This Thunderbird ran circles around the 1955 Corvette!

[@Colorado_Native]

I have a 1955 Thunderbird, I'm the third owner. Mine was built on Monday, Feb. 14, 1955. My wife gave it to me for a wedding gift in 1976. It was restored, red/white. The bodies were made by Budd. At the time mine was restored, you could still get replacement panels from Ford. It came out of Ohio and both floor panels and trunk were rusted away. It has the dress-up kit on the engine. 95,000 miles. Engine/ trans both rebuilt and going strong. Nice car.

[@rickdebruhlcars]

Nice to know you're a long term owner!

[@adoreslaurel]

You got a Monday car! [just joking] 55 to 57 was great but then they ruined it with land yacht.

[@kathyortiz8774]

I have owned a ‘56 TBird for over 50 years, and still love it. As you noted, the continental kit added a lot of mass cantilevered out way past the axle, and yes, made it very tail heavy, and ruined the handling. I got rid of the continental kit, and had a ‘55 bumper and bumper guards installed. The car looks a lot cleaner, and handles much better. I also built the engine a bit using a ‘57 intake, Holley carb, ‘57 heads, a small cam, and a Mallory distributor. Great fun to drive. Joe

[@alharlowofficial8933]

Great to hear the Thunderbird story told! The man who truly designed the Thunderbird was Ford staff designer Frank Hershey, who suggested a two-seat roadster to his boss George Walker, head designer at Ford, in 1951. Walker rejected the idea, yet Hershey secretly started working on it regardless, building a clay model in mid '51 with fellow employee Bill Boyer. In October that year, Ford executive Lewis Crusoe attended the Paris Auto Salon show with George Walker. On display was the Jaguar XK-120, Bugatti Type 101, the Spanish Pegaso, plus American dream-car 2-seaters Buick Le Sabre & XP-300, plus Chrysler’s K-310. Lewis asked Walker, "Why can't Ford do something like this?" Walker replied they were "already on it." He immediately called Frank Hershey, instructing him to resurrect his two-seater project. As to naming the car, yes: An internal staff contest was held, with junior designer Aldon Giberson noticing his souvenir First Nations coffee mug with a painted totem-like winged bird. He extended the wings, called it a "Thunderbird" and Ford had both a name and a logo badge. The grand prize was a tailored suit, but no such suits were available, so Giberson settled for a blazer and two pairs of trousers. While Frank Hershey had insisted the car look fully American, with no borrowed European styling cues shown in the Corvette with its bucket seats or the Nash Healey's English lines, the Thunderbird escaped the current over-use of chrome, such as the "spear" side sweep on the full-size Fords. Only the "Dagmar" front bumper bullets echoed the big-car style cues. The absence of rolled body pans front & rear gave the car a stripped-down sporty look. Ford loved the idea of the "baby Ford" to help sell the larger models, with economical shared parts. As George Walker and Ford executives including Bob Maguire lined up to take credit for the Thunderbird, sadly Walker re-assigned Frank Hershey to the full-sized cars for 1955 and '56, with Bill Boyer placed in charge of the Thunderbird project for it's three-year run.

[@rapidrrobert4333]

One of Ford's best design years

[@nielskjr5432]

Thank you very much👍 I fell in love with the T-bird in Havana of places. A '57 model for tourists was parked close to my hotel.

[@williampalmer8052]

Great presentation. I've been a Thunderbird aficionado for a long time, and have owned a few myself. In my opinion, that last model was designed to appeal to the smallest segment possible: guys in their 50s and 60s who were kids when the original came out, and who were only interested in the most superficial cosmetic resemblance to their childhood dream car in which to cruise away their midlife crises. Other than that, it had zero appeal, and I can only imagine Ford management green-lit that failure purely as a favor to their golf club buddies. As a late 30 year old when rumors of a new two seater began circulating, I held out hope that it would return to its real roots and once again go head to head with the Corvette, and it was a sad day when that novelty nostalgia car was finally unveiled. I'm just glad we still have these originals to remind us of what timeless car design looks like.

[@tooterooterville]

Ford management has a history of DA business decisions especially when it comes to "testing" a novelty concept. Possible exception was Iacocca. The Mustang was either a fluke idea or a marketing genius - take your pick!

[@ivaneberle3972]

Ford built the 2000 era T-Bird on the same platform using the same base engine as the S-Type and E-Type Jaguar (Ford owned Jaguar). Had they offered a 500HP supercharged motor in the T-Bird as was available for the Jags-- it would have been eminently more memorable, not so easily dismissed as a tribute car. Still and all, a very clean looking, crisply accelerating 300 HP touring roadster convertible, as is. A relative bargain, even

[@garycamara9955]

Yhe problems, it didn't come with a V8, and the styling was influenced by Ford of Europe. Ford of Europe has very little understanding of what American people like. The USA was the primary market. Ford of Europe killed the car with their arrogant expectations.

[@garycamara9955]

​@@ivaneberle3972the NEW T Bird was a "chick"car!

[@waltbroedner4754]

The Thunderbird was just a two seater 55 Ford, not a sports car by a long shot and the 58 drove the nail in the coffin.

[@kennethswain6313]

Well done I owned ‘55small bird. It was very warm while cruising. They still look good!

[@rickdebruhlcars]

That's why the vent was installed for 56.

[@ibnalhaytham]

Great information and fun to watch. I love learning about these cars of my youth, and Rick is a fantastic talent.

[@ClassicChrome86]

Great looking car! Love the T-Birds!

[@toddbonin6926]

Two episodes in and I am loving this channel!!! Great cars and great information!!!

[@rickdebruhlcars]

Thanks. Spread the word!

[@tonytrotta9322]

Nice! All major sheet metal assemblies - doors, quarters, fenders, roof, hood, deck lid - supplied by The Budd Co shipped to Ford . Thanks for your video!

[@steveplunkett6753]

You do an excellent job with your videos. I’ll be watching each day. Thanks!

[@scottguthrie8074]

Great tour! Thanks..

[@rickdebruhlcars]

Thanks for watching!

[@ms8596]

I grew up in Thunderbirds. My father had a '55, then got a '58 when my sister came along, then the last was a '64. They also bought an '83, the first with the aerodynamic styling (leading to all of those wins in NASCAR), but I was an adult by then. I consider '70 onward as having lost the spirit of Thunderbird and just a model of luxury car which shared underpinnings with Lincoln. I started to gain interest again with the Turbo Coupe and Super Coupe models, but there was always something missing that stopped me from purchasing one. The 11th generation two seater was a missed opportunity to really make a statement. The styling did not appeal to me, as it seemed to just be throwing something together to match the other retro vehicles during that period, like the PT Cruiser and the Chevy SSR.

[@jackrichardson9277]

I owned a 1962 T-Bird, 390 v-8 stock, my brother had a 58 T-Bird!🤠

[@jamesmooney8933]

As an 8 year old boy, who built model cars. The Thunderbird was the favorite.

[@jamesmisener3006]

Nice example Rick. Cheers 🇨🇦

[@robertspeicher5047]

Worked with a clown who given, graduation gift, a 1956 Thunderbird. After a heavy snow storm, he showed up with the top, STILL DOWN, and when got to go to work he moved the snow off the driver side. Passenger, about a foot of snow. He just didn't care about that car. Another time I talked with a guy who, being curious, went into an abandoned gas station. Found two, still wrapped in shipping paper, brighy. New 56 Thunderbird bumpers. This around 1974. He got 1,500.00 bucks for each.

[@robertspeicher5047]

Vettes had fiber glass bodies. For two years, while going to junior high school. I wouls see a 53 parked at the curb. The first time the front of the rt fender had a crack. The owner started using tape. As the months went by, the crack grew. By the end of the second year. So much tape...lol....

[@johnhiram1207]

Great car! My favorite year is 1957

[@randallfrank5682]

Good story. Beautiful car.

[@danf321]

Who knew you had a YT channel? I just subscribed!

[@rickdebruhlcars]

I love the bullet birds of the early 60s. The 68 redesign was a disaster.

[@jimf4492]

Nice video. I always loved the baby T-Birds, but I'm 6'3", so I can't even sit in one! One detail where I think you were incorrect: You mentioned the '67 was the first Landau. I have a '63 Landau Bullet Bird. I can't remember if that model came out in '61 with the new series, or was new in '63. Mine has the tacky Landau bars, a vinyl roof. and some fake wood trim inside - I love that car! I've subscribed. Thanks.

[@michaelbyrne8860]

The 1956 Thunderbird was the best looking!

[@revolution51]

They eventually corrected the crazy 'drives in circles' steering problems on the t-bird. 2:14-The 'Bald Eagle' was used in later Mustang commercial drawings.

[@MostlyBuicks]

That Goldenrod 55 you have there has its fender louvers mounted upside down. It is a very common mistake. It appears that 56 Peacock Blue has them mounted correctly.

[@rickdebruhlcars]

Nice catch! I'll pass it along to the museum.

[@mcross320]

Why Ford gave up on this model was one of the dumbest things ever. Take a winner and screw it up with a family sized car and just DROP THE BALL!

[@rickdebruhlcars]

Except... they sold a lot more four seater Tbirds than two seaters.

[@mcross320]

@@rickdebruhlcars They should have had 2 models.

[@mrjuvy49]

I have retro 2004 love it

[@jamesmooney8933]

The Thunderbird's dashboard is similar to the '55 Fords.

[@timr31908]

The Corvette was a glorified crossley.. with a 25-year-old straight 6 cylinder engine...😮

[@garycamara9955]

The 55 corvette had the first Chevy V8 a 265. The T Bird had a 292.

[@cashmoney7660]

Chevy guys an American car enthusiast in general owe a debt of gratitude to the Thunderbird. Chevrolet was about to kill the Corvette until the TBird showed up.

[@darrelllang4076]

With the Paxton supercharge it ran like a bird on fire.

[@BubbaSmurft]

T-bird's okay but where's the lowdown on that GORGEOUS Trabby in the background.

[@rickdebruhlcars]

That's a video for another day. Keep watching!

[@Aztec73]

The 59 Cadillac had the ' Bullet " Tail lights.

[@ToxicMan2023]

I sooo got the hots for a 1958 T bird.

[@stevethomas760]

Was the yellow/yellow interior and overdrive available?

[@ThePbird1]

The 55 Corvette was six cylinders and barley got out of its own driveway in under ten seconds. It was an inverted bathtub on wheels. 57 ae everything after then.

[@andrewmccarnan4498]

The story of the guy winning the name contest is that, in Detroit, he couldn't find a suit that cost $250. He steeled on a suit with two pair of pants.

[@jamesmooney8933]

The Corvettes' frame was from a '53 Chevy truck. I know this because a friend of mine had to replace the frame on a '62 Corvettes. He used a modified '53 Chevy Truck frame. In '63 Corvettes got their own frame.

[@bladerunner5810]

Another testament to GM cost accountants screwing up GM designs with excess inventory junk parts.

[@jamesmooney8933]

@bladerunner5810 GM's had some good ideas in the early '60. Corvair engines are used in home made small airplanes. There a school/company, where people go to rebuild old Corvair engines. They put old air cooled VW cylinder tubs. The old Corvair engines were built slop. The push rod tolerance were good. I learned about the school/remanufacturer on KZbin.

[@timmccreery6597]

Corvettes were not originally intended to be sports cars. Even the 55 Corvette still had the 265 inch V8, and although it was an inherently better design than the Y block 292 from Ford, the Ford was still more powerful. The Corvette did not start becoming a sports car until Zora Duntov took over the Corvette project and his first influences came in 1957 with the fuel injected 283 and an available 4 speed. Both Chvy and Ford were building "personal luxury cars" before that.

[@Loulovesspeed]

@timmccreery6597 - Yet, in 1957, the T-Bird's F-Code 312 supercharged engine with 300 hp would toast the F.I. 283 with just 245 hp! The last T-Bird that was faster than the Vette! Short life, but cool while it lasted.

[@Mike-hr6jz]

It just proves that our grandparents taste within their mouth still forwards were always boxier, and not as good looking as the Chevrolets were just the fact

[@waltbroedner4754]

Guy got just a pair of pants for coming up with the "Thunderbird" name????? Typical!!!! There was not much 'thunder" in the long gone bird after the 58 fiasco but Corvettes are STILL on the road today, better than ever.

[@raywhitehead730]

Ford had no comment to the T bird. The T bird was an immediate success. It out sold the Corvette, 23 to one in its first year. Leadership fifffed this up. Now, 2024, Ford stock has been rated as a "hold" for the last 3 years..not that good.

[@opera93]

Well, thanks.. interesting, short overviews .. I kind of hoped the 2002 reincarnation would have been a “ high HORSEPOWER , HANDLING SUPER/ GT CAR,with some “ panache”(maybe 6 SPEED MANUEL/200 mph Capabilities,etc), and was a non significant/ No excitement THUNDERBIRD…the FORD GT, & Dark Horse are exciting!!

[@mikebrzostowski8183]

I'll take a '55 vette,! T bird, to me, just looked like a smaller version of the full sized ford. To each his own.

[@warrenhuxtable9195]

Could have bought one in 1963 for 1300 dollars but no money 😢

[@opera93]

Forgot to mention: my GREAT AUNT , from S Bend ,Indiana : traded in her Studebaker HAWK 1956(?, I did nit take pictures) for a 57 THUDERBIRD/ PORT HOLE! Anyways, that was terrible to me, a STUDEBAKER KID @ some 11 years old: though come to live some TBIRDS.

[@brucepowell7986]

NOT THE 55 CHEVY THO

[@timr31908]

I always looked at the Chevrolet is a cheap race car for hillbillies..😮

[@davidcantwell2489]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, and then some genius put a back seat in it.

[@rickdebruhlcars]

And sales went up...

[@mike-il4dg]

This is my favorite Thunderbird and I can't believe the succeeding models of this sold better. That blows my mind. For me, the predecessors just got uglier and uglier

[@sgt524]

love mine

[@bladerunner5810]

292 Ford V-8 was a solid boat anchor.

[@bradcanning875]

They don't run circles around them on the auction floor.

[@peterpann9619]

And as the years went on Ford as usual ruined it.

[@caribman10]

Very low bar to "run rings around" a '55 Corvette....

[@robertstancliffsr9575]

I'm betting the 55 Corvette with the available 3 speed stick shift and 265 cubic inch power-pack engine was quicker than the T-bird... The 55 Vette was not a 6 cylinder power-glide only car......

[@Colorado_Native]

​@robertstancliffsr9575 According to Motor Trend magazine June 1956 edition, you would probably lose. 0 -30 Corvette 4.9 sec. TBird 4.5 0-60. 11.5. 11.0 0-80. 20.2. 21.5 Top speed. 105. 112 MPG. 30 mph 19.2. 23 45. 18.5. 19.5 60. 18.5. 18.6 80. 13.1. 13.0 You're on big guy, and I own a TBird. Bring your Vette.

[@waltertomashefsky2682]

The 50s Thunderbirds looked like a 50s Ford. The 50s Corvette looked like something from the future. And it only got better.

[@mylanmiller9656]

the Corvette was so futuristic it took all the way to 1959 to sell the last 1953 corvette. The Corvette was a poor car, and when word got out nobody wanted one.

[@rconger24]

*But what about 1956??*

[@Bob-cd5pp]

Ya But the 57 Corvette Killed the T Bird

[@bobtraub9945]

Wrong, check specs! Corvette was 10 mph faster!

[@nukarr]

Get real - Ford used off the shelf parts to cobble the Thunderbird up - while the Vette was entirely new design & Why Ford Supported Shelby/cobra & later Dethomaso/Pantara Thunderbird was a Boat compared to any yr vette

[@stevefaltis8989]

Beautiful cars,, but the front suspension was garbage,,iif you were over 5,9, hard too get in… pretty, but …..

[@stevefaltis8989]

Automatic fix trans, too heavy, leaker, but really, the front suspension was ford engineering stupidity