On February 20, 1954, a legend was born. Ford unveiled the Ford Thunderbird at the Detroit Auto Show on February 20, 1954. The iconic Thunderbird which was affectionately dubbed "littlebird" was Ford's response to Chevrolet's new sports car, the Chevrolet Corvette. Unlike the Corvette, Ford sold the Thunderbird as a personal luxury car and not a sports car. This proved a masterstroke as the Ford Thunderbird outsold the Chevy Corvette 23 units to 1 in its first year.
The Ford Thunderbird is considered to be one of the pioneers of the personal luxury car market. Littlebird appeared on movies, television shows, and even the United States postage stamp, everyone wanted a piece of iconic Thunderbird. The first generation Thunderbird was produced between 1955-1957, and during that period it was America's second most mass-produced car after the Chevrolet Corvette.
On July 1, 2005, the last Ford Thunderbird rolled off the line at the Ford factory in Wixom, Michigan. The iconic car left behind a legacy filled with innovative designs, quirky names, and of course, beating the Corvette. There are many different designs of the Thunderbird, but none quite match up to the 1960 stainless steel Ford Thunderbird. They are among some of the rarest Ford's you will ever find and now they have been put up for auction.
The Story Behind the Stainless Steel Ford Thunderbird
Allegheny Ludlum is one of the largest suppliers of stainless steel in the United States of America. In 1960, they ordered two 1960 Ford Thunderbirds to be made using stainless steel so they could use them for promotional purposes.
This was the second time they had asked Ford to build a stainless steel car. In 1936 Ford built six Tudor sedans for them using stainless steel panels. The cars were used for a coast to coast promotional tour to demonstrate all the advantages of stainless steel. The collaboration was extremely successful for both companies.
24 years later the two companies would come together for yet another collaboration. The two 1960 Ford Thunderbirds were fitted with skins, grilles, and bumpers from T302 stainless. The material was of such high quality that the two 1960 Ford Thunderbirds both still have their original T409 steel mufflers and T304 exhaust pipes to this day.
Production Process
Ford realized that stainless steel was harder to manipulate than conventional steel, so the panels that were needed to make the two 1960 Thunderbirds would have to be made at the end of the production process, so that's exactly what they did.
During the production process, the stainless roof panels were the hardest to make. Back then, a roof panel would normally be stamped using a single die, but the material wasn't wide enough to accommodate the width of the roof. The stainless steel roof panels had to be constructed using two separate roof stampings for each of the two cars, then welding the panels together in the middle.
When the two 1960 stainless steel Ford Thunderbirds were completed, some of the people involved in the production process thought that the cars were too shiny. The cars then underwent a buffing process that gave them a more brushed look.
Where are they now
The iconic 1960 stainless steel Ford Thunderbird is still alive and kicking. The cars have required some restoration and maintenance over the years which is to be expected. They've had to be fitted with new engines, interior carpeting, and a few other minor modifications to keep them in tip-top shape.
The 1960 stainless steel Ford Thunderbird and the Ford Tudor sedan are not the only cars to be made using stainless steel. Three Lincoln Continental Convertibles were made using stainless steel as well as the DeLorean DMC-12.
Going Up For Auction
The iconic 1960 Ford Thunderbird, as well as the Ford Tudor sedan, are all set to go up for auction at the Worldwide Auctioneers 13th Annual Auburn Auction. The auction is set to take place over the Labor day weekend. No figures have been mentioned yet, but since the cars will be sold as a set and not individually it's likely they will go for close to $1,000,000 or possibly even a lot more.
In an industry dominated by carbon fiber, some purists are still in love with how cars used to be made back in the day. There is likely to be a high demand for this historic trifecta of stainless steel masterpieces when they do go up for auction in September. All three stainless steel Fords are in great condition and any potential new owner will be lucky to have these rare pieces in their garage.