Here is a series of caches that celebrates one of the coolest models of cars ever built, the Ford Thunderbird. I've never owned one, but one day I'd love to buy and old classic example. I'd cruise from cache to cache with the top down! Man, that would be the life.
This was the car that started it all. It was an instant classic, and it became an American icon. It defied classification: It was sporty but it wasn't a sports car; It was luxurious, but it wasn't a luxury car; It was both a hardtop and a convertible.
The 1955 Thunderbird was a sensation on America's roadways, and there was absolutely nothing else like it anywhere. Overnight, it made the 6 cylinder Chevrolet Corvette seem underpowered, uncomfortable due to its plastic side curtain windows, and utilitarian with its lack of accessories and color choices.
This car changed forever the way Americans looked at cars, and singlehandedly brought new excitement and glamour to the automotive world. It opened the door to the trend setting and inspiring Thunderbirds that would bear its name in the future.
Standard equipment included:
Y-block V-8 engine
Telescoping steering column
Astra-Dial control panel
Electric clock with sweep second hand
Tachometer
Rear view mirror
Automatic interior courtesy light
Pleated vinyl upholstery
Dual exhaust system
Initial exterior body colors: Raven Black, Torch Red, or Thunderbird Blue
Additional colors added mid-year: Snowshoe White and Goldenrod Yellow
Interior colors: Black, Red, or Thunderbird Blue with pleated White vinyl
Additional interior colors added mid-year: Black with pleated Yellow vinyl
RCA Victor offered a $35,000 recording contract to Elvis Presley; the first McDonald's Restaurant opened; Lee Merriwether from California was Miss America; James Dean died in a single car crash at the age of 26; It cost $0.03 to mail a letter first class; and people were going to the movies to see "Picnic," "Rebel Without A Cause," and "East of Eden.".