Ford Thunderbird Apollo Concept, 1967. Five Apollo concept cars were created for Abercrombie & Fitch to bolster traffic in their 5 flagship stores. The new 5th generation T-Bird represented a major move upmarket as the Mustang had encroached on the Thunderbird’s market positioning. Ford were happy to provide A&F with the cars to generate publicity for the new generation model. The cars were finished in an exclusive Apollo Blue colour, and sent to long-time Ford customiser Dearborn Steel Tubing Company for “enhancement” and finishing, at a cost of $15,000 per unit (about $137,000 in 2022). In addition to the special paint and vinyl roof there was a gold anodised grille emblem, landau S-bars and badge work. Significantly the cars were fitted with prototype ASC sunroofs because there was no convertible 5th generation T-bird as there had been with all previous generations. Ford hoped the sunroof option would appease open-air enthusiasts though it didn’t become available until 1969. Also fitted were a quartz foglight, bespoke wheel covers and a trunk-mounted antennae to support the numerous wireless devices. Inside there was a custom-built full-length centre console including a radio-telephone, Philco colour TV, and dual reading lamps. Of the 5 cars built one was destroyed in transit to the San Francisco store but at least 3 of the others are still known to exist. 

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Captivating Imports

Funnily enough, up until recently, Australia was the last bastion of American auto design in RWD sports cars [Excluding FWD American Cars due to inferior driving dynamics]. When the 2000s launched a retrofuturist wave of cars, aerodynamics took a backseat to styling in almost everything that wasn’t the Corvette.

Where Dodge heaped power into the brick-shaped Challengers and Chargers, its only aero focus lying in the Viper supercar, and Ford’s thunderbird was a mess while at the same the 2005 Mustang’s new styling left much to be desired, GM’s Pontiac division really shown through in the 2000s. This was all thanks to GN’s Australian subsidiary: Holden.

The 1980s and 1990s provided massive advances in aerodynamic technologies, improving top speeds by leaps and bounds. Car design, as unsophisticated as mechanical design and construction techniques in American Cars might have been, was forward thinking when it came to fast cars. Look at the jump from the original 1964 1/2 mustang to the Foxbody, or compare the Bandit Firebird to the rocket ship appearance of the 5th generation WS6 Firebird. Aerodynamics clearly held the attention of car designers devoted to top speed. Then, as powertrain efficiency allowed for more power, and retro aesthetics focused design language on the soul and mythology of a car rather than the top speed (aside from the Corvette). Just look at the difference between the 4th Generation “Catfish” Camaro, and its 5th Generation “Bumblebee” successor compared to the transition from C6 to C7 Corvettes. This change in design favored corporate grilles over true aerodynamic efficiency, something that encouraged unique styling but really missed the potential gains offered by wind-tunnel design.

Holden, on the other hand, be it through the insular corporate structure that plagued GM in those days or the Machiavellian emissions standards that things like “inspections” require (I’m not expert, so take this as conjecture), managed to maintain modest aerodynamics on its vehicles, where flashy American design morphed competent chassis into bricks on wheels. Note that I do not malign the preservation of iconic design in these cars, only the neglect to include the benefits of proper aerodynamics in the design equation. It isn’t that it can’t be done. One look at the offerings provided by Ferrari and Alfa Romeo exemplify how modern aerodynamics can be implemented while still preserving styling throwbacks to iconic designs. One look at the Corvette, even in mid-engine form, proves that this can be done. Yet GM’s North American offerings didn’t follow the formula, with a few notable exceptions.

Imported from Holden and badged as Pontiac, the 2000s GTO (a rebadged Monaro) and the G8 (the Commodore) both provided the spirit of the muscle car while retaining more modern aerodynamics allowing for higher top speeds and greater efficiency. The later Chevy SS (also the imported Commodore) retained this philosophy, providing substantial performance in a modern, subtle design.

Much like early AMG Mercedes, these cars were powerful burnout machines that largely flew under the radar, without the same hype as other high-power sleepers like the CTS-V. Sadly, these cars were never properly appreciated in their own time [Though values for the SS shot up almost immediately after the model’s discontinuation] and only produced in America for a short time, despite their superior driving dynamics.

Currently, Cadillac is the only division of GM with a sleek RWD sedan focused on power, while Dodge soldiers on with its very fast boxes. Ford isn’t even making proper sedans any more, and Tesla’s build quality and automotive philosophy make the superior aerodynamics of its machines inconsequential, despite their power and American manufacturer. Hopefully the future holds something better, V8-powered or otherwise.

2019 Ford Thunderbird Convertible, Price, Release Date

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2019 Ford Thunderbird Convertible, Price, Release Date

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2019 Ford Thunderbird Gossips

2019 Ford Thunderbird Price

2019 Ford Thunderbird Interior

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2019 Ford Thunderbird Convertible

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2019 Ford Thunderbird Release Date

2019 Ford Thunderbird Release Date

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Ford Thunderbird, 1967. The 5th generation represented a major move up market as the success of the Mustang forced Ford to rethink the market position of the T-bird. The convertible was dropped and a 4-door saloon (with suicide doors) was added. The model range (top pic) ran to Ford Thunderbird Hardtop Coupé, Landau Sedan & Landau Coupé. The middle image depicts a Thunderbird GT "touring estate" that never existed, it based on the bottom pic of a Landau Sedan

Ford Thunderbird, 1971. The 5th generation model was offered by department store Neiman Marcus as “His & Hers" Thunderbirds with telephones, tape recorders and other special equipment. Sold only as a pair, they retailed for $25,000.