(first posted 2/20/2016) After braving winds and cold rain on the obligatory daily walk, I came home today and stumbled into this picture I took on a very different sort of day. It makes me warm just to look at it. The Coast Starlight was running late that day, as it’s supposed to leave Eugene at about five. But it’s photobombing my shot of this T-Bird basking in the sunset of a warm evening was quite welcome. Too bad the rest of the shots of this car didn’t turn out.
My camera (long discarded) just couldn’t get a focus; maybe it was too dark already. But you know what a 1955 Thunderbird looks like.
Seeing the Coast Starlight that night heading for Willamette Pass gave me the idea to ride it over the cascades and back. Just a few days later, we made that trip, which I documented here.
Always liked the styling of the ’55. The best looking of the ’55-’57 birds. No Continental kit and the small tailfins just look right.
Beautiful shot, with the train running by, double sun reflection and the twilight lighting.
The Superliner directly ahead of the T-Bird looks like the variant with low-level seating in place of the baggage compartment. These passenger cars are like big old Yank Tanks: spacious, quiet, comfortable, and very smooth on continuous rail, probably the most comfortable travel this side of cruise ships.
Trouble with Sunset Limited service is, arrival time at LA Union Station is too early even for the rental-car desks to be open. You have to loiter about in that big old building until opening time, very different feel vs. airline travel.
Yes, the continental sems to ruin the looks of classics. The worst one ive seen is the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Continental. The rear end of it sticks out 4 feet haha! And t oanswer your question about the flags on the gas cap, they came stock.
Beautiful car and shot. Much better w/o the Contnental tire. The tires look huge, although the wide whitewalls and flat wheelcovers might just make them look that way. Somehow though, the look works.
Were the little crossed flags on the gas cap door stock?
yes
I see that I am not the only one who likes the ’55 the best. I think the Continental Kit on the back of the ’56 ruins the simple, yet elegant lines of the car. Of course, I think they ruin the looks of any car. The ’57 is nice but a little too stretched looking for me.
One of my early experiences of riding in a fun car was when a young employee of my dad borrowed his cousin’s 4 year old ’56 and took my brother and I on a fast ride one evening. Many years later I drove a ’57 with 2 four barrel carbs across Indiana for a guy I knew who had bought it at a Kruse auction. That was a fun car to drive.
I like the styiling of the ’55 Thunderbird. And i love how Ford designed the 1956 Fairlane Club Sedan (and other Fairlane models) after the Thunderbird. My favorie feature of the Thunderbird and Fairlane is the tail lights.
“Sunset, Starlight, Thunderbird.”
In Los Angeles there is a short stretch where the Sunset (Limited) and (Coast) Starlight run on the same tracks. But there are no grade crossings where you could add a 1955 Thunderbird. Though there are nice ones in Southern California, they don’t often come out after dark anyway.
When I first saw the title shot before reading the text, I thought it might have been a Cohort shot from Chicago. The Coast Starlight looks like one of our Metra commuter trains, the high-rise looks like some of our 60’s architecture, and the bike path sign is also similar to one of ours. When I read “Willamette Pass”, it made me think of our northern suburb of Wilmette. Strange, cool parallels. At least you got one nice, clear shot of this beautiful ’55. Great, evocative dusk shot.
It looks like the best photo is the one you posted first .
Simply lovely .
-Nate
I had a faint memory that there was a mid-1950s Thunderbird ad with that “waiting at the station” theme, but I can’t find it at the moment.
As a Ford guy, I’ve always had a soft spot for these–but don’t know if I’d really buy one (in preference to a different auto “toy”) if I could convince myself to spend the money.
It’s likely not news to any CC-er, but Ford evidently planned for the Victoria trim on the T-bird until pretty close to production; anyone know any details?
While I’m asking questions: I’ve viewed the various [1954] T-bird photos from this locale a zillion times over the past 50 years and still wonder where it was taken–Grosse Pointe–SoCal–elsewhere?—any ideas?
I like the Victoria trim .
I wonder if two – toning it would have ruined the looks .
-Nate
I think that two tone would ruin the sporty look of the Thunderbird. I have to say, though, that the 1956 Ford Fairlane killed the two tone styling. (in a good way!) When my great grandmother was still here on Earth, she would always talk about the two tone 1956 Ford Fairlane Club Sedan she had. (below the trim was painted Fiesta Red and the top of the car was painted white. In 1956, Fiests Red wasn’t an optinon for the ’56 Fairlane. But the car was custom ordered. I actually have a picture of the car. Although, it was repainted over 30 years ago to a baby blue. Now, the car has been abandoned in my town in front of a small truck dealership. As much as i want to save the car, I dont have the funds or time to do it. It breaks my heart to see the car sit there, rotting away. I’ll include a picture of it. I noticed that the white paint is original.
Heres another picture of the car.
Can’t save ’em all , at least you appreciate it , in my day ’55 & ’56 Fords were not popular , I know they’re good and stylish little rigs .
-Nate
Beautiful shot. The older I get, the better the 55 looks to me. Up to about age 25 I liked the 56, and then the 57 took over. The 55 has a simplicity about it that the others lack.
It still boggles my mind, that when bringing back the two seat T-bird, that Ford could have goofed it so bad. The 55 looked like the twin with the drop dead gorgeous eyes, and the retro bird looked like the other twin that is legally blind without her glasses.
Did the styling of the standard ’55 to ’57 Fords influence the styling of the Thunderbirds or was it the other way around?
Beautiful picture – worthy of framing and hanging on the wall…in the house or garage…….
Great shot
Very well photographed indeed. Sometimes the circumstances just come together.
Nice color of the T-Bird too, though it looks pale green in the first photo and pale blue in the second. Either would suit it.
Sunset, starlight, Thunderbird. One of the “cliche” old cars but that top pic shows well why the ’55-57 T-bird became so popular.
Once again, that’s a classic – the photo and the car….and really like the Amtrak train in the background…
Nice photo, nice piece of Americana.
I don’t remember the photo from six years ago, but really enjoy seeing it today. I’ve heard it said that prices on the ’55-56-57 cars was kind of a bellwether for the old car hobby in general, but I wonder where the market’s going with the passing decades; will those whose parents weren’t even born in 1955 want these?
Here’s another early photo from the same locale as Sally Sublette’s above (no Victoria spear). It turns out that’s 425 Golfcrest in Dearborn, MI, abutting the Dearborn Country Cluub. It’s so close to Ford HQ, Greenfield Village, etc. that those attending the CC meet-up a few years ago could have walked over for a pilgrimage: https://www.google.com/maps/place/425+Golfcrest+Dr,+Dearborn,+MI+48124/@42.316589,-83.2490942,3a,75y,300.73h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s9iJWFL2N2d9KySYUj7U4BQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m5!3m4!1s0x883b357e3f07be6b:0xc9b2970ea5ec7026!8m2!3d42.3167207!4d-83.249388