1955 Ford Thunderbird Road Test - Remembering Motor Trends

Time to turn back the pages of history as we bring you our latest salute to 50 years of Motor Trend Magazine. This time around, we kick things off by revisiting our first test of the '55 Ford Thunderbird, Dearborn's sporty two-seat response to the Chevrolet Corvette. In addition to chronicling significant historical moments that occurred during the month of June over the decades, we'll also journey back to 1979 and take a look at what passed for performance 20 years ago. Closing the show is a selection of classic ads that pay tribute to the great American musclecars of the thundering '60s. Read closely and you'll also discover which GMC offering served as a harbinger of today's contemporary sport trucks, the identity of the last driver to win a Formula One championship for Ferrari, and when exactly the first production Corvette rolled off the assembly line.

Excerpts from our original Ford Thunderbird test-Dec. '54 The accusation that American car manufacturers couldn't build a sports car-even if they tried-is no longer valid. The first indication was the Chevrolet Corvette. And although Ford is the first one to deny it (Ford calls it a "personal car") they have a sports car in the Thunderbird, and it's a good one.

After pushing the car around the handling course a few times I soon got confident enough to begin taking the corners at 55-65 mph. With more practice, I felt sure that I could up the speed. That's how the car impresses you. The ride is unlike that which the diehard sports car addict has come to expect from a sports car. It's firm enough to prevent too much bobbing coming out of a dip or flying over a bump.

The Thunderbird will go with the best of them, even with the Fordomatic automatic transmission. In fact, with the Fordomatic, a hotter engine (198 hp) is used, compared to the stick shift's 190-hp engine. A time of 11.5 seconds is what we got for 0-60 mph, putting it into sports car company. Acceleration at passing speeds is impressive. We averaged times of 4.2 seconds to get from 30 to 50 mph, and 11 seconds from 50 to 80. That's enough to indicate that the 'Bird meets its advertised claims of "sports car...performance."

The Thunderbird has three basic points in its favor: a rakish, ground-hugging style, performance to match good sports cars, and a design that has built-in comfort for driver and passenger, with no penalty whatsoever to pay for fun.-Walt Woron, Editor

Today's PerspectiveThe Thunderbird was Ford's answer to the Chevrolet Corvette. Even though the T-Bird came out two years after the Vette, Ford found instant success with what it called its "personal car." Chevy built the Corvette to look great, but only sold 1700 in '55. Ford, on the other hand, built a sports car that would sell. Dealers moved over 16,000 Thunderbirds that same year. Sadly for Ford fans, the T-Bird configuration changed to a four-seater in '58 and became less of a sports car and more of a stylish gentleman's cruiser. While the Corvette has stayed true to its sports car roots, the Thunderbird has gone through several identity changes since '55. Nostalgia is big, and it's no accident that the recently introduced 2000 Thunderbird looks remarkably like the '55. If you want to relive the '50s, plan to shell out between $30,000 and $60,000 for an excellent condition '55 T-Bird with both the hard and soft tops.-Chuck Schifsky

This Month In Motor Trend History:A "Hairy" '69 Olds, Chuck Yeager Hits 7 G, And Import Performance Revs UpJune TriviaJune 4, 1957: U.S. automakers agree to a mercifully short-lived "racing ban" and to emphasize safety rather than performance aspects of their vehicles.

June 4, 1959: American Honda Motor Company is established in Los Angeles, California.

June 11, 1994: Opening day for the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California.

June 19, 1966: A trio of Ford GT Mk.IIs sweep to a 1-2-3 finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

June 27, 1955: Illinois becomes the first state to enact a seatbelt law.

June 30, 1953: Chevrolet builds the first production Corvette on a temporary assembly line in Flint, Michigan.

20 Years Ago Was Not The Best Of TimesThings were looking grim just prior to the dawn of the '80s. Autodom had barely recovered from the advent of catalytic converters and 5-mph bumpers when OPEC nailed the world with its second Gas Hoax of the decade. There was an all-new Mustang, but the best it could muster was 140 low-compression, single-exhaust horsepower. Chrysler was still at the doorstep of financial disaster, and automakers were working overtime to engineer what appeared to be a diesel-powered future. It didn't seem like there was much fun to write about-but the diehard MT staff still found whatever jollies there were to be had.

American MuscleTruly a golden era for fast and fabulous American iron, the '60s will forever be known as the time when gas was cheap, the V-8 was king, and automotive legends were born that are destined to live on in perpetuity. Manufacturers recognized that the quickest way to a performance enthusiast's heart was through the seat of his pants, and signature model designators like the Pontiac GTO, Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 and Chevelle SS396, Dodge Super Bee and Challenger R/T, Plymouth Hemi Cuda, Buick GSX, Mercury Cougar Eliminator, Oldsmobile 442 W30, Ford Boss Mustang, and Shelby G.T. 350/500 quickly attained exalted icon status.