This actually happened

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Randy Mattson
Posts: 522
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2005 10:06 am
Location: Forest Lake, Minnesota

This actually happened

Post by Randy Mattson »

I took a drive to Arby's this evening, in the 2005 with the top down.
While I was returning to the car, a young fellow (definitely under 25) had just exited his older Dodge Ram.
He commented, "Nice car! What kind is it?"
I told him, "It's a Thunderbird."
Then he asked, "Who makes it?"
Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy - Ben Franklin
RAVEN
Posts: 1851
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 10:33 am

Re: This actually happened

Post by RAVEN »

Randy, let me be the first to say;" We are definitely showing our age, and even a Retro Bird is a car of the past"
When a 25 year old does not know a Bird, the world is in trouble. When this boy was born, the 1993 were introduced and still in production!!!!
Even the Redneck racers of NASCAR were using Birds back then I believe.
Hail to the Gods, what is going to happen when Dodge stops building RAM trucks.
Its a Jeff Foxworthy's punch line "And here's your sign"

Best medicine "Have another beer and relax"

Your friend Wally.
CDN Member since 1975 #2086
Flock: 1964 Landau Original Family Owned
1964 Sr Convertible "RAVEN"
Past: 2003 Blk Lab "RAVEN" "RIP"Nov 15/17
1964 Lincoln vin4Y86N00007
1964 Red Convertible
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Alan H. Tast
Posts: 4214
Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2003 10:52 pm
Location: Omaha, NE

Re: This actually happened

Post by Alan H. Tast »

RAVEN wrote: Mon Sep 03, 2018 5:54 pm Randy, let me be the first to say;" We are definitely showing our age, and even a Retro Bird is a car of the past"
When a 25 year old does not know a Bird, the world is in trouble. When this boy was born, the 1993 were introduced and still in production!!!!
Even the Redneck racers of NASCAR were using Birds back then I believe.
Hail to the Gods, what is going to happen when Dodge stops building RAM trucks.
Its a Jeff Foxworthy's punch line "And here's your sign"

Best medicine "Have another beer and relax"

Your friend Wally.
Not Foxworthy, Raven - Bill Ingvall. Foxworthy noted for "...youuuu might be a redneck" routine. (Confession - I'm a fan of both)
Alan H. Tast, AIA
Technical Director/Past President,
Vintage Thunderbird Club Int'l.
Author, "Thunderbird 1955-1966" & "Thunderbird 50 Years"
1963 Hardtop & 1963 Sports Roadster
RAVEN
Posts: 1851
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 10:33 am

Re: This actually happened

Post by RAVEN »

Redneck or Here's your sign, the Blue Collar tour definitely on my favs list
You know us Northerners we also like our Tater Tots and Whiskey. I know others who do too. :drinking:
CDN Member since 1975 #2086
Flock: 1964 Landau Original Family Owned
1964 Sr Convertible "RAVEN"
Past: 2003 Blk Lab "RAVEN" "RIP"Nov 15/17
1964 Lincoln vin4Y86N00007
1964 Red Convertible
scumdog
Posts: 875
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:15 pm
Location: New Zealand

Re: This actually happened

Post by scumdog »

Over here in New Zealand there were no Thunderbirds ever sold new at Ford dealerships so EVERYBODY but enthusiastic car people ask "A Thunderbird eh, who made them"!!
Kiwi Thunderbirder
'66 Town Landau
'55 F100
'37 Ford coupe
'64 Anglia
'05 Ultraglide Classic
Randy Mattson
Posts: 522
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2005 10:06 am
Location: Forest Lake, Minnesota

Re: This actually happened

Post by Randy Mattson »

It happened again last week.
On our return trip from Spokane, at one of the gas stations we stopped at in Montana.
A couple traveling on a motorcycle were admiring the car.
He asked me, "Who makes Thunderbird?"
She said, "I love it! Then turned to her partner and added, "I want one, wink, wink."
Randy
JamesR
Posts: 312
Joined: Sat May 11, 2019 7:47 pm

Re: This actually happened

Post by JamesR »

I'm really late to this thread, but I have to relate a learning experience I had recently that helps explain the difficulty young people are having with knowing who made the Thunderbird. I didn't own a T-Bird until last year (a 1965 model) but I've admired the first five generations of Thunderbird for most of my life...and I was born in '58, so I thought I was pretty familiar with them.

Then I saw a Jay Leno's Garage episode recently where he was interviewing the sharp young designer of the GT40 reissue of the early 2000's. This guy mentioned that they intentionally put the blue oval "Ford" logo on the car to let everyone know the GT40 was made by Ford. He then said that Ford intentionally left any sort of "Ford" logo off of Thunderbirds because the Ford name isn't identified with fancy or stylish cars. Only then did it dawn on me (I'm embarrassed to say) that I'd never seen a Ford logo on a Thunderbird, at least on the iconic first five generations.

Sometimes the obvious escapes me: It's hard for non-car people to know who makes the Thunderbird when there's no maker's badge on the car.
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TbirdIntender
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Joined: Sat Jun 27, 2020 11:56 pm

Re: This actually happened

Post by TbirdIntender »

You are right, JamesR. I had noticed this before. It's not just Thunderbirds, either. I had a '95 Riviera with no Buick badges, and I don't think the Chevy bowtie has ever appeared on the Corvette.

I would be interesting to see a list of cars lacking any marque ID.
1966 Town Hardtop in sapphire blue
VTCI #13000
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