Really? Nobody else picked up on this yet? Hmmm...anyway:
What I Learned From Jackie Stewart "In A Flurry Of Feathers And Blood" (http://jalopnik.com/5616728/what-i-learned-from-jackie-stewart-in-a-flurry-of-feathers-and-blood?skyline=true&s=i)
(http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/12/2010/08/500x_stewart_looks_for_bolt_01.jpg)
That was an awesome video in that link
That's pretty cool, thanks for posting it up!
"....looked like a pagoda with wheels.....well this is what we have to do to sell it..." :rollin:
Yeah the way I read the article, this was 1981 and they were referring to the 1980 Fox Box Bird... From the history books of the Tbird of that time they were not at all happy with the final outcome. Using an angular design, the actual original design sketches were much sleeker that the upright box they came out with. For the 1983 update they even played with the existing Box Bird to try to make it look better but they made the right choice and borrowed the aero Lincoln concept design and now we have a Bird that is timeless.
I tend to not rag on the Box Bird too much because I find such a charm in all it's awkwardness that is interesting to me...
Anybody have any pics or design photos of this? Sounds cool.
That video was sweet. It is pretty wild to see a brand new TC tear around corners!
They're neat indeed, I'd drive the HELL out of this!! http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercury-Cougar-Cougar-XR-7-1980-Mercury-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQitemZ270624983183QQptZUSQ5fCarsQ5fTrucks
But that's typical me, stock look but it scoots, loooove that all day long :D
Okay we we go...
More...
And more...
More rakish 1983 rendering...
Proposed sketches for the 2002 Tbird... If it looks familiar check out the 2003 Mustang Mach III show car...
Interesting how the article is supposed to be all about the NEW 83 Turbo Coupe yet the video/commercial shows an 85-86 Turbo Bird.
Later, RAY
The commercial itself is a late 1984 commercial showing off a 1985 Tbird TC. Five hole wheels came in 1985 the same year they did for the Mustang. What is interesting is that the 1985 in the commercial is using clear turn signal lamps in the bumper. 1983 was the only year they were used in production.
If you read the text during the commercial, it mentions a 1984 satisfaction survey of owner reported problems of 1981-83 models.
A lot of those pictures kinda remind me of a fairmont
In the early stages of design, they intended the downsized Thunderbird to actually be a disguised Fairmont using the doors, rooline and front glass but having a uniquely styled front end clip, rear quarters and rear end. It ended up with pretty much it's own exterior sheet metal skins all around. To buttstuffyze the actual Box Bird there are a few exterior things that might possibly have been shared with the Fairmont such as the windshield glass and door shell with possibly a new outer skin attached. The Fox platform wheelbase was stretched towards the rear to 108" for the Box Birds.
If you look at the white 1980 Thunderbird 4-door proposal it actually uses the Fairmont body right in the mid section from the A pillar to the rear doors. This really ended up being the production 1981 Granada 4-door.
The production 1978 Fairmont Futura coupe was actually a downsized Tbird proposal as evidenced in the one 1976 prototype side view. Like I have said before Ford should have held out the Futura Coupe until 1980 when it would have made IMO a nicer Tbird which tied in better with the outgoing 1979 model.
If you look at the 1981 Ford Granada, it makes use of the Fairmont body. If you look through some of these Tbird design proposals, bits of the production Granada can be seen in some of them. Notice the use of the notched formal roofline and the horizontal faux rear quarter pillar vent. Also notice the quad headlamp front end with a traditional radiator grille and powerdome hood which matches the side profile of the Thunderbird "Futura" proposal.
(http://www.tocmp.com/brochures/Ford/1981/Granada/images/Granada00_jpg.jpg)
(http://www.productioncars.com/send_file.php/ford_granada_glx_2door_grey_1981.jpg)
Then later after the Granada was restyled into the 1983 midsized LTD, they made use of the wedgy shoveled nose look seen in some Tbird proposals.
(http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/2886/3101/32214050355_large.jpg)
The front end clips of all the Fairmont body based cars are so interchangable that you could custom make any number of interesting looks.
Forgive me for ranting on but I love to study and talk about design!