Total sales figures for the year were 37,892, which was more than double sold in 1956.RENO, NV - Ford Thunderbirds are a popular car, especially at Hot August Nights. 35,758 hardtops were sold versus 2,134 convertibles. With the top down and the trunk lid closed, the appearance was clean and required no top boot.Īlthough the Thunderbird began life as a convertible, drop-top Birds accounted for less than a quarter of production in 1958. The soft-top was also hydraulically operated, and when lowered, hid completely in the trunk.

What Ford engineers came up with instead was a rear-hinged trunk lid that raised and lowered with hydraulic cylinders. However, engineering issues with the retractable roof prompted the decision to reinstate the convertible. In its place, a power-retractable hardtop, like Ford's Skyliner, was slated for the Thunderbird. With limited funding available, the convertible body was to be discontinued. A 3-speed manual transmission was standard with an automatic transmission optional. Powering the T-bird was Ford's new FE block, a 352ci V8 producing 300 horsepower. To accommodate the back seat, wheelbase was stretched to 113-inches.Ĭonceived as a personal luxury car with distinctive style, Thunderbird interior had bucket seats in front with a full-length center console running into two rear buckets. A solid rear axle used coil springs, and front independent suspension used control-arms and coil springs. The unit construction process allowed the second-generation T-birds to sit long and low. The majority of today's modern cars are based on a unibody structure, but in 1958 it was new technology. Along with the convertible, a hardtop coupe was also offered, whose boxy lines and wide-pillar roof earned it the nickname 'Squarebird.'

Distinctive styling featured quad headlights, a large chrome grille, and prominent tail fins. The Ford Thunderbird was now a four-seater, measuring eleven inches longer and weighing nearly 1,000 pounds more than the original two-seater it replaced.

1958 tbird