Ford Thunderbird (fourth generation)

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Fourth generation Ford Thunderbird
File:1964 Ford Thunderbird Landau coupe, powder blue.jpg
1964 Thunderbird Landau
Overview
Manufacturer Ford
Production 1964–1966
Assembly Wixom, Michigan
Pico Rivera, California
Mahwah, New Jersey
Hapeville, Georgia
Body and chassis
Body style 2-door hardtop coupe
2-door convertible
Layout FR layout
Powertrain
Engine 390 cu in (6.4 L) FE V8
427 cu in (7.0 L) FE V8
428 cu in (7.0 L) FE V8
Chronology
Predecessor Ford Thunderbird (third generation)
Successor Ford Thunderbird (fifth generation)

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File:1965 Ford Thunderbird Hardtop.jpg
1965 Ford Thunderbird coupe

The fourth generation of the Ford Thunderbird is a large personal luxury car that was produced by Ford for the 1964 to 1966 model years. This generation of the Thunderbird was restyled in favor of a more squared-off, "formal" look. The Thunderbird's sporty image had by that time become only an image. The standard 390-cubic-inch 300 bhp (224 kW) V8 engine needed nearly 11 seconds to push the heavy T-bird to 60 mph (96 km/h), although with enough room a top speed of about 120 mph (200 km/h) was attainable. The softly sprung suspension allowed considerable body lean, wallow, and float except on smoothly surfaced highways; there was an export suspension package available as special order. Contemporary testers felt that the Buick Riviera and Pontiac Grand Prix were substantially more roadworthy cars, but the Thunderbird remained the leader of the market segment.

File:1965 Ford Thunderbird coupe (8882788681).jpg
1965 Ford Tunderbird with "Tilt-Away" steering wheel

The revised model was initially offered as a hardtop, a convertible, or Landau, with vinyl roof and simulated landau irons. The tonneau cover and wire wheels of the Sports Roadster remained available as a dealer-installed option, although only 50 were sold from the factory. Total 1964 sales were excellent: 92,465, up nearly fifty per cent from the previous year. The 1964 Thunderbird was the only car to have the word 'Thunderbird' on the front hood instead of the image of the Thunderbird.

Several features intended for the new generation were delayed until 1965, when front disc brakes became standard equipment and sequential turn signals were added. The latter feature flashed the individual segments of the broad, horizontal tail lights in sequences from inside to outside to indicate a turn. The delay resulted from legal difficulties with various U.S. state laws on vehicle lighting. Sales, impacted by increasing competition (including from Ford's own Mustang), dipped to 74,972.

File:1966 Ford Thunderbird Town Landau (2).JPG
1966 Ford Thunderbird Town Landau

For 1966 the 390-cubic-inch V8's power was increased to 315 bhp (235 kW). The larger 428-cubic-inch (7.0 L) V-8 became optional, rated at 345 gross horsepower (257.4 kW) and providing a notable improvement in 0-60 acceleration (to about 9 seconds). A new Town Hardtop model was offered, featured a roof with blind quarter panels for a more 'formal' look (at the cost of rear visibility). The Landau model was replaced by the Town Landau, which retained the previous model's padded roof and landau S-bars, but applied them to the Town Hardtop's formal roof. The Town Landau was by far the best-selling model, accounting for 35,105 of the 1966 model's 69,176 sales.

Reputedly a very rare, special order 427cid engine option was available through certain Ford dealers for 1963-1965 Thunderbirds; 120 of these "high performance" Thunderbirds were rumored to have been manufactured with six extant. Ford records do not support this claim and no documentation exists to suggest it is true. None of the remaining six cars have the provenance needed to prove the car is genuine; this provenance would typically include a Ford build sheet, window sticker, or appropriate supporting paperwork. Failing the discovery of supporting documentation, the legitimacy of these cars, the production figure of 120, and the availability of the option remain as speculative. The only known 427 cars from the original time frame were dealer built cars from performance oriented car dealers like Tasca Ford who's dealer built 427 Thunderbird was featured in CARS magazine in 1964.

A black 1964 convertible later had a major role in the TV series Highlander: The Series as protagonist Duncan Macleod’s main mode of transportation. A green 1966 Thunderbird convertible was prominently featured in the 1991 Ridley Scott film Thelma and Louise, starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, a red 1966 Thunderbird convertible was featured in the 1983 film The Outsiders which was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, and a green 1966 Thunderbird Convertible was featured in the David Lynch film Wild at Heart, starring Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern.

Production totals[1]

Year Production
1964 92,465
1965 74,972
1966 69,176
Total 236,613

References

  1. Tast, Alan H. and David Newhardt. THUNDERBIRD FIFTY YEARS. Motorbooks. October 15, 2004.

External links

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