8/11/2023 0 Comments 1964 thunderbird collector clubIn it, May 1, 1953, was set as the target date for a full-size clay model. ![]() Official approval of a crash program to develop the Ford sports car came in a product letter dated Feb. All hands had been instructed to go to work on a completely new Ford car for the 1955 model year. "Paper sports cars" took shape in the design studios. In the months that followed, there was a lot of talk about a "true Ford sports car." Some preparations were made. But, by the time Crusoe returned to the United States, there was indeed a "job just like that" in the works. It was not quite so, until Walker found it convenient to get to a telephone and talk with his aides back in Dearborn. "We have a job just like that in the works right now," was Walker's quick response. With their mission in mind, the two men were walking along the aisles of the Grand Palais in Paris when Crusoe gestured toward one of the sportier automobiles on display, turned to Walker and asked: "Why can't we have something like that?" Walker, later a Ford vice president and chief stylist, is described by contemporaries as a "stylist with the soul of an artist burning in his heart." His goal was to give it a car that breathed excitement, a car that would add prestige to the Ford name. As a Ford vice president and Ford Division general manager, it was his responsibility to strengthen a young Ford Division. Both were devoted to the automobile and its constant development and refinement.Ĭrusoe, a millionaire lured out of retirement by Henry Ford II, was a businessman with a solid "feel" for the automobile market. Crusoe and George Walker, were primarily responsible for the birth of the Thunderbird. Yet, through the years, through the many changes and near extinction, Thunderbird's uniqueness, individuality and engineering innovations have been retained. ![]() There has been the "square" look, the "projectile" look, the jet aircraft look and the luxury look. Since then, the flight of the Thunderbird has included classic two-seaters, cherished roadsters, convertibles and four-door models, as well as exciting hardtops and sedans - more than 4 million of them. It started in Paris nearly a half-century ago. The Ford Thunderbird nameplate lives on in the hearts of enthusiasts, in the garages of collectors and in the memories of millions.
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