First-generation Thunderbird (two-seat, 1955–1957)
1955–1957
The first-generation Thunderbird (1955–1957) is the original two-seat convertible — the car that established Ford's 'personal luxury' concept and outsold the Corvette in its debut year. The 1957 cars, with their longer finned deck and porthole hardtop, are the most iconic, and the whole run is the most collectible Thunderbird era.
Photo: “1956 Ford Thunderbird (53771367106)” by Mustang Joe / Wikimedia Commons — CC0 1.0 . Cropped to 16:9.
1955–1957
Overview
The first-generation Thunderbird (1955–1957) is the original two-seat convertible — the car that established Ford's 'personal luxury' concept and outsold the Corvette in its debut year. The 1957 cars, with their longer finned deck and porthole hardtop, are the most iconic, and the whole run is the most collectible Thunderbird era.
Milestones
Highlights
- The original two-seat Thunderbird convertible.
- Marketed as a personal luxury car, not a sports car.
- 1957 added the longer finned rear deck and the porthole hardtop option.
Model years in this generation