![]() The only transmission available was the Cruise-O-Matic MX 3 speed automatic. The 1964 Thunderbird was the only model of this generation to have the word 'Thunderbird' spelled out on the front hood instead of a chrome Thunderbird emblem. ![]() ![]() Total 1964 sales were excellent at 92,465 units, up nearly fifty per cent from the previous year, but the popularity of the Sports Roadster continued to decline, with only 50 Sports Roadster sold from the factory. The revised model was initially offered as a hardtop, convertible, Sports Roadster with dealer-installed tonneau cover and wire wheels, and Landau with vinyl roof, simulated landau irons, and wood grain interior appointments. Models 1964 Thunderbird Hardtop Coupe 1965 Ford Thunderbird Hardtop 1966 Town Landau Contemporary testers felt that the Buick Riviera, Pontiac Grand Prix and Chrysler 300K were substantially more roadworthy cars, but the Thunderbird retained its leading market share. The softly sprung suspension allowed considerable body lean, wallow, and float on curves and bumps. The only remnant of the Thunderbird's former sporty image was that the standard 390-cubic-inch 300 hp (224 kW) V8 engine needed nearly 11 seconds to push the heavy T-bird to 60 mph (97 km/h). This generation of the Thunderbird was restyled in favor of a more squared-off, "formal" look. When the next generation of Thunderbird appeared in 1972, there was but one body style offered: a two-door coupe.The fourth generation Ford Thunderbird is a large personal luxury car produced by Ford for the 1964 to 1966 model years. While the more-doors T-Bird sold in decent numbers at first, far outselling the previous convertibles and accounting for around a third of Thunderbird sales in ’67-’68, the volume soon tapered off. “Bunkie” Knudsen, whose term at the company lasted only 19 months. The protruding nose was a favorite of Ford president Semon E. Priced in the $4800 to $5500 range, the Glamor Birds were far and away the most expensive cars in the Ford lineup, priced at a few thousand more than a comparable Galaxie or LTD.įor 1970, all the Glamor Birds including the Landau Sedan received new front-end styling with a prominent Bunkie Beak (below). To add some distinction, the rear doors were hinged at the rear and opened from the front, the arrangement famously known in years past as “suicide doors.” In most other aspects the quattroporte T-Bird was virtually identical to its coupe sibling, with a luxury cabin and every available convenience gadget of the era. (This longer T-Bird sedan chassis was shared with the Lincoln Continental Mark III. To make room for two extra doors and a more accommodating rear seat, the sedan rode on a three-inch longer chassis with a wheelbase of 117.2 inches. Like the rest of the Glamor Birds, the Landau Sedan abandoned the previous unitized construction and adopted a hybrid body-on-frame platform. ![]() Meanwhile, a four-door model was added to the lineup, officially known as the Landau Sedan. In a further departure from the traditional Thunderbird image as a personal sport-luxury vehicle, the convertible body style was discontinued. The label is certainly appropriate, as this was the largest and most luxurious Thunderbird offered to date. For the fifth production cycle offered between 19, T-Bird enthusiasts have assigned the name Glamor Bird. For 1967, the Ford Motor Company gave the Thunderbird yet another image makeover, introducing the sport-luxury brand’s first four-door model.Įach generation of Ford Thunderbirds from 1955 through 2005 must have a nickname, it seems.
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