A friend of mines father had a 1971 Thunderbird 2 door while I was growing up. I thought it was the coolest car around. The beak was what made it unique.
"Hey Jan, where's Marsha?" "She's over there getting lei-ed by those boys" [Points to boys putting Hawaiian leis on Marsha] Oh..wait...I think that was in the sequel.
A huge improvement beginning in the 1968 model year. The 1967 Thunderbirds had an underpowered 390 as base engine, although they could be ordered with the "Q" code 428, which even then didnt run as well as the 429
I always liked the Bunkie Beaks on the '70 &'71 T Birds They looked distinctive. They were nicer cars overall than the '72 thru '76 barge Birds that looked too much like a Mark IV
@@frankgiaquinto1571 I had 74 TBird and it was ,but I actually preferred the differences to the Mark IV. Often to me the difference to a Lincoln or Cadillac has been a bridge too far for me. I didn't care for the spare hump on the decklid or the Rolls-Royce grill.
Especially Thunderbirds in the Aboriginal sense of the creature. Look at any totem pole. The bird stares at you over its beaky snout like you owe it money
I didn't realize how much i needed a history lesson on car design. I ate up every word on these behind the scenes design wars. That rear end of the 71 bird though!!
Due to my Uncle Don have an all black 1970 Thunderbird in my youth i've always absolutely loved them.With the 429 Thunderjet engine,from a rolling start it was a rocketship that pushed you back in your seat and it looked amazing.
@@johnkendrick7304 For the 2 door, there's a formal roof and a sports roof. The formal roof lacks the quarterlight windows. The sports roof is beautifully styled.
There was always something cool about those suicide doors. I'm sure they were totally impractical in tight parking spaces, but I still like seeing them in action.
There were a number of beautiful 'Birds, but I, too, likes these, also. I looked at the grill and saw the 'Bird beak and the taillights as wings pointed down, rather an homage to the 'Bird itself.
You’re not crazy. First car I bought on my own was 71 two-door Thunderbird, 429V8 off a lease. My test drive was 50 miles, needless to say the seller was glad to see me return. My mother loved to drive it occasionally. Made me smile.
The 1972-1976 was a Lincoln Mark IV with different sheet metal. Enormous vehicles and underpowered in stock form even with the 460 that replaced the 429 in 1973. There was a way to wake them up simply by changing the timing chain and sprockets, among other things.
Personally I think the '70-'71 T Bird (especially the fast back model) was by FAR the best looking Thunderbird ever built and that high-compression 429 was a spectacular engine !
I always loved the beak birds, and I think they look better in certain colors over others. I also liked the '71-'72 LTDs front end, maybe even a bit more. I had a 68 T-Bird which I think looked the best with the two smaller birds on the grill, one on each light door. But overall, I think the beak birds look menacing, and that's what they were designed to do. I'd love to have one. The '69 Grand Prix looks like chrome was on sale that year and Pontiac made the most of it. Ford got it just right with the beak birds!
I think the beak birds were attractive and really spiced up the then four year old body style. I thought there was a lot of creativity in the front end design with the deep cove grills combined with the tapered headlights set in separate "boxes" did indeed give it a "menacing" look - I especially like the ones that have the inset running lights in the grill (7:00 and 11:20), not all of them had them so must've been an option.
Adam you brought back a memory with the 1970 Ford Thunderbird. My Uncle had traded in his 68 Coupe DeVille for the 1970 Ford 4-suicide door Thunderbird. His car look exactly like the one you showed-bright blue Irid with a Dark Blue vinyl top. I loved that car’s suicide doors, steering wheel that moved out of the way and huge back seat. The center counsel with the buckets were nice to. I know some people didn’t like the beak but I thought it made the front end
Thanks for this one, Adam.. I thought those were rather bizarre looking at the time.. I didn't understand what designers were trying to accomplish with that.
I had a Ginger Glow 71 Thunderbird Sports Roof with the VERY rare Special Brougham trim, including the factory fog lights, highback buckets, console, etc. What a great car! I fell in love with that snout and the Torino-esque roofline from when I was a kid.
I don't disagree with you often,but the beak and hood styling was a great improvement. I thought the late 60s TBirds were hideous. But i love the bustle back Sevilles of the early 80s. Different strokes i guess.
I find it interesting that the bird beak on the '71/'72 TLD/Galaxie were some of he sharpest looking ones, imho. It's to bad the '70/'71 T-birds front wasn't as handsome as the rear.
I agree, I always thought the '71 "beak" LTD's were the best looking of all LTD's - and don't get me started on those beautiful full width taillights at the rear!
Great video Adam!I have a 1970 Thunderbird sportsroof coupe. These cars were very well built and a very quiet ride. I like the front end of the 70 and 71. But it could be considered an acquired taste.
The 1970-71 Thunderbird (2 door) is my favourite T-bird. I was seeking a 1971 model when I found my 1974 model. I bought the '74 because of the low miles, but '71 remains the preference.
My Father had the same car...dark blue with a black interior. I loved that car but it had a hiccup that no one could figure out. Some days when you turned the key, nothing happened....no clicking, no nothing. Wait a bit or have someone else try it and it would be ok. Ford garage had it for a week and gave up on it. We replaced the starter, battery and even the ignition. Did it until week sold it.
I thought the dull flat front end of the '67-'69 T-Bird was the worst part of their design due primarily to lack of headlights . I think visible head lights are like eyes and the faces of the '67-'69 T-Birds look blind to me.
Loved that all tbirds (except for 1980) were ground breaking, different, affordable but also luxurious cars for the common man . Ford needs a new tbird with these winning qualities
Nice video sir! I am fond of some of the old T-Birds. I do have to agree with you on the 67 Eldorado from a previous video. That Caddy was a work of art.
I remember when these came out. I was 13 and already a hopeless car nut. I didn’t mind the 1970-71 Thunderbird but it was not terribly practical. Popular Mechanics surveyed 1,000 owners of the 1970 and most of them wanted the front end changed due to how easily damaged it was. It’s hard to believe that 3 years later we had a totally different approach due to the bumper impact standards. Maybe the Thunderbird was the final straw that helped push the law through!
A friend of mine had a new one and I got to drive it a few times. That was a great car for long road trips. It just floated down the road at 80 plus mph.
We had a 70 with the sleek roofline with the sport roofline. I always thought that the 1970 with the sport roof was my favorite Tbird since 1957. I never liked the front of the 67. The 70 i feel was much more stylish. Now I really dislike the other two rooflines... I still liked the 70-71 front end over all tbirds after 1957. Our Tbird was red with black textured vinyl top. It was an absolutely beautiful car. And very fun car to drive with a 429 Thunderjet engine, especially for a 16 year old that learned to drive on two different station wagons, a 76 impala and a 77 LTD.
I have a red 1970 2dr sportsroof that my parents bought new. I love the car, and the beak, but may be biased having grown up in it. It is still one of the best riding and crazy powerful cars from that era. Back in the day, it handled better than anything it's size. I prefer driving it over my 64 convertible, and it turns almost as many heads. I think there are two camps. Some who prefer the 67-69, and others who prefer the sleek sports roof, crazy taillights, and the beak of the 1970-71. I definitely prefer the 70.
Being a Ford man, there aren't too many Ford vehicles I wouldn't likely own, OK, maybe not a Pinto, although back in the 70s, I got my driver's license in 1971, and my whole life became about cars. I had a few friends that bought Pintos, and they loved them. I would work on them and drive them, and I figured they were OK for what they were. I had a 69 Mach l that I loved with everything I had in me. But I have always liked Thunderbirds, every generation had things that I liked. So in the fall of 1973, that horrible oil crisis hit the US, and it changed everything. Everyone wanted fuel efficient cars and the wanted nothing to do with cars that had big V8 engines, except me. We couldn't even put up Christmas lights that year! I didn't like waiting in gas lines, or the national speed limit being lowered to 55 mph. I had been waiting to drive my entire life, I didn't like any of it, but I was not interested in driving a foreign car, no way. With the price of big American cars falling to almost nothing. I found a 1970 Thunderbird, 2 door with the sport roof, it was a metallic copper color with the thick padded black vinyl top and black cloth interior. I hated the exterior color but the interior was so beautiful and elegant it made up for the exterior. Under the hood of course was the massive 429. It filled the entire engine bay, but it was so smooth, and responsive, I loved it. I thought the "Binky Beak" fit the Thunderbird name so I liked it. The rear styling and taillight design was very good looking, and of course the sequential turn indicators were over the top cool, so with all the other cool features of the car, especially the dashboard, it was fantastic. The round gauges that lined the dash with full instrumentation, that lit up in Ford's aqua blue color lighting was gorgeous. The wipers were hydraulically operated, powered by the power steering pump which provided an infinite number of speeds for the blades, another very cool feature from Ford's engineers, they would slow down while idling, which I thought was very classy while sitting at a light. I have always thought that the blades should work as needed, here in Southern California we get a lot of fog and drizzle. It looks pretty stupid if the blades are running at 90 mph, when they just needed to Cycle intermittently. In the mid-70s Ford introduced the intermittent setting on their upscale cars. From then on, I only ever use that setting. I could see the Country Squires, the Mercurys and Lincolns out in the rain or drizzle, and the blades would Cycle about every 20 seconds. To me that was too cool, and that meant that I was cool too. The only thing I didn't like about my 70 Bird was the 8 mpg it always got. No matter how careful I was with the accerator, 8 mpg was the best I could get. So between the bird and the Mach I with a 351 W, needless to say I spent a lot of time in those gas lines I so hated, plus with the price of gas skyrocketing, I was always broke. But the way I look at it, you either buy your car for gas or class, and I go for the class. I paid just $1,500 for my bird in 1973, and then sold it for the same price in 1979. The way I loved that bird, I felt I did OK. The Mach I on the other I had for over 37 years. I kept it in showroom condition, put 2 engines in it and drove it over 275,000 miles. My life's biggest regrets are that I didn't keep everyone one of my Fords over the years. Today I only have my 2008 Explorer XLT, which I love. But I'm always looking for a Ford Motor Company car to add to it. I like certain Chryslers, mostly from the 50s and 60s. I was born in Detroit in March of 1955, my family worked at the Ford Motor Company and Chrysler Corporation, I guess their in my blood. We moved to Southern California in June of 1958, but I know if we stayed in Detroit I would have worked for either Ford or Chrysler. I still have family in Detroit and that's where they work. GM not so much. GM tends to always make the wrong decisions with their cars. GM could stop making cars and become a bakery and no one would miss them.
I inherited a 2 door 1970 Thunderbird from my late uncle in 1979. He bought it new in 1970. Other than the rear quarter windows failing after 6 months from new, it was a pretty reliable car till the day I sold it in 1986. Something I still regret.
My dad had a 68 Maroon on Black 2 Door Landau with the deluxe wheel covers. Nice car. Drove across the Prairies pullling a Camper and back to Oakville Ontario. That was an adventure.
Something my father handed directly to me was to always drive a sporty sedan even through the child rearing years. A van was NEVER in the cards for my father nor myself. As a kid the coolest sedan we had was a white 76’ Regal with maroon interior and matching Landeau top. 400 4-barrel under the hood with bucket seats and the H-shifter. Dad’s company truck was always a metallic green (company color) 3/4 ton Chevy. Other vehicles were a Catalina, Cougar Blue Max and a Lincoln Mark 7. They are in their 80’s now. Mom is driving a 19’ super charged Mustang yellow convertible and dad has a f250 super duty w/ oversized cam. They both love to drive the tires off their rides.
This is one of those rare occasions that I disagree with Adam. A truly polarizing design, I suppose: you either love it or hate it. I love these long nose cars, whether it's the '69 & '70 Grand Prix, Lincoln MkIII, Ford full-size cars, or the '70 full-sized Pontiacs and these T-birds, I think these exaggerated shapes were just what these cars needed to set them apart from their peers. It may have something to do with my reflection in the mirror.😅 Also, I think that the flattening of these shapes circa '72 had as much to do with the impending, federally-mandated 5mph bumper standards. I'm sure I'll get some free psychological evaluations for this comment, much like I did when I expressed my fondness for the '70 full-sized Pontiacs in a previous video. It's ok, I know what I like. 😁 Thanks for bringing us all the backstory, and all these beautiful cars.
Way back around 1982 a friend of mine had a four door 71 Thunderbird. Dark green with a black vinyl top. Very cool car! We took it to the Winnipeg Folk Festival in 82 and used its air conditioned cabin as an occasional refuge from the scorching July sun.
I really enjoy your videos and have learned a great deal from you, but I disagree here. I absolutely loved the Bunky Knudsen protruding front-end of the '70 Thunderbird and the character that it gave to the car - especially the fastback coupe. It was a daring styling cue. I also liked how it looked on the '71 & '72 LTD's and Galaxies.
My dad has owned now owned his 70’ T-bird for a good 13 years now, I love this car to death, that car is the reason why I’m into cars in the first place, can’t wait to be it’s proud owner one day
Thank you Adam. I read about Bunkie Knudsen in a book years ago. I do appreciate you sharing this video and his time at Ford and about this car. This was enjoyable. Thank you.
I really have always liked the 4 door version minus the huge bird beak, maybe because it’s so odd to have a 4 door thunderbird and with suicide doors. I however think the 67, 68, 69 is probably the best styling.
Considering that the Pontiac Grand Prix--in its new, smaller size--was one of the hottest sellers of the 1969 model year, it was little wonder that Bunkie Knudsen wanted lightning to strike twice (not unlike when Elwood Engel, who designed the 1961 Lincoln Continental, was lured to Chrysler to work his magic on the 1964 Imperial, which looked surprisingly similar to the '61 Continental). So, to an extent, the 1970-71 Thunderbird looked surprisingly similar to the 1969 Grand Prix. Plus--Knudsen locked in the changes to the 1971 Galaxie/LTD beak while Henry Ford II was out of the country, which went against the then-established tradition of HF II signing off on each model year's new cars. Couple that with Lee Iacocca's "insurrection" and threat to have the stylists walk out, and Bunkie, indeed, was "soon history."
LOVE the '71-'72 Riviera! I'm 66yo and was 13-14yo when the '71 Riviera came out and it was love at first sight, so far it looks like it'll go down as THE most distinct cars of my lifetime!
My Dad took my Mom’s 1971 LTD Brougham Coupe to the local Ford Dealership for service and brought home a new 1972 Thunderbird to show my mom. The 1st words my mom said when my Dad walked in was “ Please tell me you did not trade my car for that.” “ I did not” replied my Dad. “ Good because I would hate for you have to sleep in it tonight” . Needless to say the Tbird went back.
The insurance companies hated them. With essentially no front bumper, the front end was particularly vulnerable in accidents, and expensive to repair. Insurance companies had a lot to do with automotive styling in those days.
I owned a1971 black Thunderbird till 1978 .i loved it ,best Car for Comfort and incredible powerful 429 Moter , I also love loved the Front and Back ,especially the back Turnligts. 12:50
I bought my 1st car (a 1970 Tbird 2 Dr with the fastback roof style) for $60 bucks in 1988 when I was 14. I owned several more 70-71 Tbird coupes in my youth. I have a 65 now, but would love another 70! They drove like a dream. That Ford commercial was right..... They did feel like big jetliners taking off, lol. That 429 was no slouch!
Back in the day, my boss drove a green 71 suicide door T-Bird. He always seemed to have problems with it stalling from the day he bought it. One day it mysteriously stalled on the railroad tracks when a train was coming. He got out of it before the train took it out. We always wondered if he didn't just say it stalled so he could get rid of it. He switched to Cadillacs after that.
“Why fly when you can drive?” Take a peek at that beak - the Thunderbird certainly departed from its former glamour though at the time it was captivating!
Love these 70 Fords especially the 'Birds. I see echoes of this design in the 87-88 Turbo Coupe. I currently have a 35th Anniversary SC with 15k certified miles. I love it and I loved my 88 Turbo also
As I stated on your last 1970 / 71 Thunderbird video, I recall lots of ads in magazines with the 1970 Ford Thunderbird next to the brand new Boeing 747, stating 1970 being the year for "new birds". Agree with your comments on the 1970 Thunderbird "beak" being a little too extreme... on the LTD it actually looks pretty good.
Interestingly, Bunkie was the reason the Boss 429 ended up in a Mustang instead of the Torino that it was raced in. He specifically wanted it in the Mustang.
The '71 Mustang was enlarged over the '69 and '70 so that the 429 would fit comfortably under the hood - only for the 429 to be dropped from the option list for 1972.
The late actor, Andy Griffith was said to have had an identical car to the one shown here at ~0:10, - 0:25 and was seen frequently blasting around rural North Carolina in it back in the day.
That beak business is hilarious those cars were obtrusive in heavy city traffic but I thought the 1972 T birds were very bland until 1973 Ford tried to promote the 1972 T bird in an episode of Cannon (blood on the vine ) oh by the way if any one is a wine connoisseur you will enjoy this episode and I have not given up on finding who handles Tampa Wine produced by Mike Tampa he perfected a Cabernet Sauvignon in 1961 that took every award a wind could get in that era this Country has never seen or experienced a Wine like that again and the 1972 Ford Thunderbird was a stand alone Car but was pretty dull thank goodness the 73 - 76 really shined a beacon of hope for this model
I remember when I was a kid, one the grownups in my neighborhood had 70 TBird , dark chocolate brown with slotted mag wheels , and it seemed like it was always clean in the summertime and never seen it in the winter months , it was a nice car 😊
Growing up, I vividly remember my uncle's blue 71 T-Bird 2 door Landau he bought brand new, and to me, it was THE ultimate dream machine compared to the plain jane, no frills VWs my parents owned at the time. I always looked forward whenever he would visit, so I could ask to go for a ride in it. I would later learn how the 70-71 T-Birds styling would come about, and who was behind it, and though I don't hate it, doesn't look quite as elegant as the 67-69 front end styling. I do however, think the 71-72 full size grilles were the most attractive designs of any car from that era, or throughout the 70s.
I’ve had two of the 1971’s. Including the 6,000 mile four door in original condition that I donated to PBS. Its auction is on TH-cam. The stying made sense for the time & it was an exceptional cruiser. Triple tobacco brown with a brougham interior. Really well built & when America ruled the roads. Sad it’s gone.
I've owned several T-birds .my favorite was 1970 4dr. It was a rare color kind of brownish red metallic with chocolate brown top. It had been a factory exc's car. It an ABS braking system,antenna in the windshield and t he seats were all champagne cloth,the production models all had some surfaces in vinyl. The best looking car I've ever owned
Funny thing is that Knudsen also dictated the "beak" styling for a European model, the German 1970 Ford Taunus which then was nicknamed the Knudsen Nose Ford!
A friend of mines father had a 1971 Thunderbird 2 door while I was growing up. I thought it was the coolest car around. The beak was what made it unique.
agree. it made the design unique and distinctive.
The nose is why I bought a '71 two door "Coach" (no quarter window) Thunderbird.
Me as well. Love the beak! Especially on the coupes with NO vinyl top.
I like the beak. Great looking car, the 70-71s.
hahahaha
That Bunky beak story reminds me of the Brady Bunch movie where everything Mike Brady designed looked exactly like the house 😂😂
Gary Cole portrayed the movie Mike Brady. 😂 And would go on to portraying Bill Lumbergh in Mike Judge's "Office Space".
Adam don't forget the 4 door thunderbird....
"Hey Jan, where's Marsha?"
"She's over there getting lei-ed by those boys" [Points to boys putting Hawaiian leis on Marsha]
Oh..wait...I think that was in the sequel.
I can`t remember it.@@ralphabreu5022
The 'BEAK' is a take it or leave it thing, but the 429 THUNDERJET was definitely a big hit and rocketship!!
A huge improvement beginning in the 1968 model year. The 1967 Thunderbirds had an underpowered 390 as base engine, although they could be ordered with the "Q" code 428, which even then didnt run as well as the 429
@@donreinke5863 Hard to beat 480 pound feet of torque...
@@kramnull8962 Anyone who has driven a well-tuned 429 knows.
"Thunderbird 1970, with a beak so large, you'd think the 429 V8 ran on nuts and seeds."
😅😅😅
Or the engine was a straight 8.
I always liked the Bunkie Beaks on the '70 &'71 T Birds They looked distinctive. They were nicer cars overall than
the '72 thru '76 barge Birds that looked too much like a Mark IV
@@frankgiaquinto1571 I had 74 TBird and it was ,but I actually preferred the differences to the Mark IV. Often to me the difference to a Lincoln or Cadillac has been a bridge too far for me. I didn't care for the spare hump on the decklid or the Rolls-Royce grill.
Remember folks, birds actually do have beaks.
Thank you! His styling absolutely made sense... some of the time.
Haha - touché!
Damn straight!
Especially Thunderbirds in the Aboriginal sense of the creature. Look at any totem pole. The bird stares at you over its beaky snout like you owe it money
😁
I didn't realize how much i needed a history lesson on car design. I ate up every word on these behind the scenes design wars. That rear end of the 71 bird though!!
Due to my Uncle Don have an all black 1970 Thunderbird in my youth i've always absolutely loved them.With the 429 Thunderjet engine,from a rolling start it was a rocketship that pushed you back in your seat and it looked amazing.
My first car was a 1969 Mercury Marquis 429 4v .. as you mentioned a rocket ship that left most avid racers on the losing end of the race!
I must be a weirdo because the 70 T-Bird is my absolute favorite I love the beak nose look as well as the LTD
Not weird, 1970-71 is my favourite too, but strictly the 2 door. Did you notice that 2 different roofs were available ?
are you talking about the gator type material???@@HemiChrysler
@@johnkendrick7304 For the 2 door, there's a formal roof and a sports roof. The formal roof lacks the quarterlight windows. The sports roof is beautifully styled.
I kinda liked that snout on em.
In high school my friend had a 71 Cougar GT, Ive always loved these cars even the "beak"
Ditto, a convertible XR7, it was stolen, the end.
I agree with the Beak over the blah flat front !
@@bextar6365 Say yes to the beak. It’s really chic.
Family had a '67 fully loaded triple black with the suicide doors. That was one classy T- Bird.
4 doors never looked good a short platform. I remember my dad first saw these in late '66 and said they looked weird.
@@user-pp1ni2jy3f; Wheelbase on the FORDOR is 5" longer.
In readin' the comments it's appears that the majority of us LIKE the Bunkie beak. I'm also a big fan of the '71 Ford thanks to White Lightning.
The glamour bird body style and detail is so fine and finessed. The suicide doors on the 4 door is so cool and screams understated luxury.
There was always something cool about those suicide doors. I'm sure they were totally impractical in tight parking spaces, but I still like seeing them in action.
I must be crazy, because the 1970-71 ‘Bird is my all-time favorite version-and that includes the 1967 4-door Landau my parents owned when I was 10.
There were a number of beautiful 'Birds, but I, too, likes these, also. I looked at the grill and saw the 'Bird beak and the taillights as wings pointed down, rather an homage to the 'Bird itself.
You’re not crazy. First car I bought on my own was 71 two-door Thunderbird, 429V8 off a lease. My test drive was 50 miles, needless to say the seller was glad to see me return. My mother loved to drive it occasionally. Made me smile.
Great watch. To be honest, I would take a 70 or a 71 T-Bird over a 72 anyday..... Thanks to Adam for posting.
The 1972-1976 was a Lincoln Mark IV with different sheet metal. Enormous vehicles and underpowered in stock form even with the 460 that replaced the 429 in 1973. There was a way to wake them up simply by changing the timing chain and sprockets, among other things.
Personally I think the '70-'71 T Bird (especially the fast back model) was by FAR the best looking Thunderbird ever built and that high-compression 429 was a spectacular engine !
I agree.
The 429 was introduced as an option for the 1968 T-Bird
@HFX1955 A much better engine than that FE 428 was
@@johneckert1365 Agree !
I always loved the beak birds, and I think they look better in certain colors over others. I also liked the '71-'72 LTDs front end, maybe even a bit more. I had a 68 T-Bird which I think looked the best with the two smaller birds on the grill, one on each light door. But overall, I think the beak birds look menacing, and that's what they were designed to do. I'd love to have one. The '69 Grand Prix looks like chrome was on sale that year and Pontiac made the most of it. Ford got it just right with the beak birds!
I agree - '71-'72 LTD front ends were very attractive, I prefer the '71 but both were nice.
I think the beak birds were attractive and really spiced up the then four year old body style. I thought there was a lot of creativity in the front end design with the deep cove grills combined with the tapered headlights set in separate "boxes" did indeed give it a "menacing" look - I especially like the ones that have the inset running lights in the grill (7:00 and 11:20), not all of them had them so must've been an option.
Adam you brought back a memory with the 1970 Ford Thunderbird. My Uncle had traded in his 68 Coupe DeVille for the 1970 Ford 4-suicide door Thunderbird. His car look exactly like the one you showed-bright blue Irid with a Dark Blue vinyl top. I loved that car’s suicide doors, steering wheel that moved out of the way and huge back seat. The center counsel with the buckets were nice to. I know some people didn’t like the beak but I thought it made the front end
I loved the "Beaked 'Birds".
Thanks for this one, Adam.. I thought those were rather bizarre looking at the time.. I didn't understand what designers were trying to accomplish with that.
I bought a 68 4 door when in high school during the late 70s. Best drive-in car ever. A beautiful car.
I had a Ginger Glow 71 Thunderbird Sports Roof with the VERY rare Special Brougham trim, including the factory fog lights, highback buckets, console, etc. What a great car! I fell in love with that snout and the Torino-esque roofline from when I was a kid.
I don't disagree with you often,but the beak and hood styling was a great improvement. I thought the late 60s TBirds were hideous. But i love the bustle back Sevilles of the early 80s. Different strokes i guess.
I find it interesting that the bird beak on the '71/'72 TLD/Galaxie were some of he sharpest looking ones, imho. It's to bad the '70/'71 T-birds front wasn't as handsome as the rear.
I agree, I always thought the '71 "beak" LTD's were the best looking of all LTD's - and don't get me started on those beautiful full width taillights at the rear!
Wish these cars held up as well as they looked, most were in the junkyard before they reached 100.000.
Honestly my opinion is the '70 T-bird looks great! Of course my feelings are biased toward Mercury and ...that T-bird looks like a Merc'
Great video Adam!I have a 1970 Thunderbird sportsroof coupe. These cars were very well built and a very quiet ride. I like the front end of the 70 and 71. But it could be considered an acquired taste.
I personally love the 70.71
me too!
The 1970-71 Thunderbird (2 door) is my favourite T-bird. I was seeking a 1971 model when I found my 1974 model. I bought the '74 because of the low miles, but '71 remains the preference.
I had a 71 two door. Great car, beautiful car. I wish I had another.
Had a 71 two door. 429 thunder jet. Had duals . A c 6. Posi. Never lost a race. Was nicknamed Thunder chicken )
My Father had the same car...dark blue with a black interior. I loved that car but it had a hiccup that no one could figure out. Some days when you turned the key, nothing happened....no clicking, no nothing. Wait a bit or have someone else try it and it would be ok. Ford garage had it for a week and gave up on it. We replaced the starter, battery and even the ignition. Did it until week sold it.
You can’t beat the looks of hideaway headlights!
I thought the dull flat front end of the '67-'69 T-Bird was the worst part of their design due primarily to lack of headlights . I think visible head lights are like eyes and the faces of the '67-'69 T-Birds look blind to me.
Loved that all tbirds (except for 1980) were ground breaking, different, affordable but also luxurious cars for the common man .
Ford needs a new tbird with these winning qualities
I always liked it.
Nice video sir! I am fond of some of the old T-Birds. I do have to agree with you on the 67 Eldorado from a previous video. That Caddy was a work of art.
I remember when these came out. I was 13 and already a hopeless car nut. I didn’t mind the 1970-71 Thunderbird but it was not terribly practical. Popular Mechanics surveyed 1,000 owners of the 1970 and most of them wanted the front end changed due to how easily damaged it was. It’s hard to believe that 3 years later we had a totally different approach due to the bumper impact standards. Maybe the Thunderbird was the final straw that helped push the law through!
I wonder how many people hit their garage wall parking it! I know if I did that a few times I'd get tired of it. Plus it's ugly!
Imagine getting T boned by one of these things 😖
The following year Buick came out with the Boattail 1971 Riviera which at the time was another you either like it or you don't type of ride!!!.
Ps I also remember the 1970-71 Mercury Montegos and Cyclones with their protruding front clips as well!!!.
@@mikeweizer3149
That is one design that I never warmed up to.
A friend of mine had a new one and I got to drive it a few times. That was a great car for long road trips. It just floated down the road at 80 plus mph.
We had a 70 with the sleek roofline with the sport roofline. I always thought that the 1970 with the sport roof was my favorite Tbird since 1957. I never liked the front of the 67. The 70 i feel was much more stylish. Now I really dislike the other two rooflines... I still liked the 70-71 front end over all tbirds after 1957. Our Tbird was red with black textured vinyl top. It was an absolutely beautiful car. And very fun car to drive with a 429 Thunderjet engine, especially for a 16 year old that learned to drive on two different station wagons, a 76 impala and a 77 LTD.
The consequences of no one being able to tell you “no”.
I have a red 1970 2dr sportsroof that my parents bought new. I love the car, and the beak, but may be biased having grown up in it. It is still one of the best riding and crazy powerful cars from that era. Back in the day, it handled better than anything it's size. I prefer driving it over my 64 convertible, and it turns almost as many heads. I think there are two camps. Some who prefer the 67-69, and others who prefer the sleek sports roof, crazy taillights, and the beak of the 1970-71. I definitely prefer the 70.
I honestly liked them and the 4 door that didn't look like a 4 door
Being a Ford man, there aren't too many Ford vehicles I wouldn't likely own, OK, maybe not a Pinto, although back in the 70s, I got my driver's license in 1971, and my whole life became about cars. I had a few friends that bought Pintos, and they loved them. I would work on them and drive them, and I figured they were OK for what they were. I had a 69 Mach l that I loved with everything I had in me. But I have always liked Thunderbirds, every generation had things that I liked. So in the fall of 1973, that horrible oil crisis hit the US, and it changed everything. Everyone wanted fuel efficient cars and the wanted nothing to do with cars that had big V8 engines, except me. We couldn't even put up Christmas lights that year! I didn't like waiting in gas lines, or the national speed limit being lowered to 55 mph. I had been waiting to drive my entire life, I didn't like any of it, but I was not interested in driving a foreign car, no way. With the price of big American cars falling to almost nothing. I found a 1970 Thunderbird, 2 door with the sport roof, it was a metallic copper color with the thick padded black vinyl top and black cloth interior. I hated the exterior color but the interior was so beautiful and elegant it made up for the exterior. Under the hood of course was the massive 429. It filled the entire engine bay, but it was so smooth, and responsive, I loved it. I thought the "Binky Beak" fit the Thunderbird name so I liked it. The rear styling and taillight design was very good looking, and of course the sequential turn indicators were over the top cool, so with all the other cool features of the car, especially the dashboard, it was fantastic. The round gauges that lined the dash with full instrumentation, that lit up in Ford's aqua blue color lighting was gorgeous. The wipers were hydraulically operated, powered by the power steering pump which provided an infinite number of speeds for the blades, another very cool feature from Ford's engineers, they would slow down while idling, which I thought was very classy while sitting at a light. I have always thought that the blades should work as needed, here in Southern California we get a lot of fog and drizzle. It looks pretty stupid if the blades are running at 90 mph, when they just needed to Cycle intermittently. In the mid-70s Ford introduced the intermittent setting on their upscale cars. From then on, I only ever use that setting. I could see the Country Squires, the Mercurys and Lincolns out in the rain or drizzle, and the blades would Cycle about every 20 seconds. To me that was too cool, and that meant that I was cool too. The only thing I didn't like about my 70 Bird was the 8 mpg it always got. No matter how careful I was with the accerator, 8 mpg was the best I could get. So between the bird and the Mach I with a 351 W, needless to say I spent a lot of time in those gas lines I so hated, plus with the price of gas skyrocketing, I was always broke. But the way I look at it, you either buy your car for gas or class, and I go for the class. I paid just $1,500 for my bird in 1973, and then sold it for the same price in 1979. The way I loved that bird, I felt I did OK. The Mach I on the other I had for over 37 years. I kept it in showroom condition, put 2 engines in it and drove it over 275,000 miles. My life's biggest regrets are that I didn't keep everyone one of my Fords over the years. Today I only have my 2008 Explorer XLT, which I love. But I'm always looking for a Ford Motor Company car to add to it. I like certain Chryslers, mostly from the 50s and 60s. I was born in Detroit in March of 1955, my family worked at the Ford Motor Company and Chrysler Corporation, I guess their in my blood. We moved to Southern California in June of 1958, but I know if we stayed in Detroit I would have worked for either Ford or Chrysler. I still have family in Detroit and that's where they work. GM not so much. GM tends to always make the wrong decisions with their cars. GM could stop making cars and become a bakery and no one would miss them.
I inherited a 2 door 1970 Thunderbird from my late uncle in 1979. He bought it new in 1970. Other than the rear quarter windows failing after 6 months from new, it was a pretty reliable car till the day I sold it in 1986. Something I still regret.
Drove a 62 T-Bird when I was a teenager. It was huge. It was far afield from its predecessors!
My dad had a 68 Maroon on Black 2 Door Landau with the deluxe wheel covers. Nice car. Drove across the Prairies pullling a Camper and back to Oakville Ontario. That was an adventure.
Never thought the ‘69/‘70 GP nose was that great. The ‘71 and ‘72 were a huge improvement.
No. They went to single headlights that ruined the design imo.
Yes - the switch in '71-'72 to single headlights and the "boat tail" rear end made it much more attractive than the '69-'70 GP in my opinion.
This styling theme was used at Mercury as well...see the 1970 Mercury Montego.
I have had several thunderbirds including my 2004 in the garage. I loved the big birds of the early 70s.
I'm with you, I've got a 73 T-Bird black over black cherry and my 76 T-Bird Cream and Gold edition which is stunning.
Those coloured hubcaps were used on the Aussie Ford LTD and Landau 1975-1979.
Something my father handed directly to me was to always drive a sporty sedan even through the child rearing years. A van was NEVER in the cards for my father nor myself. As a kid the coolest sedan we had was a white 76’ Regal with maroon interior and matching Landeau top. 400 4-barrel under the hood with bucket seats and the H-shifter. Dad’s company truck was always a metallic green (company color) 3/4 ton Chevy. Other vehicles were a Catalina, Cougar Blue Max and a Lincoln Mark 7. They are in their 80’s now. Mom is driving a 19’ super charged Mustang yellow convertible and dad has a f250 super duty w/ oversized cam. They both love to drive the tires off their rides.
That was a great commercial ad what a fantastic way to close a video, Keep up the fantastic work!!
The Ford commercial is very cool. The Ads back in the day were actually entertaining.
Adam, Beaks rule!!!!😁😁🤣😂
This is one of those rare occasions that I disagree with Adam. A truly polarizing design, I suppose: you either love it or hate it. I love these long nose cars, whether it's the '69 & '70 Grand Prix, Lincoln MkIII, Ford full-size cars, or the '70 full-sized Pontiacs and these T-birds, I think these exaggerated shapes were just what these cars needed to set them apart from their peers. It may have something to do with my reflection in the mirror.😅 Also, I think that the flattening of these shapes circa '72 had as much to do with the impending, federally-mandated 5mph bumper standards. I'm sure I'll get some free psychological evaluations for this comment, much like I did when I expressed my fondness for the '70 full-sized Pontiacs in a previous video. It's ok, I know what I like. 😁 Thanks for bringing us all the backstory, and all these beautiful cars.
I agree. I was never a fan of the T bird but the LTD and Montegos looked great as did the 69 Mustang.
I love the bulkier thunderbirds
Way back around 1982 a friend of mine had a four door 71 Thunderbird. Dark green with a black vinyl top. Very cool car! We took it to the Winnipeg Folk Festival in 82 and used its air conditioned cabin as an occasional refuge from the scorching July sun.
I really enjoy your videos and have learned a great deal from you, but I disagree here. I absolutely loved the Bunky Knudsen protruding front-end of the '70 Thunderbird and the character that it gave to the car - especially the fastback coupe. It was a daring styling cue. I also liked how it looked on the '71 & '72 LTD's and Galaxies.
My dad has owned now owned his 70’ T-bird for a good 13 years now, I love this car to death, that car is the reason why I’m into cars in the first place, can’t wait to be it’s proud owner one day
I actually like the styling. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
As far as the full-size T-Birds went, the 1969 LANDAU COUPE was my favorite. A CLASSIC desigb.
YES! I love that one ❤️
I agree. Ironically, my 2 favorite sedans were the gorgeous 67-69 Thunderbird and the sleek box chevy.
I like the beak birds! So distinctive. And I have driven them back in the day...sweet drivers
Thank you Adam. I read about Bunkie Knudsen in a book years ago. I do appreciate you sharing this video and his time at Ford and about this car. This was enjoyable. Thank you.
I loved the beak
The Fairlane/Torino grille always reminded me of a snapping turtle. As for the T-Bird beak, I thought it was ghastly.
I really have always liked the 4 door version minus the huge bird beak, maybe because it’s so odd to have a 4 door thunderbird and with suicide doors. I however think the 67, 68, 69 is probably the best styling.
Considering that the Pontiac Grand Prix--in its new, smaller size--was one of the hottest sellers of the 1969 model year, it was little wonder that Bunkie Knudsen wanted lightning to strike twice (not unlike when Elwood Engel, who designed the 1961 Lincoln Continental, was lured to Chrysler to work his magic on the 1964 Imperial, which looked surprisingly similar to the '61 Continental). So, to an extent, the 1970-71 Thunderbird looked surprisingly similar to the 1969 Grand Prix. Plus--Knudsen locked in the changes to the 1971 Galaxie/LTD beak while Henry Ford II was out of the country, which went against the then-established tradition of HF II signing off on each model year's new cars. Couple that with Lee Iacocca's "insurrection" and threat to have the stylists walk out, and Bunkie, indeed, was "soon history."
Adam, sales were a total flop, but you can see alot of guys today think it was a cool car, like the 1971 Riv, it was distinctive.
LOVE the '71-'72 Riviera! I'm 66yo and was 13-14yo when the '71 Riviera came out and it was love at first sight, so far it looks like it'll go down as THE most distinct cars of my lifetime!
'71 Riv, something to believe in, baby! Hey Tom, loved your late nite TV show. Could of swore you were dead. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.....
Every time somebody talks '71-'72 Riviera, I come back to life - is that true love or what? 🤣@@user-pp1ni2jy3f
I come back to life at the mention of '71-'72 Riviera's - how's that for "dead"ication? @@user-pp1ni2jy3f
My Dad took my Mom’s 1971 LTD Brougham Coupe to the local Ford Dealership for service and brought home a new 1972 Thunderbird to show my mom. The 1st words my mom said when my Dad walked in was “ Please tell me you did not trade my car for that.” “ I did not” replied my Dad. “ Good because I would hate for you have to sleep in it tonight” . Needless to say the Tbird went back.
😂🤣😂🤣
I like the 71 ltd.
yeah, I have a 1971 Ford LTD 2 door hardtop.
The 71 Mercury Cougar gained a beak too !
That was great looking !
Actually, the Cougars had something of a beak from the very beginning in 1967. Their grills were split, as opposed to the T-Birds' that year.
It is a car that the more you look at it, the more you like it.
The “bird beak” also appeared on the 1970-72 Mercury Montegos and got progressively blunted by the 5mph bumper standard beginning in 1973.
We knew it as "The Roman Nose." Thank you, Bunkie Knudsen. No bumper standards in those days. All-in-all, still a wonderfully quiet, well-riding car.
The insurance companies hated them. With essentially no front bumper, the front end was particularly vulnerable in accidents, and expensive to repair. Insurance companies had a lot to do with automotive styling in those days.
Same with the split bumper cameras of that era
I love those Birds. They were fabulous cars.
I owned a1971 black Thunderbird till 1978 .i loved it ,best Car for Comfort and incredible powerful 429 Moter , I also love loved the Front and Back ,especially the back Turnligts. 12:50
I bought my 1st car (a 1970 Tbird 2 Dr with the fastback roof style) for $60 bucks in 1988 when I was 14. I owned several more 70-71 Tbird coupes in my youth. I have a 65 now, but would love another 70! They drove like a dream. That Ford commercial was right..... They did feel like big jetliners taking off, lol. That 429 was no slouch!
I never liked the dull-looking flat front of the '67, '68 and '69 T-Birds and thought the '70 and '71 front made the car appear much more exciting.
Back in the day, my boss drove a green 71 suicide door T-Bird. He always seemed to have problems with it stalling from the day he bought it. One day it mysteriously stalled on the railroad tracks when a train was coming. He got out of it before the train took it out. We always wondered if he didn't just say it stalled so he could get rid of it. He switched to Cadillacs after that.
“Why fly when you can drive?”
Take a peek at that beak -
the Thunderbird certainly departed from its former glamour though at the time it was captivating!
I love the historical context of how these cars happened and /or whose fault. 😂
The 'beak' looked really good on the LTD's
Love these 70 Fords especially the 'Birds. I see echoes of this design in the 87-88 Turbo Coupe. I currently have a 35th Anniversary SC with 15k certified miles. I love it and I loved my 88 Turbo also
As I stated on your last 1970 / 71 Thunderbird video, I recall lots of ads in magazines with the 1970 Ford Thunderbird next to the brand new Boeing 747, stating 1970 being the year for "new birds".
Agree with your comments on the 1970 Thunderbird "beak" being a little too extreme... on the LTD it actually looks pretty good.
Interestingly, Bunkie was the reason the Boss 429 ended up in a Mustang instead of the Torino that it was raced in. He specifically wanted it in the Mustang.
The '71 Mustang was enlarged over the '69 and '70 so that the 429 would fit comfortably under the hood - only for the 429 to be dropped from the option list for 1972.
The late actor, Andy Griffith was said to have had an identical car to the one shown here at ~0:10, - 0:25 and was seen frequently blasting around rural North Carolina in it back in the day.
That beak business is hilarious those cars were obtrusive in heavy city traffic but I thought the 1972 T birds were very bland until 1973 Ford tried to promote the 1972 T bird in an episode of Cannon (blood on the vine ) oh by the way if any one is a wine connoisseur you will enjoy this episode and I have not given up on finding who handles Tampa Wine produced by Mike Tampa he perfected a Cabernet Sauvignon in 1961 that took every award a wind could get in that era this Country has never seen or experienced a Wine like that again and the 1972 Ford
Thunderbird was a stand alone Car but was pretty dull thank goodness the 73 - 76 really shined a beacon of hope for this model
My mother had a 1970 T-Bird, all white. I always thought it was a beautiful car, and it could get up and GO.
I remember when I was a kid, one the grownups in my neighborhood had 70 TBird , dark chocolate brown with slotted mag wheels , and it seemed like it was always clean in the summertime and never seen it in the winter months , it was a nice car 😊
Growing up, I vividly remember my uncle's blue 71 T-Bird 2 door Landau he bought brand new, and to me, it was THE ultimate dream machine compared to the plain jane, no frills VWs my parents owned at the time. I always looked forward whenever he would visit, so I could ask to go for a ride in it.
I would later learn how the 70-71 T-Birds styling would come about, and who was behind it, and though I don't hate it, doesn't look quite as elegant as the 67-69 front end styling. I do however, think the 71-72 full size grilles were the most attractive designs of any car from that era, or throughout the 70s.
I’ve had two of the 1971’s. Including the 6,000 mile four door in original condition that I donated to PBS. Its auction is on TH-cam. The stying made sense for the time & it was an exceptional cruiser. Triple tobacco brown with a brougham interior. Really well built & when America ruled the roads. Sad it’s gone.
I've owned several T-birds .my favorite was 1970 4dr. It was a rare color kind of brownish red metallic with chocolate brown top. It had been a factory exc's car. It an ABS braking system,antenna in the windshield and t he seats were all champagne cloth,the production models all had some surfaces in vinyl. The best looking car I've ever owned
Funny thing is that Knudsen also dictated the "beak" styling for a European model, the German 1970 Ford Taunus which then was nicknamed the Knudsen Nose Ford!
I liked the bird beak, I still do !
The beaks were wonderful - so cool.
I had a 70 as my first car in 1981. I loved it and it remains my favorite carbto this day.
Knudsen supposedly had a 1970 Bird on the way to production and cancelled it. I would really like to see that car, have never seen a picture.
Great content Adam, you are making some TV worthy videos if I may say so. Fantastic and Bravo!!!!!
I liked them as a kid and still do.