1956 Ford Thunderbird

The Ford Thunderbird’s concept began in Paris, France in 1951. The conception of the T-Bird occurred when Louis D. Crusoe and George Walker (two high ranking Ford executives) were commenting on one of the sportier automobiles of Europe and wondered why Ford did not have a something similar.

When they returned to the United States, the concept was put in motion, and a target date was set for 1955, to have a “true Ford sports car”. The initial blueprint was that the vehicle was to be a two-seater, an approximate weight of 2500 pounds, an Interceptor V-8 engine, a balanced weight distribution, acceleration better than the competition, and a top speed of more than 100 Miles per hour. Furthermore, “The new Ford sports car also was to retain Ford product characteristics and identification to the extent necessary for a ready association with the standard production car". The clay model wasn’t completed until May 18 (17 days after its due date), and it was in the summer of 1953 when the car was far enough along to decide whether or not the project should continue. The decision to keep the car going was made in September of that same year by Crusoe.

Ford Motor Company was excited about their new showcase and was eager to show the world. Yet, there was still one major stumbling block, what to name the new car: “There were 5,000 names considered. Hep Cat, Beaver and Detroiter were early, yet undistinguished, front-runners. Also suggested were Runabout, Arcturus, Savile, El Tigre and Coronado”. Crusoe was unsatisfied with these names and offered a $250 suit to anyone who could do better.

It was Alden "Gib" Giberson, a stylist for Ford, who submitted the name Thunderbird. The name came from the legendary bird well known in southwestern folklore, and according to Indian legend, the Thunderbird was a divine helper of man. Its great flapping wings, invisible to the eyes of mortal man, created the winds and the thunder, and gave the Indians water to live on in the dry wilderness where fate had flung them. With a name given to the vehicle, the Thunderbird went on sale to the public Oct. 22, 1954, establishing a legend among automobiles. The original model was a two-seater and had a base price of $2,695. The T-bird was received with much welcome and astonishment as more than 3,500 orders were placed in the first ten days.

Specifications

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$2695 (1956)
312 V-8
2225 @ 5400 rpm
?
3 speed Ford-O-Matic Transmission
? lb
? sec.
? sec/? mph