Ford Thunderbird

The Thunderbird was a car introduced by Ford in 1955 to compete with the Chevrolet Corvette. It was noted for its porthole side rear window, a feature which has become iconic. Later in the decade the car evolved into a sedan instead of a sports car. Originally a grand tourer, the Thunderbird later competed in the Grand National alongside the Ford Torino, Ford Talladega, and Ford Fairlane. In the sixties a new, more aerodynamic model nicknamed the "Bullet Bird" was introduced to be more competitive. The Thunderbird was used in NASCAR until the nineties when it was replaced with the Taurus. It was also used in IMSA GTO and Trans Am. The "T-Bird", as it was nicknamed", was discontinued in the early nineties. A fifties-inspired revival was attempted around the turn of the millennium, consisting of a luxury roadster model. It included a removable hardtop featuring the porthole. Due to its high price the model was discontinued after only a few years. This model was not used in motorsport.