Despite being a big improvement over the old frame, the new duplex frame also had problems. The new frame had 2 front downtubes & thus became forever known as the “duplex frame”. All copyright rights remain in the possession of the manufacturer.All Triumph 650s got a new frame for the 1960 model year, replacing the notoriously flexy “whip iron” which had been in use since 1953. With their 4 T'bird themed entries this week, it seemed fitting.ĭisclaimer:- All photos were taken by the author and are of genuine original manufacturer publicity material, resting on the hood of a 1960 Thunderbird, currently in hibernation awaiting warmer days. I've always been a fan of auto literature (I have boxes of the stuff from all the shows I've been to) and enjoy the R.A-S.H. I hope the fellow Hoons at Hooniverse will forgive my plagiarism borrowing of their format. Modern cars have maybe 10 colors and 6 of them are grey. Oh, for the days of " 15 Luxury Lounge" interiors, 56 different two tone exteriors and honest to goodness colors. The image is so bad, that all the detail on the car - the grille, headlights, door cut line, quarter panel trim - is airbrushed in. What strikes be the most on this page is how bad that top image is. Note that there's nothing hiding those beautiful V8s and that the top image is actually a painting of the engine, not a photograph. Note, however, that you could get your 'luxury' car with a 3 speed stick - on the column. It does feel quick, especially if you pay attention and put it in D1 so you don't start in second gear. As I said before, the base engine isn't particularly quick. Check out the sliding steel sunroof, on an American car in 1960.ģ00 or 350 HP, but that's gross, not the now standard SAE net. This page talks about Thunderbird's 'compact' dimensions, but that only applies to the interior, it's nearly as long and wide as my 8 passenger Saturn Outlook.Īccessories " To add an extra measure of comfort and pleasure." Luxurious things like backup lights and a window washer. The bellman on the left is thinking "Lady, I'm not sure this is gonna close." Yes, the trunk is 5' 5" wide, but it's not deep enough for a full paper grocery sack to stand upright. They've used the split created by the lady's arm to stretch the rear seat leg room to about 3 times actual. Thankfully, the system is actually pretty reliable if used regularly.ĭecades before Photoshop, that top image is a retouched lie. Should the system fail and you need to access the trunk, you jack the car, remove the wheels, drop the fuel tank and disconnect the hydraulic cylinders in back and the deck-lid latches through small access holes under the car. It's not a simple system with a hydraulic pump, 4 cylinders, 12 relays and numerous limit switches and solenoids. The deck-lid rises, the top goes down and the deck-lid closes, leaving a clean, finsihed appearance. The predecessor to the system on the 4 door Continental Convertible, the 1960 T'bird's top goes down from the driver's seat, with a flip of the two windsheild latches (conveniently left out of the brochure) and engaging the switch. Actually, and I'm biased here, but this is pretty cool. " Fully automatic, the top disappears completely!"Īlong with 75% of the already meager trunk space. Yeah, if 0-60 in 10+ seconds, body roll and a floaty ride are "sports car roadability" and a tight-for-4 interior is 'comfort'. " Sports car roadability and luxury car comfort." You want hyberbole? This is 1960, we've got hyperbole. You won't find another car with lines so clean. This beautiful car comes by its beauty naturally. The very name evokes an image of glamour and spirit and distinction. It was certainly one of the most desirable cars at the time, but to call it an all-time classic when new was certainly a stretch. 4 seat divide in the T'bird world, even among parts suppliers. Even though the 4 seaters are gaining popularity and respect now, there's still a 2 seat vs. However, until recently, the 4 seat T'birds, and the Squarebirds in particular, were the red headed step children of the Thunderbird universe. The '60 alone was the best selling T'bird until the '77 models came out, out selling all 3 years of the 2 seaters combined. The Squarebirds, as they've come to be known, were a resounding sales success. This is year 3 of the first of the 4 seat Thunderbirds. " Thunderbird - one of the great all-time automotive classics!" Let's have a look at ' The World's Most Wanted Car'. posts were mostly taken on the 'bonnet' of his '98 Audi A4, I decided it only fitting to photograph this on the hood of my 1960 Thunderbird Convertible. Archive is likely incorrect as I'm unlikely to do this again, but i digress. or Salguod's Archive of Showroom Hyperbole. stands for "Rusty's Archive of Showroom Hyperbole", so I've called this, creatively, S.A-S.H. In response to Hooniverse's 4 part series of Thunderbird brochures ( 1, 2, 3, 4) in their R.A-S.H.
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