Revisionist History...

1980 Thunderbird Prototype rendering Perhaps an old rendering of what could have become the 1980 Thunderbird... i used a googled base image of a '77-'79 Tbird, then re-proportioned it to the much smaller 1980-82 Fairmont-sourced platform. I think this bespoke body, picking up more cues from the hugely popular '77-'79 Tbird, could have been much more svelte and attractive than the ungainly and homely '80-'82 Thunderbird that was produced. I supposed i could have started with the Fairmont Futura or the Mercury Zephyr version, in retrospect, which this rendering resembles, but i didn't, lol. i think the result is a more-expensive and more unique Thunderbird than what was offered, but much smaller and lighter than the generation before.

I think Ford's styling trends back then, especially with their Ghia connections, could have been implemented in a better way. There were so many awkward, cost-cutting moves in those years, imo. The basic idea: clean bodysides, low beltlines, thin pillars, and a knee-level molding connecting the bumpers (which gave an almost wraparound-effect to those 5 mph protuberances), was valid. It all could have been tailored on the production cars so much better though, in this writer's most humble opinion of course!

1967 Thunderbird GT�the grand touring estate What if Thunderbird's additional bodystyle for '67 wasn't just a 4 door sedan, but a high-style wagon? Without the need to accommodate 3 rows of seats, this GT is a 4 bucket seat 5 door hatch in reality. Could this high-powered, high-style, Grand Touring machine have made a niche for itself back then? Perhaps Ford would have used upscale styling fillips such as reversible seat cushions, with leather on one side and a high-style designer fabric on the other side.

While the car seems pretty unchanged except for the estate rear greenhouse, it's not the case. I had to shorten the wheelbase and reshape the rear fenders to make the car 'feel' right. There would be quite a bit of tapering of the greenhouse towards the rear in plan view, visually shortening the long roof hatch/wagon from the 3/4 front angle. I also gave it "wide tracks" a la Pontiac's of the day, at least 6 inches wider than stock... the narrow track of the '67 was really visible in the original photo, and instead of the stock 15" wheels, I enlarged them proportionately to about 18 inches-18" steelies with wheelcovers!

Great way of doing some nice concepts. I like the take using old models and treating them as "could haves." What would you think if you made the Tbird emblem something that sits center on the glass?

Quote: AJ

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Great way of doing some nice concepts. I like the take using old models and treating them as "could haves." What would you think if you made the Tbird emblem something that sits center on the glass?

i actually moved that little emblem a hundred different times, at least, lol. it didn't seem quite right only on the B pillar, or only in the window. i decided to do something mfrs never have, that i can remember anyway, a logo that is afixed to the B pillar but hangs over the glass. i think i would have identical emblems inside the car, so the overhanging 'wing' isn't seen, but is covered up with the front of the inside wing. i think it would have been a cool interior/exterior detail. they aren't often made to interact with each other. it would have looked like the rear side glass was being gripped in place by those little birds.

on the wagon, i didn't think of adding an emblem, i took off the Landau S Bar, which 'hid' the rear door cutline in the C pillar, and then left it plain. a small chrome bird emblem, embedded in the lower front portion of the rearmost side window might be cool. probably something they would have thought of. a few years later, when opera windows were popular, embedding gold or chrome logos in glass was used quite a bit�by Lincoln especially.

i know, WAY TOO many obsessive thoughts on things that never were and never will be... welcome to my world again!

nice. I have cousin who sand blasts art work into glass (and/or uses acid) and then puts gold leaf into it.

The woman in the second picture looks about ready to dragon the Thunderbird GT.

lol, ok I need to know what that means! Dragon the thunderbird, lol that just sounds like a saying in of itself, lol.

tailpipe copulation.

man that sounds dirty, lol

It's bound to leave some stain.

haha, you're bad