Inside the gorgeously styled car, the speedometer gave a hint about its performance. Slightly smaller than later models, the 1st generation T-Bird was also the only one offered as a two-seater. Produced from 1955 to 1957, their tastefully subdued fins and hood scoop, smooth lines, and hooded headlights are distinctively beautiful.

While the concept of the personal luxury car first realized in the Thunderbird was derived from the European grand tourer popular in Italy and England, it was the English who borrowed from the Thunderbird in the design of the Sunbeam Alpine, a car with styling lifted almost directly from the American car.Īlthough there were no fewer than 11 distinct iterations of the car, for a classic Thunderbird enthusiast, the 1st generation cars are the most desirable. It impacted other brands even across the Atlantic. The Thunderbird's influence reached farther than Ford, though. They even used the T-Bird as the basis for the most popular Mercury model, the Cougar. When Ford launched the Mercury brand, it was in an effort to capitalize on the personal luxury car market that the Thunderbird had created.

The Thunderbird's success is obvious from its long life and high sales figures, but it was also hugely influential on other models.

Bridging the gap between sports cars like the Corvette and plush sedans like the Bel Air, the Ford Thunderbird was the best of both worlds. Its combination of luxury and sportiness was a revolution that broke open a whole new market segment.

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