The 1955-1957 Thunderbirds were arguably the most interesting of a long line of Fords bearing that name which stretches right down to the present day. They were designed at the outset to rival Chevy's Corvette, which in turn was a US domestic answer to imported British roadsters, and so they all had just two seats. Yet Ford took the idea a stage further than Chevrolet, and added luxury and convenience features to the basic idea of a two-seater roadster to make something which was not really a sports car but what the company called a personal car. The recipe was a huge success. In its first year (1955), the Thunderbird out-sold the Corvette by a factor of 24 to 1. So for the 1956 season, Ford decided against radical changes. The original 292ci V8 was retained for the base models, but to answer customer pleas for more performance there was an optional 312ci motor, offering 215bhp with overdrive transmission, 225bhp with automatic, and 245bhp from twin four-barrel carbs as the top option. Softer rear springs and slower steering were again a response to buyer demand, as was more trunk space created by mounting the spare tyre outside in Continental fashion. And 1956 T-Birds had a delightful new hardtop option with porthole windows, which vastly out-sold the plain type carried over from 1955. Even the Thunderbird couldn't avoid tail-fins for 1957, although they were less prominent than on many other models. A wider grille, new front and rear bumpers and a longer rear deck which concealed the spare were also featured, and once again there were two sizes of V8. The 292ci motor offered 212bhp on the entry level cars, but the 312ci V8 brought 245bhp, 270bhp or 285bhp to choice, and there was even a supercharged version (mostly for racing) with 300bhp or 340bhp. These were the cars which established the Thunderbird legend, and they make top-grade classics today. Collectors and enthusiasts everywhere will enjoy reading about them here, and re-living the thrill which they created when they were new. This is a book of contemporary road & comparison tests, new model intros, driver's impressions & history.
