1965 Ford Thunderbird Coupe (LHD)

Description

In the history of the automobile, models come and go with monotonous regularity but every once in a while a name catches the attention of the public and enthusiast alike. The Thunderbird is one such car, beloved by generations of car enthusiasts and hugely successful right from day one. Although built in response to Chevrolet's new Corvette, Ford's designers conceived the new Thunderbird not so much as a sports car, rather as a personal luxury car and created a whole new market segment overnight. Unveiled to the public at the 1954 Detroit Auto Show, the first generation Thunderbird was only available as a two-seat convertible, with unique styling cues such as the 'porthole' circular windows in the hardtop roof. With each succeeding generation, the Thunderbird grew both in stature and equipment, in keeping with contemporary trends, the original lithe convertibles replaced by the much larger 'Square Birds' of 1958-1960, followed by the 'Bullet Birds' of 1961-1964. Ford's fourth generation Thunderbird, known as the 'Jet Birds', arrived in 1964, retaining the same unitary platform. Under the bonnet was a 390-cid V8 delivering 300 horsepower with a Cruise-O-Matic transmission, while power steering and brakes were also included as standard. Ford offered three different body styles, including the convertible (with a dealer-installed tonneau cover optional), the coupe and formal Landau coupe, complete with fake dumb irons. The following year saw further improvements, including front disc brakes and sequential tail lights (Ford had wanted these from the outset but were forced to wait a year until they received approval). The Thunderbird's excellent new Silent-Flo flow-through ventilation system became the industry standard, with an opening vent under the rear window helping to keep the occupants cool in summer. In 1965 some 74,972 Thunderbirds rolled off the production lines but few remain on the road today and they are a rare sight in Australia. As Ford's advertising slogan of the day said, ?Flight plan cleared - proceed to Thunderbird.?