Flying through the Years

An icon in the automotive technology, the Ford Thunderbird certainly has earned its place in history. This car is manufactured in the U.S. by the Ford Motor Company, one of the topnotch manufacturers of vehicles the world over. This vehicle was introduced in the year 1955 as a two-seater sporty car, which was unlike the superficially similar Chevrolet Corvette, and this was made with the intentions to compete against the latter. The Ford Thunderbird however was never sold as a full-blown sports car.

The company, Ford Motor Company, described this car as a personal luxury car, which had then begun the start of a new market segment. And after three years since its introduction in the market, this automobile then gained a second row of seats for more practicality.

The years 1955 to 1957 proved to be a success for the Ford Thunderbird since many people were clamoring for two seat roadsters. However, most of them wanted the convenience and practicality of a vehicle with more passengers and cargo room. It was redesigned then and became an instant success as it was named Motor Trend Magazine's Car of the Year.

Come the year 1961, this vehicle then went through another stage of restyling. And it came out with an all-new body shell that featured a pointed front nose, modest fins located above the traditional round tail lights, quad headlamps buried under the oblong housings, and it was also given much softer roof lines for the hard-top versions. Its interior was then dashed in with a dash that curved at its outboard ends so as to have the capability of blending in with the door panels.

Over the years, the Ford Thunderbird has undergone lots of restyling, refurnishing, and redesigning, for the purpose of keeping up with the lifestyle changes and also with the latest in technology and design. As for the most recent of these, in 2002, the Thunderbird was done over with modernized design elements from the 1955-1957 and 1961-1962 Thunderbirds; these elements had included port-hole windows, a hood scoop, rounded headlamps, tail lamps and fog lamps, and the trademarked badging. Moreover, the Motor Trend Magazine then gave the Motor Trend Car of the Year award for 2002 to the Ford Thunderbird.

Ford Parts Discount offers top of the line Ford Thunderbird parts. Customers have a choice from the wide collection of performance parts, replacement parts and also accessories. It offers new and used Ford Thunderbird A/C condensers, bumpers, fenders, lights, mirrors, wheels, radiators, and more.

The Ford Motor Company has chosen and decided to continue this line of models – the Ford Thunderbird – and it could prove to be a good one. These vehicles are considered to be one of America's most treasured classics. And for many years to come, it surely could still be named so.