1955-1959 Thunderbirds

The Classic Ford Thunderbird - The 1955-1959 Model Years

The Ford Thunderbird is one of the great classic American cars, and this unique automobile has delighted millions of drivers and car enthusiasts since it was first introduced way back in the 1950s. In many ways the Ford Thunderbird was the quintessential car of that era, but unlike so many other models the Thunderbird continued to thrive even after that classic decade had ended.

The 1955 Ford Thunderbird

The 1955 model year represented the birth of the Ford Thunderbird, and the classic 1955 Ford Thunderbird remains one of the all time classic automobiles for both collectors and average drivers.  That first Thunderbird was very much a personal car, providing a level of personal luxury few other models of the time were able to match.

The first Ford Thunderbird was built out as a sporty two seat automobile with clean classic lines. The 1955 Ford Thunderbird was a lanky 175 inches long, with a generous wheelbase of 102 inches. The Ford Thunderbird weighed in at 3,180 pounds, and it sold for a sticker price of $2,695.  That price included a removable hard top, but drivers who wanted the optional soft top would have to pony up some additional money. The standard $2,695 sticker price also included a powerful 292 CID V8 engine.  The Thunderbird was an immediate hit, and drivers were lining up to take a look at this cool new car.

The 1956 Ford Thunderbird

There were a number of design changes made for the 1956 model year of the Ford Thunderbird, including side vents that flipped out to provide better ventilation. Earlier deficiencies in rear visibility were corrected by the addition of unique porthole style windows, and a perceived lack of trunk space was corrected by moving the spare tire out of the trunk and into an exterior tire carrier. The 1956 model year also introduced a number of safety improvements, including Ford’s unique concept of “packaging” its passengers to prevent injuries in the event of a crash.

Standard safety equipment in the 1956 Ford Thunderbird included an energy absorbing padded instrument panel, safety door latches, a shatter resistant mirror and a concave steering wheel designed to protect passengers.  But even with all these improvements one safety feature modern drivers take for granted – namely seatbelts - was still optional on the 1956 Thunderbird.

The 1957 Thunderbird

The concept of padding, safety and passenger comfort continued with the 1957 model year, the first to feature a fully padded dashboard. The 1957 Ford Thunderbird was also focused on pampering its passengers, with the introduction of optional Dial-o-Matic power seats for the comfort of both the driver and the passengers. 

The 1957 model year also featured a uniquely designed radio that would automatically adjust the volume depending on the speed of the engine.  This feature helped to ensure that the radio was loud enough to overcome highway noise but not too loud when traveling through busy city streets. The 1957 Ford Thunderbird also marked the end of the two seater Thunderbird era. After the 1957 model year the Thunderbird was to become a four seat automobile.

The 1958 Ford Thunderbird

The new four seater Ford Thunderbird was unveiled at a gala New Year’s Eve party attended by prominent Americans at the aptly named Thunderbird Gold Club in Palm Springs, California.  These prominent members of society got a sneak peak at the new four seater Thunderbird, but the public at large would have to wait until January of 1958.

The new model kept the classic clean lines of previous years, while adding some additional touches not present on those earlier models, including a one piece grille and bumper and a crisp contemporary roof line that would be copied by many other manufacturers. 

The new four seat Thunderbird sat on a 113 inch wheelbase, longer than the original model, with an overall length of just over 205 inches and a curb weight of 3,799 pounds.  The unique unit frame construction of the 1958 Thunderbird provided passengers with plenty of room inside the car, more than any other luxury car of the age. The 1958 Ford Thunderbird was able to churn out a horsepower rating of 300 with its 352 CID V8 engine, making it one of the most powerful luxury cars on the market.  In fact the 1958 changes to the Ford Thunderbird would prove so successful that the same design concept would remain in place for 1959 & 1960 until the next changes were made in 1961.

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