(first published 4/16/2013) The Thunderbird: So irrational, so illogical, so often successful. Out of all the cars that make no sense–at least on paper– I’m willing to give the beguiling bird a pass. And it shouldn’t come as a surprise that my favorite is the first version to really jump the shark: Landau bars and eight-tracks, anyone?
It started out this way–kind of. The Thunderbird’s ridiculous factor started pretty early, from where I stand. Nothing says sporty like a Continental kit and opera window, right? Not enough trunk space for a set of golf clubs? Then damn the already-middling handling–throw in at least a hundred pounds more behind the rear axle!
Next came the genre-defining personal coupe. While not the first of the breed (at least in my view; I bestow that honor on the ill-fated Studebaker “Loewy Coupes”), it was one of Ford’s two biggest wins of the late ’50s. Say what you will about the heavy-handed George Barris styling, but that blind C-pillar defined hardtop elegance for the better part of a decade. The Squarebird proved that you didn’t need a premium brand to sell a premium product to the (relative) masses. Plenty of its 93,000 sales in 1960 came at the expense of the Olds Ninety Eight, Buick Invicta and, tellingly, Mercury Park Lane as it burst open the upper echelons of the medium-price market.
Not only was the “Bullet Bird” closely related to the definitive car of the 1960s, it came equipped almost as fully as a Continental itself. At the time, its standard power steering and power brakes were luxuries normally reserved for top-rung models, and other innovative “luxury” highlights swiftly became the wind beneath the ‘Bird’s wings. While early-’60s General Motors products tended to throw in a lot of wizardry, it wasn’t limited to one model. There were no turbocharged Cadillacs, nor were Impalas fitted with ComfortTemp Climate Control. The combining of such fantasy with sheet metal as bold as the dream of a moon landing by decade’s end created a heady mix.
Then came the Landau, sporting a textured-vinyl top and a piece of chrome trim, commonly associated with hearses, that was every bit as ridiculous as that 1956 Continental kit. What’s so absurd is that at some kind of pretentious level, it all works. “I can make death cool! I’m the mystical bird they call Thunderbird! I upset everything! You love me for it!”
Suburbia has always embraced all the little, pretentious ways of making things in your house or driveway appear a little bit better than the neighbors’: In this case, some ridiculous chrome trim gave buyers just enough incentive to splurge, as over 12,000 1963 Landaus were sold. In its next incarnation (the oh-so-James Bond-themed Flair Bird), the Thunderbird finally faced some actual competition from the formidable Buick Riviera and Studebaker’s last-ditch Avanti and Gran Turismo Hawk–never mind the bucket-seat bombs offered in the forms of loaded Impala SS’s, Grand Prixes and Starfires. Still, the Thunderbird’s special brand of zany overwrought luxury kept it ahead of the pack in sales.
Ten years after the Thunderbird’s birth came the 1965 model: ridiculous, porcine–but utterly commanding of attention. Taken element by element, it isn’t necessarily beautiful, or even cleanly styled. Neither definitively feminine nor masculine when done up in the Landau package, it has the visual impact of Dennis Rodman wearing a wedding dress and marrying himself.
The advertising backed up the egotism. “The Private World of Thunderbird” barely calls this car a Ford, or even a Ford product. Instead, it’s all about an “experience”, one not too far removed from the vaunted “Cadillac experience”. In any case, you experienced things in a well-trimmed place featuring luxury-level fittings and equipment and the most modern of mobile attributes, including an eight-tack tape player, disc brakes and toggle switches that made you feel like you were, well, piloting a plane instead of a mere car–and especially not a mere Ford.
We can forgive this swinging mansion-on-wheels for having the driving dynamics of a 40-foot motor home. I exaggerate, of course, but not by much. In truth, all of those modern, luxurious Thunderbird features rode on late-Fifties underpinnings. In the pre-computer, unit-body age, achieving the isolated splendor expected of American luxury cars required using much more metal than was necessary. As a result, the Thunderbird–although not much bigger than a Cutlass or Skylark–tipped the scales at 4,500 lbs. It was overbuilt to a fault, which left a lot to be desired when you had to (or wanted to) do anything beyond serene driving.
It’s well established that the comparable (in price and prestige) first-generation Riviera could run circles around the Thunderbird even before one started clicking off performance-option boxes. What’s more, any Grand Prix or Starfire could dust it in a straight line. Even a mid-trim Granny-Good-Looks Grand Turismo Hawk was within striking distance–and in supercharged guise, surpassed it.
By 1965 the Hawk was extinct. The Starfire was a Supernova before its implosion and subsequent 1975 return as a dwarf star. Pigging out on fender skirts and vinyl tops, the Grand Prix was going through its own identity crisis, which would ultimately take four years of therapy and a serious diet to resolve. And it wouldn’t be long before even the star-athlete Riviera had to contend with E-body sibling rivalry as well as an identity crisis from which it would never recover.
None of which mattered to Thunderbird: For better or worse, it still knew exactly what it was. Sure, it handled like a Jello mold and got 12 mpg (but only on a good day while cruising the Interstate at only 65 mph). Sure, it took around 11 seconds to reach 60 mph (with 300 horsepower!) and might well leave you eating a Corvair Corsa’s 140-hp dust when the light turned green. But really, who cared? It had sequential turn signals!
The “Flair Bird” frankly didn’t give a damn. It is possibly the most quintessentially American car–ever. It’s my favorite Thunderbird because it couldn’t care less about any of your requirements or specifications or ideas of what defined a great car. About the only thing it’ll concede is that disc brakes became standard in 1965. After all, why should it ruin its face for the sake of your foolish and overambitious motoring shenanigans?
Today’s world has become too impossibly cynical to embrace a car like the 1965 Ford Thunderbird Special Landau, which so blatantly mocks its cynicism and superficiality in such an honest way. I quite often mourn the loss of such an automobile–and the funeral at which I cried the most was for the beautiful train wreck that was the Flair Bird.
Brilliant post! And excellent “seeing” in your photos.
I’d have one of these Birds any day. And drive it proudly.
My uncle was in high school and bought my brother and me two 1965 toy cars. My brother got a 1965 Thunderbird and I got an Impala SS. I was so damn jealous of the Thunderbird. The Thunderbird looked like something found in a movie back lot in Hollywood, and my Impala looked like something found in a parking lot in Akron.
Worse, his Thunderbird was ruby red, and my Impala was puke aqua. His Thunderbird had a white vinyl landau roof, and my Impala’s roof was puke aqua.
When we unwrapped the gifts, my parent’s eyes lit up in a delightful suprise at the Thunderbird. “WOW!” “Look at that!” “What a beautiful car!” “Does that white roof pop off to make it a convertible?”
“IT DOES!”
“Look at that interior!” “There’s a guy I know at work who saw one and did you know that the steering wheel swings away automatically towards the sports console, and then swings back in front of you when you close the door?”
“Did you know that the back seats curve around like Aunt Hilda’s new barrel chairs? They are like your own personal recliner. With that rear console in the back its like your own personal recliner, and it has a rear speaker and everything!”
“Did you ever see how the tail lights flash like the neon sign at the Tivoli? At first I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, but it kept happening! Don’t laugh Mom, but the first time I saw that TBird tail light do that, I followed it until the driver of that car turned again, right into our church parking lot next to the fire hydrant they’re replacing after that fire!” “Why can’t all cars do that with their tail lights?”
“Did you get a car from your uncle too, Dude?”
“What is it?”
“Oh, that’s nice. Doesn’t your piano teacher’s father have a station wagon like that? “I think it burns oil.” “Is that a real color? Kinda like teal.” “That reminds me Mom, did you know that Jenny threw up last week after eating that green Jello salad at Denny’s?”
“Let’s see that car, Dude!” “Let me put down my pipe first.” “Say, that’s a looker too!” “What the hell is it?” “Pontiac?” “Hey Dad, what the hell is this aqua sedan?” “Oh yeah – a Chevy.” “Remember that Bel Air you had Dad?” “The one that burned oil?”
So – let’s just say that I have always known how much this Thunderbird attracts folks to it. Even before I was old enough to lose my baby teeth.
Disc brakes were standard, not optional, on both the Continental and T-Bird in ’65, a rarity for Detroit at the time. The discs and accompanying 15-inch wheels made a big difference in the Flair Bird’s ability to stop without embarrassing anyone. By contrast, someone I once knew described an incident involving a drum-braked ’64 Thunderbird that ended up on someone’s lawn after running out of brakes during a hasty stop from an imprudent but not ridiculous speeds.
One minor consequence of the switch to discs is that you could no longer use the (14-inch) Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels that had been standard on the short-lived Sport Roadster and occasionally installed on the ’64 Flair Bird. There are aftermarket wire wheels that look similar and will accommodate the discs, but the original wheels won’t fit.
The 390’s 300 (gross) horsepower rating didn’t have much to do with its actual as-installed net output, which was probably more like 225 or thereabouts. Interestingly, its claimed horsepower wasn’t any better than the 352 it replaced, although it had more torque.
All that aside, I have a perverse affection for this car for the same reasons Laurence does. I would have adored it when I was about 11 and only cared about cars for their potential to house gadgets and facilitate starship-piloting daydreams.
Reading through period reviews, it seems brakes were often considered a Ford strong point through the mid-to-late ’60s.
Can’t say I can get on board with this Landau flair ‘bird, though. In profile, it looks like there’s meant to be another foot or two between the rear edge of the door and the fat rear pillar. As it is, the proportions say ‘Falcon coupe’, not a compliment at the price.
But I suppose if you’re driving it, you’re looking at the interior, and what an interior.
Corrected the Disc Brake gaffe, Thanks!
I think Lincoln was the 2nd American brand to offer 4-wheel discs (but as an option) with the ’75 Conti. The ‘Vette Stingray was 1st, a decade before.
For perspective, the otherwise primitive MGB had front discs std. since 1961. They were made by Lockheed (not the aerospace firm).
I believe that 4 wheel disks were standard on the 74 Imperial.
Four-wheel discs were standard on the ’74 Imperial after the discontinuation of the four-wheel anti-lock braking system, which never sold very well. I think the Mark got them at the same time and they became standard on the Eldorado I believe in 1975. Four-wheel discs were at least optional on the Thunderbird for a while during the same period.
Before that, four-wheel discs were nominally optional on the 1969 Camaro Z/28 (RPO JL8), although from everything I’ve read they were a singularly elusive option, probably designed more for
homologation“off-road use” than for consumers.http://www.camaro-untoldsecrets.com/articles/rpo_jl8.htm
A little something on the secret.
Phooey, I was afraid someone would show me up.
The Ford Zephyr of 66 had 4 wheel discs standard.
A lot of non-U.S. cars had four-wheel discs when Americans were still paying extra for discs up front. The Mk IV Zephyr/Zodiac/Executive was never officially sold in the States, although I imagine there are a few around.
In the 60s most foreign cars were small cheap runabouts with stretched vinyl seat covers pulled over spring seats. Most cars were manual transmission so they could at least offer disk brakes since they lacked other luxuries.
Great read and loving you photographic eye, Mr. Jones!
My father had a ’64 T-bird and I drove it occasionally. It was not a very nimble car to drive. The emphasis was on space-age features – the swing-away steering column for entry/exit…the very overdone gauges which looked like a row of eyeballs across the dashboard. And the rear seating featured upper cushions which curved around to the side of the interior. Oh yes, it had an 8-track player.
Stunning,I don’t care that it’s thirsty,has so so handling and is huge and impractical.
One of your best, ever, Laurence. You have nailed the essence of the Thunderbird in this era. It wasn’t a car at all, but a lifestyle. Or maybe something to project the image of the lifestyle.
As a mere car, the TBird made no sense at all. A 113 inch wb car that weighed 4500 pounds has to be the heaviest ever. One side benefit, though, about all of that weight was that the car felt ultra luxurious. These were tight, solid, quiet cars. Also, Ford trimmed them with very high quality materials and pieces.
The 65 is probably my favorite of the Flair Birds. There is something about the trim details that is just a touch better than the 64, and I prefer these to the slightly re-styled 66s. I would ditch the landau bars, however.
The 65 Thunderbird we had when I was in high school was tight, solid, and quiet – good description. The antithesis of the Landau, it was a beige on beige coupe with the redlined whitewalls and a radio as options. The standard model was very well equipped and the vinyl upholstery was of very high quality.
The thin shell front bucket seats and the “cocktail lounge” rear seat both were very comfortable. The interior lighting, including the red and white lights in the doors, was spectacular and made all the interior chrome really gleam. It was the first car I drove that had really decent brakes, and the flow thru ventilation worked well, just like a modern car today. I liked the vacuum controls for the heating/ventilation and automatic transmission, and the windshield wipers ran off the power steering pump.
The T-Bird was a heavy car and delivered poor gas mileage. The only other fault I recall was that the trunk leaked on occasion (many owners reported the same problem) and the trunk lining was a somewhat cheap looking plaid material that didn’t measure up to the rest of the trim.
Overall, these were well built cars of very high quality and worth their premium price. As Laurence suggests, their unique qualities made the owners feel special.
Laurence, your photograph of the Squarebird is just magnificent – beautiful lighting in a perfect setting that highlights the mid-century style so well.
The in-depth detail of the 65 ThunderBird is the cause for my purchase of mine, I though seem to be saving for
Added maintenance to the such! Question, was there skirts made for the 65-69′?
Seeking, owners manual for the 1969. I’m told that these
model’ sometimes either had and wondered if skirts are still being sold via car enthusiasts link: curbside classic!
My 65 Landau has original skirts.
My 64 convert came without them but I ordered a pair from Larry’s.
As an aside, you know what else had a wheelbase of (about) 113 inches and weighed close to 4,500 lb? A Jaguar XJ12L. The XJ was shorter and narrower than the Flair Bird (200.5 inches overall in Series II form, a bit shorter for the Series III, about 70 inches wide), but it’s not far off.
I’d smirk at this car’s driver as I flipped open my new Riv’s “eyelid” headlight doors and blew it away…or else I wouldn’t even make eye contact while doing the same thing in my new 300…I guess it’s true, this car is all about daydreams!
That interior is awesome, at least. And as always, Laurence presents some gems:
“It has the visual impact of Dennis Rodman wearing a wedding dress and marrying himself.”
Ha!
I actually knew someone that rigged up a system to open his headlights on a 68 Eldorado separately. He disconnected the terminal from the headlight switch and installed two separate hidden switches. With an OFF-ON-MOMENTARY switch it was not hard to do. He was well known to “wink” at people.
Those wide whites have to go.
Also, Ford factory 8-tracks began to be offered in 1966, with only the T-Bird, Lincoln and Mustang having it integrated with the radio, which was AM only. Believe it or not, Ford had no AM-FM-8-track units until 1973. Although Ford was an early adopter/leader in cartridge tape units, they were a little late to the FM party, which was GM’s baliwick.
We didn’t start listening to FM in earnest until the late 70s OEM radios being a quite expensive option on cars at the time I can’t say I am shocked maybe more curious. When I ordered my 79 Olds Of which I paid less than $5k for the top of the line AM/FM Quadraphonic stereo which was the first year for cassette was like $380. It is interesting that it took until the mid 1970s where even four speaker systems were common. My first car had one speaker in the front.
I thought GM didnt offer quad units? did you install it yourself?
were quad 8 tracks still popular in 1979? I thought the format was dying by then
My 77 New Yorker came from the factory with an 8 track. I had to buy one of those adapters so that I could play cassettes in it.
It wasn’t really listed as a Quadraphonic, at least not trademarked like Ford. I sort of use the term as a metonymy to refer to a high end four speaker stereo of the day. The first truly nice four speaker car stereo system I had was in a 1976 Seville. I will say the ETS system in my 1981 Imperial with rear amplifier boost still sounds very nice today for a factory unit. I replaced the two rear speakers with appropriate new 6×9 and I can ride with the windows down and sunroof open quite nicely.
As an employee, even with a fair amount of haggling and trying, I was able to get a COPO Cutlass Calais coupe ordered to my specifications. The Calais came with bucket seats and floor shifter, I ordered T-tops, 350V8 (which was what the COPO was for), aluminum wheels, AM/FM Cassette (maybe first year for cassette). It looked a lot like the car pictured below with T-tops. No vinyl roof. The MSRP was like $6,200 something like $1,600 in options. I know the radio, a/c, and the T-tops were over $1k of it. I kept the car until I bought a 1985 Oldsmobile Toronado Caliente.
I know in 1983, the first Delco/Bose stereo unit was available on my Eldorado (my car does not have it), over and above the already factory AM/FM stereo was $895.
I think 8 tracks sort of died off in a similar trajectory as disco and CB radios. All three were very popular in the mid 70s then waned and dropped like a rock around 1981. GM discontinued 8 tracks in 1983. CBs lingered until about 1985 but were only offered in models that used the traditional two side post design. My 81 Imperial has factory CB radio plus the nifty amplifier so that is a rare set up there. I think Chrysler only made one CB unit everyone I have seen look the same except for the faceplate and knob color. 1982 was the last year Chrysler offered CB that I have seen.
Neat, it was like H/O Cutlass without having the gold paint, didn’t know you could get the 350 without getting an H/O. I think GM did have a few Delco 2000 style radios that had CB, I know that there was a CB option in the 1984 Corvette, its rare, but all 84 Corvettes use the big Delco 2000 series radio.
The 350 was the reason for the COPO I had to fight with Lansing for it and it took almost 3 months to get the car. Like with most things with GM, the H/O was a model but most of the individual components had their own RPO, so it was a matter of convincing the production people not to kick it back as a “non specified order” when people would make mistakes.
Probably because of that I was able to get nearly 50% resale on the car 6 years later. A lot of people wanted 350s the most common approach was just to have the dealer swap it out as many did. When diesels started having problems it became a ready supply of exchange parts. Also 350 Chevys were dropped in from leftover settlement cars. Seeing as power train warranties were largely 12/12 back then and without computers tracking stuff was less than ideal.
cool thanks for the info, interesting to hear about all the different options available
I bought a ’76 Omega from the original owner who did a similar order. He wanted an SX without the big graphic along the bottom. He ordered every SX item a la carte, including the FE2 suspension, Super Stock Wheels, 4 spoke steering wheel, and so forth. It was solid black with white guts and AC, with the 260 V8 and the Borg-Warner T50 5-speed. Too bad the trans turned out to be no good, worn out a 50,000 miles and no replacement part support at only 5 years old.
My father’s 1970 Continental Mark III had leather seats, but an AM radio. The first FM radio I can recall being in a car was in Mrs. Bordner’s 1966 GTO. At that time, FM stations were for adults, and kids’ music was on AM. By the mid 70s, that had reversed.
In my neck of the woods AOR (Album Oriented Rock) and free format FM survived until 1982 or so, then it went top 40. I used to be so Po’ed that my dad would never get FM. I bought a used ’76 Omega in autumn ’80 and the first thing I did was install a knock-off GM AM-FM made by Audiovox. Finally, I had my FM.
Speaking of FoMoCo audio system firsts, let’s not forget that the 1987 Lincoln Town Car was the first car to offer a CD player. It was located under the front dash, not part of the radio. I couldn’t find a pic but I’ve seen it. It looks like the early eight-track players in cars, kind of after-market add-on. In order to get it you had to order the JBL audio system.
I remember seeing one at the Auto Show when it was new, I think thats the only Town Car I’ve seen with the CD player.
Yep, my old boss brought a new CD player equipped 87 Town Car to work on a test drive. He felt that the housing sitting on the trans hump was an eyesore, and we weren’t sure that CDs would ever replace cassettes for mobile music, so he opted for another Town Car with a cassette player equipped radio. I believe he still had that car when he died last year.
what was the first car to offer a factory FM radio?
Don’t know if it was first, but the 63 Cadillac offered one. You could either get the AM with a signal seeker, or the AM/FM.
Roger,
Actually, Lincoln offered an FM adapter as an option on the 1958-60 Lincoln line.
Few people even knew what FM radio was in the 60s. Plus those that could it didn’t have much to listen to.
These birds have the absolute thickest doors I have ever seen. I opened one recently and I swear, that door was more than a foot thick.
I love these cars, but the flair birds have always had the face of a catfish to me. I’d take one, just on the basis of the interior. Roger, cleared for takeoff, runway 66, over.
There’s something about the year 1965 – a VERY important year in my life, and it sure is a fine coincidence that the cars stood out as much as the fabulous music did!
This is THE T-Bird I fell in love with, especially the wrap-around back seat. Actually, that back seat was the icing on the cake, as I could not find a single thing wrong with this car!
To this 14-year-old, my eyes opened when dad brought home the beautiful 1960 Chevy Impala Sports Sedan I would learn to drive in two years’ hence, and my love of cars began to blossom. The rest is history.
A wonderful Ford, if I do say so myself!
For the record, I had an early-60’s 4-track tape player for a while in 1969 that worked really well in my ’61 Bel-Air – that pre-dated 8-tracks by a year or two…
That Landau is perfectly framed with the mid-century former Safeway building behind it. I’d guess that car has visited there a few times over the last several decades.
Thunderbird owners in my vicinity as a kid had to deal with recurring incidents of smudges, fingerprints and drool on their windows. And sadly, the little Ford dealer downtown rarely stocked them. They were forever forbidden fruit, which only increased the desire.
You’ve captured it perfectly, Laurence.
So the side story here is, when my Great Grandfather retired from the Ford Plant, his garage became a defacto Ford Mechanic shop for all of the people in Belle Haven.with older Fords. He basically charged people for Parts he could get his hands on in mysterious ways, and did the work to keep him busy.
I’ve had my fair share of time playing with the interiors of Flair Birds over the summer while he worked on them. And got plenty of cruising time once those carb issues or brakes were fixed. That makes one helluva impression on a 5-6 year old.
That is pretty much my story but replace Ford with Cadillac. Started out being just older Cadillac, then older GM, then older anything, then anything I am comfortable working on. I made friends with a 40 something Latino garage-owner mechanic and he does overflow work for me.
To segue this comment from the previous post about repair bills it really is sad that it has come to that. Wealthy people don’t have to be concerned about cost. Poorer people either do without or find people in the lesser parts of town who can do it much cheaper. Its the middle and upper middle class that gets shafting by paying premium prices at retail establishments.
Another excellent post Laurence and great eye candy as usual…
Nice work as always, LJ. Just curious — around the same time, wasn’t there also a Thunderbird two-seat convertible that had a molded plastic cover between the the seat backs and deck lid? I’ve yet to see one in person, so they must be especially rare, even in So Cal.
They had some leftover tonneau covers from the 62-63 Sports Roadsters. Since the Flair Birds were pretty much the Bullet Birds underneath, they fit perfectly, so I think they kept selling those kits ’til they ran out. Don’t know whether that was over by the end of ’64 or ’65, but I’ve only seen one ’62 outfitted with it in person.
I believe that the tonneau cover for the 64-66 was an accessory, and would be surprised if the original piece would fit a flair bird, as the rear deck contours were quite different. Edit – A forum thread on the Vintage TBirds International site indicates that Ford planned a Sports Roadster package for the 64, but changed its mind after the tonneau covers had been made. The covers were available as accessories until Ford ran out. Some time back someone started selling repro tonneau cover for the cigar bird and the flair bird. Here in the midwest, every Joe with a 61-66 T-Bird convertible seems to have bought one. I have gotten so sick of them that I can’t stand it. The tell is that a genuine 62-63 Sports Roadster used wire wheels that stuck out far enough from the hubs that fender skirts were omitted. The repro cars have a wire wheel style that will fit behind the fender skirts.
Here is the ad.
The folklore has it that it that Elvis had one of these and one of the wire wheels collapsed, as they were known to do. No word on whether he shot it or not.
You still could get a tonneau cover and wire wheels in ’64 as dealer-installed options. I don’t think either was listed in the factory catalog, but I’m not positive. I’m not sure if the tonneau was actually identical to the ’63 item or adapted a bit to fit the ’64, but it certainly looks about the same.
Muddying the waters a bit is the fact that there are various aftermarket tonneau covers for the Flair Birds. I’ve seen a couple of these, some of which look almost identical to the factory unit, some that look quite different. As I understand it, some of the aftermarket tonneau covers actually predated the Sports Roadster and were part of the rationale for that project.
Few cars make sense or we would only have a choice between a Corolla a Caravan or an F150 to cover all basic transportation needs…
With that said, the mid late 60s were probably the pinnacle of automakers (especially domestic) ability to build an entirely American car unencumbered by emissions, CAFE, insurance, or safety regulations. Fuel prices were at the lowest cost in relation to disposable income in those pre OPEC days, Vietnam protests hadn’t really heated up yet, the economy was booming, and foreign make choices were limited to the Beetle and a handful of low volume quirky European models. So it is no surprise cars like these get built the closest thing from dream to reality as you are going to get, even if your dream (in the case of this T-Bird) world is more like Shangri-La.
Where were you in the late ’60s? I was in Chicago and the Vietnam protests in the summer of ’68 were epic (Grant Park, Democratic Convention). Vietnam was at the forefront of one’s consciousness if your student deferment was about to run out.
We’re talking three years earlier.
1965, not 1968.
The transition between 1965 and the ensuing years was significant. History professor (and my undergraduate mentor) James T. Patterson recently authored a book on this very topic:
The Eve of Destruction: How 1965 Transformed America
I highly recommend reading this book to better understand the rapid and dramatic changes in the US during this era.
I read one of LBJs biography slowly over the last months of 2012 into 2013. While it was written with a critical eye toward him, I did get a sense of the changes that took place changes I experienced as a child. Keeping this on topic as it applied to cars yes along with the social awakening came many other awareness pollution, automotive safety etc. So much that they say as much as 1/3 of a car’s development budget is tied directly into meeting regulations and not simply styling and comfort. I came into the business when the regulations were already in effect so I did not personally witnesses the confining nature of the changes. Fortunately for me I was still relatively young in my career when cars hit their nadir and enjoyed seeing this blossom again in the 80s and 90s.
Thanks CA Guy. Looks like a fascinating read!
In 65 even the news on TV didn’t really cover Vietnam that much. When I was a kid then most of our parents were WW2 Vets and some Korean war vets. Vietnam was really warming up in the late 60s and earlys 70s when it would be on the news every night and protesting was happening all over the country. It was like a different world in 65 than in 69.
“…An entirely American car unencumbered by emissions, CAFE, insurance, or safety regulations….”
The shorter term for this is “death trap.” I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t enjoy old cars, but like all of us in 2013, I have friends and relatives who have walked away from crashes that would have maimed or killed them in 1965 cars. The fatality rate is a fraction of what it was then, and lord knows it’s not because the typical driver’s skills are all that impressive.
Yes I agree – I think today’s cars are starting to get some flair again despite the requirements. I know I enjoy my 08 CTS for that reason powerful stylist especially in red very well identified as a Cadillac and very clean and safe. It is complicated a car and design and many times more laborious to work through it’s systems for repairs but thankfully has been extremely reliable.
With that said, the thought behind my statement was that these cars, like the 65 Lincoln being presented, represent as close to original conception as one could get. Today, many car designs are presented and the realities of not only cost but the before mentioned regulations often alters a product significantly.
I drive an 11 Camaro with a stick, I would say Flair is back!!!.
I had the chance to actually drive a Flair Bird for quite a while (like three weeks) and it as really a fun car to be out with. The 390 was hardly a powerhouse, I would think the estimate of 225 bhp to be spot on. What the car did well is cruise, which is what American cars of the day were designed to do. The suspension was far to soft to do any other kind of driving. Any kind of rough pavement would set the thing bounding like a hobby horse. There was simply too much mass moving around, especially that solid rear axle.
The interiors of these cars were superb, real quality materials. Going around Victoria BC with a Flair Bird on a mild summer evening was a lot of fun, albeit 10 mpg fun.
Thelma & Louise, anyone? 😉
Hold the hate…!
I was thinking Highlander.
Yep. I too drooled over a Special Landau in Ember Glo I discovered in a neighbor’s back carport… they also had a 60 ElDorado. This was their newer but less used boat.
I still like the SquareBird better than these. Go back and look at the pic of the dark brown one above…see how the highlight on the back corner of the top is the same shape as the one on the back of the fender? For all the various lines and fins that that car had, they all came together well.
Another thing that I like about those is that it was still possible to order them any way you wanted, and I saw at least one in black on black with a big engine and manual transmission, no power steering or brakes, and small hubcaps. That had to have been spec’ed out by some old character who wanted it to drive like his old hopped-up Ford coupe.
In my recollection the Squarebirds were much cruder cars than the next two generations and I think they shared more standard Ford trim parts whereas the 61-63s and 64-66s were more Lincoln Continental-like. My Dad’s good friend had a new 58 and it was not particularly well built (though as a kid I was wild about its styling). Also, when I was shopping for my first car in January 66 I test drove very nice low mileage 60 and 61 T-Birds. Night and day difference in terms of solidity, quiet, quality of interior trim, etc. The Flairbirds were even more refined. Both too rich for my teen car budget – ended up with a 60 VW bug. Good thing in terms of my gas budget too.
Sporty is not a word I would use when describing a Thunderbird, yeah they look cool I’ll grant you but around 57 it turned to crap, lets hang a huge turd on the bumper it looks cool yeah right, then lets make it outweigh the moon and its size that will drag in the punters and for some unfathomable reason it did, at least in the US and for that reason alone its the quintesential American car, big & ugly, covered in chrome with the build quality of a paper bag,
Performance, its only moderately fast in a straight line so the all show no actual go award be hung around this heap’s neck too.
Great idea personal coup’e but the transition to personal barge shoulda been missed.
I would argue one point – build quality was first rate on these cars. They were ungodly heavy unibodies and were stiff and solid as rocks. These were built in the same plant (Wixom, MI) as the unit body Lincolns, and all of those cars were built very well. Later Fords had structure or quality issues, but not these big unit construction Birds. They were expensive, but nobody ever felt like they got a cheap car when they bought one of these.
It’s really not hard to fathom why people snapped up the four-seat Thunderbirds. For one, they looked like auto show concept cars and really stood out in a crowd. They were gimmicky, to be sure, but it was a collection of gimmicks the American public enjoyed in a package that was sure to wow the neighbors. The Square Bird was certainly large by European standards, but wasn’t a particularly big car to American eyes. As for its handling and performance, they weren’t great, certainly, but it wasn’t like the T-Bird was competing with a lot of nimble sports sedans.
So, it was a car that didn’t really do anything worse than its contemporaries (except outright passenger room, which wasn’t the point) and scored notably better in styling, exclusivity and snob appeal. Was it a little silly? Sure, but no more so than some of the increasingly odd niche products coming out of Germany these days.
Are you nuts? These Tbirds may be heavy, cramped and thirsty but they are gorgeous.
Yeh..he is nuts.
I never owned a T-Bird but I did have the closest thing to it-a 1962 Galaxie 500 XL convertible with the 390 and automatic. True, not exactly a quarter mile terror, but if your mission was relaxed cruising at 90 mph all day long, especially while towing a trailer with one’s dirt bike on the back, this wasn’t a bad choice. Yeah, 10 mpg wasn’t a high point, but when gas was 29 cents a gallon, who cared?
The bodies were made by the Budd Company in Detroit. I once read that scraping the body required extensive work because of the rigidity of the structure. I always believed that the people most impressed with the Thunderchicken were their owners, although looking back, it really was in a class of one.
Laurence should publish a compilation of his contributions.
Great car and great post as always Lawrence!
Your description of Thunderbird fits damn near all of it’s generations. I last owned a 95, and while times had changed, it was still trying to define itself as a sports car and a personal luxury cruiser. It handled well enough with it’s IRS, but was too heavy to be sports car. It wasn’t all that powerful either, with any engine option (unmodified). More of a Mustang for the young family (and or grandpa).
I never drove a Thunderbird earlier than a 77 model, but I see many parallels between most of the generations, if not all.
I have always had a soft spot for Thunderbirds, even the maligned “bullet” design.
I always have a soft spot for marina Safeways. There’s a former Safeway about to take flight in the background of the first picture. The era of the car and the era of the store line up nicely.
My inlaws had a gorgeous white 65 T-bird that they sold for peanuts in the early 80’s. I wish I could have bought it, but no cash and no garage pretty much sealed the deal.
I too had a 95 T-bird. It was a solid and fairly economical cruiser, it was well worth owning. My family grew out if it so it was on to SUV’s for a few years. I would love to have a 65, and would consider the right 95 if it came my way. No way in hell would I have either a 75 or an 85, though.
IMHO the Fox-based 1983-88 models were among the best of the breed, especially with the 302. Even in Lo-po form, they went pretty good, handled well, were built reasonable and reliable. Any Mustang-based hot-rod upgrade can be applie to these as well.
Are you sure the Flair Birds were 4,500 lbs? That’s 500 lbs. more than my Fleetwood Brougham. These things were pretty, but they were porkers.
Read it and weep.
Damn 4,693 lbs. An 11.5 cubic foot trunk. And probably 10 MPG combined, city/highway.
Yep, they sure were – and the convertibles weighed in at 4,700. Flooring that 390 through that Cruise-O-Matic slushbox results in not much of anything happening except draining the gas tank. My old man bought a ’65 Landau in ’65 in the same “Caspian Blue” you see in these great photographs, and the car came down to me. Since 1980 I’ve owned half a dozen of these cars, and drove my ’64 convertible to work this morning. The 20-yr-old hipsters now consider them “cool”.
My father’s boss had a ’64 coupe in midnight blue w/light blue interior which I preferred to the ’73 T-Bird that my father had. The ’64 looked a lot better than the ’73.
Just purchased a 65 Thunderbird cant wait to take delivery, over here in Germany what a site it will be on the Autobahn.
The rainy street is Broadway in Oakland California. Auto Row for Oakland. I used to hit about 8 dealers every 2 months on my route. The Grocery Outlet is a former Safeway, as has been mentioned earlier. My aunt was the head cashier from about 1958 to 1978. In the ’60s she was driving a 912 from Orinda, thru Moraga and over the hill into Oakland. 1970, she got a 240Z for the trip. She could wear out a set of radials in 15k miles; that route has one quarter mile straight and the rest is curves. Great on a motorcycle, not so great in a car. Divorcee neighbor had a square bird in the early ’60s, she replaced it with a Fire Engine Red ’65 Fairlane with a 390. She always had interesting cars.
Don’t really have anything to add that hasn’t already been said, but great photos/great article. Like mostly everyone else, I love the shit out of this generation despite Ford’s best efforts to make me hate it. With a different roof, it would even be a tough call between this and the Bullet Bird for me (with regards to styling).
The interior is especially great. The dash is utter chaos compared to its simple, elegant predecessor, but it’s obviously very high quality and totally appropriate for the overall “lounge” theme that the entire space takes on. There aren’t many coupe back seats I’d like to spend time in, but this is one of them… even if my legs would probably hurt after 20 minutes.
Someone in the next town over from me actually uses one of these as a “station car”. It’s in good condition and kept up well, but it also constantly gets pigeon shit all over it from the railroad trestle it parks under.
Supreme job, Laurence. Bullet bird has always been my fave but I’m getting more and more affectionate towards a little flair. Pics and text of the highest order.
This is absolutely my favorite body style Thunderbird.
My 66 T-Bird Town Landau. A lighter looking front end for the Flairbird in its last year. utilizing a simple blade bumper and a body colored lower valance. Decreasing the size of the faux hood scoop, and yes, the epitome of mid 60s automotive design, a wall to wall taillight, with sequentials and a central backup light that appears out of the red lens when lit. Add a blanked out quarter panel window and consequential large sail panels for even more privacy in the rear seat lounge. This is the color known as ‘Silver Mink” with matching interior. A gorgeous color and one of only a few light colors that managed to look “rich” This car also has the 7 lite V8. Yes a full 428 ci. to haul around all that weight. Of course gas mileage is horrendous….But when it was new gas was only a quarter a gallon. if you were concerned about gas, this car was not for you. “Unique in all the World”…indeed.
You know I love your pictures, Laurence, and I love your writing too.
BTW, my inner Grammar Nazi is appalled at the error in the ad: “At your Ford Dealer’s try the new limited edition Special Landau.” Amazing no one caught that before it went to press.
Great job, LJ! As others have said before me, you have a talent when it comes to writing and photography. You captured that car perfectly!
These cars are cool, underneath all the tacked on fussy trim. I for one love this era of T-Bird as a ragtop. That hardtop just looks like its a poorly designed tacked on aftermarket piece. Much like the Meyer steel cabs that people were plopping onto CJ-5s at the time…just comes off like an afterthought. Make mine a rag, like the ’64 in Goldfinger.
Nope…the Hardtops look as classy as the convertibles.
The 64-66 T-Bird especially the 66 was one of the most beeootiful cars in the world. In the mid 70s I was about to buy a 66. Test drove it and it smooth and quiet like riding on a cloud. No body cared about handling back then, these cars were interstate and back road cruisers, Ford or no other manufacture back then were not going to sacrifice riding on a cloud in exchange for a firm ride like todays cars. Back then it was all about smooth quiet cloud like rides for luxury cars. For a more firm ride and noise you would opt for a muscle car. These cars were built before the big computer age. They did a damn good job.
I learned to drive on my dad’s brand new 1962 Landau. It was “Sand-shell Beige”. Many years later I purchased a “Triple-Black” 1964 convertible. I have owned it since 1997 and I purchased this “Flair-bird” from the original owner. Slowly, it’s been restored and it is gorgeous. Biggest problem is the complicated top mechanism (8 relays) and, after multiple repairs, it’s on the fritz again. It may not handle as well or is as fast as my 2004 Corvette but it get’s “thumbs-up” everywhere I go. Last year I found and purchased a Yellow 1965 Landau , again from it’s original owner’s family. It’s not as sexy as the “Blackbird” but the “Yellowbird” looks and runs just fine. No top to contend with. I would rather put money into keeping these classics on the road rather than spending a fortune on the depreciating crap being offered today.
Late to the party, but sure enjoyed the writing. My mom had a Beige ’61, neighbor across the street had a ’64 Landau (Blue/White Top). Mom loved that T-Bird, and it was a really good car as I recall.