Three-quarters front view of a White, 1965, Ford Thunderbird, on display at the 2023 Deal Classic Car Show
The Ford Thunderbird is a personal luxury car manufactured and marketed by Ford from model years 1955-2005 (with a 1997-2002 hiatus), across 11 generations. Introduced as a two-seat convertible, the Thunderbird was offered variously as a four-seat hardtop coupe, four-seat convertible, five-seat convertible and hardtop, four-door pillared hardtop sedan, six-passenger hardtop coupe, and five-passenger pillared coupe —, with the final generation designed again as a two-seat convertible. Ford targeted the two-seat Thunderbird as an upscale model, but the 1958 model year design introduced a rear seat and arguably marked the expansion of a market segment eventually known as personal luxury cars, positioned to emphasize comfort and convenience over handling and high-speed performance. For 1964, the Thunderbird was restyled in favor of a more squared-off appearance, which was mostly evident when viewing the car from the side or rear. Hinting at its roots in the previous generation of Thunderbird from which it evolved, the new model retained a similar grille design with quad headlights and a inches (2,875 mm) wheelbase. As before, the new Thunderbird continued to be offered in hardtop, convertible, and Landau versions. The 300 hp (224 kW) 390 cu in ( L) FE V8 continued as the standard engine for the Thunderbird. It was paired with a three-speed automatic transmission. For 1965, sequential turn signals were added, flashing the individual segments of the broad, horizontal tail lights in sequences from inside to outside to indicate a turn. Also new for 1965 were standard front disc brakes, and doubled-sided keys. Though it was the last year of the generation, 1966 had a stylistic revision for the Thunderbird highlighted by a new egg crate-style grille with a large Thunderbird emblem at its center and a single-blade front bumper. The rear bumper was restyled to include new full-width taillamps. Engine choices were also revised for 1966. The standard 390 cu in ( L).
Size: 5616px × 3744px
Location: Betteshanger Country Park, Sandwich Rd, Deal
Photo credit: © John Gaffen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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