on the other side of the tree. Article contentīy contrast, our tuxedo black Thunderbird makes just 202 horsepower, it’s worth noting that a hopped-up, 260-horsepower version was also available that year. Foreign models became chic in the mid-50s, as second cars. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Thunderbird and the Maverick achieved later success at smaller scale as personal vehicles.
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