The 1967-1971 generation of Thunderbird was the weakest in the family until the execrable 1980-1982 generation. It’s shortcomings were put forth very clearly and convincingly by Jim Cavenaugh in his CC titled “Who Am I. Why Am I Here?” I just reread it, and it speaks for my thoughts on this car quite perfectly.
This generation has been dubbed “Glamourbird” by, ah, presumably its fans. And of course it has them; rightfully so. But that name just isn’t working for me, as it’s anything but glamorous, so lets ponder the subject a bit more and then we’ll take your nominations.
So what’s wrong with it? It’s just not glamorous, for starters, or maybe that cover the whole issue. It lacks a clear and cohesive design, probably because it’s caught between two eras. The Thunderbird started life as a two-passenger semi-sports car, and evolved into a sporty personal car in 1958, essentially defining the genre.
European sports cars were the most glamorous and desirable in the 50s, and set the tenor for the decade stylistically. The Squarebird added a dash of luxury to bold American styling, and thus synthesizes the qualities for which ti came to be known, as well as defining the whole genre.
The Bulletbird (1961-1963) took that to its ultimate expression with the Sports Roadster, covering up the rear seats with a lift-off tonneau cover. of course it wasn’t genuinely sporty, but sporty was still the in thing.
Although the Sports Tonneau was still available on the 1964 Flairebird, the trend was moving more and more in favor of the luxury qualities, especially the Landau, which premiered already in 1962. But it had genuine flair, a crisp definition of luxury still keeping with the times. But those times were changing, quickly.
The Great Brougham Epoch came into full flower starting in 1965, with the Ford LTD. That era was defined by a new and much plusher definition of luxury. All pretenses of sporty were out, and materials and design focused on exaggerated aspects od “luxury” with lots of dark fake wood and deeply-cushioned seats. And of course padded vinyl tops, which the T-bird had been wearing for some time, but still with some flair. No more. This generation Thunderbird was lost between two great evolutionary epochs, the sporty one and the Brougham one. maybe we should call it the Lostbird?
Two years later, the new standard-bearer for the Brougham Epoch arrived, and knocked the T-Bird off its perch for good. In an era of rapidly rising real income and a strong economy, just about anyone who had been able to afford a T-Bird could (and would) soon make the move up to a Mark. These cars tended to sell well to successful up-and-comers, especially self-made business people, and the extra for a Mark was well worth it to show one had made their mark.
I know it’s not fair showing this somewhat worse-for-wear interior, but this whole approach, pioneered by the Squarebird, was essentially obsolete by 1967. Too light, too vinyly, too shiny, still trying to evoke an aircraft cabin rather than a wood-paneled old man’s club room.
Things changed lightning-quick in the 60s, and this was “Where the Boys Are”, not “A Whiter Shade of Pale”, despite the appearances. “Palebird?”
We haven’t even gotten to its front end. I was a bit shocked the first time I saw it in an ad in the fall of 1966.
It looked just like a whaleshark with its huge mouth open to hoover up plankton and suck it through its baleen. Not very attractive; never mind glamorous. The Whalesharkbird?
And nowadays it also reminds me of this. The Grimacebird?
Well, the odds of its hidden headlight still being hidden aren’t all so great these days, so it does look a wee bit less menacing. More like…Sadbird.
Your turn.
I agree with Paul that the 80-82 generation of the T-Bird was the low point. But to me, the next-worst generation was the 77-79, when the once-proud bird was demoted to the role of Ford’s Monte Carlo.
I’d conclude by saying that all T-Birds from 1967-82 were lost in one way or another.
My father (FoMoCo guy) bought a gently-used program car for my mom around then–I *think* it was the ’69. I remember the two l-o-n-g doors and the 429, where I learned to lay rubber, while getting 9mpg in town. That was all pre-malaise, and I’d think its lbs/hp ratio not too shameful.
Like the Marks, I just never liked them in the lighter colors, but the darker ones were OK with me:
I concur on the darker colors for Marks but silver is okay IMHO.
The ItsDaysAreNumBird.
“Mawbird” is my choice, for the gaping front end and the granny roofline. I’d still rock the hell out of one with a black vinyl top sans landau bars. Make mine Tahoe Turquoise Metallic. http://automotivemileposts.com/tbird1969colors.html
My father bought my mother a new 1967 Thunderbird from Jerry Alderman Ford in Indianapolis. He traded in a 1964 Thunderbird. I never understood why Ford changed the tilt-away steering wheel on the 1967 model. In 1964 the whole steering column could be moved to the right once the transmission was in PARK. In 1967 only the steering wheel moved 45 degrees to the upper right on the column once you shifted in to PARK. When you wanted to drive off, you pulled the wheel back down, then shifted in to DRIVE. Sometimes the wheel would not stay locked into the straight- ahead position. My mother’s T-Bird also had the rare 8 mph automatic door lock option, a source of much consternation at car washes that would spin the wheels as you went through the car wash.
Wow, I had completely forgotten about that short-lived final design of the Swing Away. It was like Ford simply would not accept the superiority of a normal tilt column as GM and Chrysler used.
And very familiar with Jerry Alderman. I shopped a Mustang GT there in 85, bought my Club Wagon there in 95 and bought my Sedona at that building after it had become a Kia dealer. A classic 1960s era suburban Ford Dealer building that has since been torn down.
Now a Meijer store. Do you remember Cleverley Cadillac, Cleverley Lockhart Cadillac and Lockhart Cadillac? How about Northside Rambler and Coral Pontiac?
I remember Lockhart, I think I bought a part from there once. I think Freda Lockhart was the first female Cadillac franchise owner in the US. Northside Rambler is a stumper (I didn’t move here until the 80s). I remember a Pontiac dealer in that area (55th street?) but can’t recall the name.
When I was car shopping in the 80s Keystone Avenue was dealer row, starting at Palmer Dodge at 38th street and finishing at Ogle-Tucker Buick north of 71st, and with virtually everything else in between. I think Butler Kia (in the old Jerry Alderman Ford building) was the last new car dealer on that entire stretch, and it has been gone for a couple of years.
Eldon Palmer, the owner of Palmer Dodge, achieved notoriety by crashing the ’71 Challenger pace car at that years Indy 500.
Wow, I had completely forgotten about that short-lived final design of the Swing Away. It was like Ford simply would not accept the superiority of a normal tilt column as GM and Chrysler used.
My theory is Ford changed the breakaway feature due to the advent of collapsible steering columns. With the pre-67 generations, the joint in the steering shaft was somewhere around the firewall. The 67 design allowed for the collapsible section to be inserted under the instrument panel so that, in a crash, the column would collapse so it would not be driven through the driver like a spear.
My 67 had the breakaway column, *and* a tilt wheel, released by pulling rearward on the turn signal lever.
FWIW, old auto-safety-related magazine articles (PS or PM or MT) I have read indicated that
it was GM products that had the biggest issue with rearward/upward column
displacement in frontal crashes. Ford products seemed less affected.
They changed it because the 61-66 design was swing only, no tilt function.
The market demanded a tilt wheel, so they had to respond. It was a 3-year only design with minor variations (’68 added a collapsible section). The advent of the column-mount ignition switch ended it.
While Ford was certainly an adherent of NIH, they did relent and purchase Saginaw tilt columns from GM for use in ’65-66 Mercury and Lincoln. ’67 was the first year for a Ford-designed tilt, and they came in two varieties, swing-away for T-Birds, Mustangs and Cougars, and tilt-only for Mercs and Lincolns.
Re the 8-mph locks. My dad’s company ’67 LTD had those too, and caused all kinds of problems. One time they locked themselves at a gas station station with the keys inside. Later on our Expo 67 road trip they failed completely, applying full vacuum even with the car at rest. AFAIR that vacuum was strong, it took mom’s both hands to pull up the lock plunger!
I grew up with a ’68 4-door Landau from ’71-’74. It replaced my Dad’s beloved ’63 Continental, both suicide rear door cars. The T-Bird was quieter, faster (first year of the Ford 385 series big block 429) and had significantly more features, like a great sounding 8 track stereo.
We were middle class like the rest of neighborhood, however my Dad as a business man loved luxury cars. Where as most kids I knew parents drove Fury’s, Monte Carlo’s, and mostly forgetable iron; our T-Bird stood out. Most people had no idea what to make of it. But I will tell you all they had to do was look inside to see how cool and comfortable it was.
Even today (based on comments here within), people just don’t get something like this unless it was built by GM. This car in my appraisal was unique in the way it sounded, and exuded class. A Ford man to this day (although My Dad died a Cadillac man) in many way because this very fine member of the Ford family of cars.
While I would rather have a Bullet Bird or a 1966 T-Bird, I like this generation,
I think the best name for the ‘67-‘71 generation of Thunderbird is LOSTBIRD, but VINLYBIRD is also very descriptive. While the interior was a nice transition from the 1966 Flair Bird it did seem out of step for 1967. You got to love the ‘67 Levant grain and the ‘68-71 Aligator grain Vinyl Rooftops. Vinyl tops w/S Bar were standard on the 4 door Bird.
This T-Bird’s large flared wheel openings were likely inspired by the Toronado. Not sure if any one mentioned that bucket seats, which had been standard on all T-Birds since 1958 became optional in 1968, similar to Riviera’s switch to standard bench seats in 1966. It’s interesting that 66% of the 1969 T-Birds had bench seats. Riviera outsold Thunderbird for the first time in ‘69. Bunkie’s Beak ‘70-‘71 Birds saw more sales drop likely due to Mark III, Grand Prix and Monte Carlo. Sales became healthy again with the ‘72-‘76 Big Mark IV Luxury Birds.
Yes, people criticize Ford’s decisions now, yet at the the time they were just giving buyers what they wanted. The bigger and uglier they got, the better they sold, until the ’73 oil shock. Given time, I’m sure sales would have bounced back, but CAFE and other factors conspired against the big Birds.
Time has softened my perception of the Glamourbird, and I vote for letting it keep that title. When I first saw these in late ’66, my reaction was, “Ford can’t be serious”. The notion of a four door ‘Bird in particular seemed in violation of natural law. But that was then, and today I view them more charitably, especially when painted a dark color. Still, I’d rather have a Lincoln Mark III than one of these.
Based on the love it/hate it responses this has generated, I’m now thinking:
Polar Bird
I like it. I’ll take the white one please.
Tweenerbird, because it’s following several recognizable stylistic themes but hasn’t quite morphed to the next coherent one, neither fish nor fowl.
Some of those other names, however, have had me snorting my morning coffee. Just got another mug.
I must have been 10 or 11 years old, and just starting my Hot Wheels collection when I bought this T-Bird. So for me it will always be the “Hot Wheels Bird.”
Even though the 1983 T-Bird was a massive improvement over its predecessor (though still on the same Fox platform), it still retained the role in the Ford lineup it took on in 1977. As Ford’s Monte Carlo, though a very good one.
It wasn’t until the 2002 revival as a two-seater on the premium DEW98 platform (shared with the Lincoln LS and Jaguar S-Type) that it returned to what it was originally, a specialty premium model over and above the standard Fords, almost its own brand, “unique in all the world.”
Unfortunately, it proved the 1958 four-seat concept right as it did not sell well at all. It’s also true the personal coupe market dried up across the board, so Ford dropped it in ’05 and hasn’t bothered with it since.
I understand your rationale, being mainstream Fox chassis based, however the 89-97 MN12 did that as well. It was completely unrelated to any Ford model or platform except the Cougar and Lincoln Mark VIII. Very different from the W body Lumina coupe, err, Monte Carlo of the 90s
From that point of view, you’re right. But then compare pricing. The 1976 T-Bird was a Continental Mark IV clone and the most expensive Ford. As were its predecessors. But from 1977 onward, you shopped the Thunderbird against the Montes, Regals and Grand Prixs of the world. Not Marks or Eldorados.
It’s also true that the Fox T-Bird shared a platform with the Mark VII, but the Lincoln was priced way higher. Same with the MN12, also used on the Mark VIII, but again the Lincoln boasted the 32-valve InTech engine and was way dearer than the Ford.
Bottom line, Ford went downmarket with the T-Bird from ’77 onward, and like the move to four seats in ’58, it resulted in much higher sales volumes.
Even thought the 1983 T-Bird was a massive improvement over its predecessor (though still on the same Fox platform), it still retained the role in the Ford lineup it took on in 1977. As Ford’s Monte Carlo, though a very good one.
It wasn’t until the 2002 revival as a two-seater on the premium DEW98 platform (shared with the Lincoln LS and Jaguar S-Type) that it returned to what it was originally, a specialty premium model over and above the standard Fords, almost its own brand, “unique in all the world.”
Unfortunately, it proved the 1958 four-seat concept right as it did not sell well at all. It’s also true the personal coupe market dried up across the board, so Ford
I like the Shaverbird. If you remember Victor Kiam: “I liked the shaver so much I bought the company!” Ultimately, though, I think it’s just a Bland-bird compared to the four previous characterful generations.
The Blubberbird.
Puckerbird
This iteration, I’d name it the Dodo Bird – doomed to extinction – and the 1980-82 misfits I’d call the Dirty Birds for the poop they resemble. I still don’t even like to admit they ever existed.