The aim is to provide intimate, luxurious transport for two couples. Upholstery, trim, amenities and power compare with top-end luxury cars. These cars have a back seat, but only seat four, not five or six people. They are smaller than a full-sized and medium- or high-priced sedan. The definition of the new car type was established by the ’58 Thunderbird. This new style was eventually emulated by virtually every other volume car builder. This car created a whole new type of automobile, the “personal luxury” coupe. In spite of the occasional negative comments and the disappointment that the sporty two-passenger ’Bird was gone, there is no question that the ’58 Thunderbird was a huge success.

This type of handling was par for the course in 1958. But the 50/50 weight distribution helped, and the power and acceleration was impressive. Road & Track magazine criticized all of these “unrelated curves, bulges and sharp edges.” The windshield wrapped so far around the corner, it was difficult for passengers to get their knees past it.Ĭar magazine road tests of the new Thunderbirds found the steering slow and numb, and body roll in turns and directional stability distinctly non-sports car. So, the rear had four large, round tail lamps inspired by jet exhausts, and the sides had a mix of projectile-like shapes capped by small tailfins on top of the rear fenders. Remember, this was the time of tailfins, wrap-around windshields and super low designs with lots of influence from rocket ships and jet engines. Styling remains somewhat controversial, even today. Interestingly, the new car was only one inch higher than the ’57 T-Bird, because unit construction permitted more efficient space utilization. To accommodate a rear seat, wheelbase grew from 102 inches to 113, and overall length went from 181 inches to 205 inches. It was built with a unitized body in a new plant at Wixom, Mich., on the same production line as the 1958 Lincolns, which also used unitized bodies for the first time. To find out how you could own this classic, speak with Orlando Classic Cars.The result was an entirely new Thunderbird design introduced in January 1958. While it looks virtually the same as the 1959 model year, Ford added a third taillight on each side. 1960 was the final year of production for the second-generation Thunderbird. Not only does it work great, the appearance inside and out is of show quality. With an immaculate body that’s super straight, this Ford cruises like a champion. The previous owner added a CD changer in the glovebox and a modern stereo in the trunk. There’s power steering, leather upholstery, power brakes, power window, power-adjustable driver’s seat, and the factory AM radio. This T-Bird comes with plenty more amenities. If it gets too hot, roll up the windows, close the sunroof, and fire up the air conditioning. The Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission means you can cruise with one arm up on the doorframe. It uses a four barrel carburetor and dual exhaust to throttle out 300-horsepower. Painting the town red requires some real power, and the factory 352ci V8 in this Thunderbird is most definitely up to the task. You’re not exactly going to be tripping over 60s T-Birds with sunroofs, making this car a little more collectible. Thanks to a combination of weak demand for it and the high cost of production, the option was dropped from the Thunderbird until 1967. The design was licensed by Ford from a German company called Golde, which is where the nickname “Golde Editions” for sunroof models came from. Ford actually only made 2,536 Thunderbirds in 1960 with the sunroof.

1960 thunderbird