You can tell a 1957 by the more elaborate front bumper and an elongated trunk with more pronounced fins (the spare went back inside too). An external spare for improved luggage capacity was also introduced in ’56 to address customer complaints about room for golf clubs. External differences that make it easy to tell the model years such as a ‘porthole’ on the optional hardtop of ’56 cars to address a blind spot in the initial model. In its first year Ford managed to deliver 16,000 units to eager owners, easily outstripping its rival. It was a two-seater with a choice of convertible or hardtop powered by a 292 cid V8 (the Corvette at this time only had a 6 cylinder). The Littlebird was the first model off the line 20 months after getting the green light to build it by Ford. First Generation: 1955 to 1957 the “Littlebird” Thankfully the names initially considered such as Beaver, Hep Cat and Wheelaway were all rejected in favor of the Thunderbird, a revered symbol of the Pacific Northwest native culture and one always seen at the top of the totem pole – a fitting image for Ford. As Ford was not in favor of a “sports car”, the new car was designed as a “personal” car with all the luxury and convenience features that existed in Ford’s existing parts bin. The T-Bird was Ford’s answer to arch-rival Chevrolet’s debut of the Corvette in late 1952. We will focus our attention on the four early generations in this article as they are of the most interest to collectors. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on if you cringed at the aforementioned nicknames) subsequent generations have not spawned universally accepted nicknames. The second generation spanned 1958 to 1960 and were dubbed the “Squarebird”. The first generation began in 1955 and ran up until and including the 1957. To those in the know and especially the legions of fans and owners of the different years there are nicknames to differentiate different body styles. One of the pioneers of the “personal luxury car,” the T-Bird, as it is commonly called, still sets standards for others to follow. Ford Thunderbirds… for 50 years the bodies may have changed, but the idea and the name has remained faithful to the original.
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