The 1950s Sports Car

Two excellent examples of a 1950s sports car were the Corvette and Thunderbird. The Corvette was produced by Chevolret while the Thunderbird rolled off the assembly lines at Ford.

The Corvette, which was first made available to the public in 1953, was styled by the famous car designer Harvey Earl.

The new range was given the mark “Corvette” by Myron Scott who named it after a type of French warship.

The first range of Corvettes, the C1, consisted of a solid axle as independent rear suspension was not available in the range until the advent of the C2 Sting Ray almost a decade later.

The early versions of the Corvette C1 were hand produced, so only 300 were available for sale to the motoring public. By 1955 Chevrolet had replaced the Corvette C1's six cylinder engine and given the car more power with the installation of the V8 engine.

A year later the Corvette C1 had a redesign of its body, eliminating its country club look. And by the middle of 1957 the car buyers also had the option of purchasing a model with fuel injection.

Further improvements in the Corvette C1 saw the introduction of power windows, an hydraulic operated roof, four speed manual gears and an improved brake and suspension system.

The Thunderbird was Ford's answer to the 1950s sports car challenge made by the Corvette in the sports car market. The Thunderbird, popularly known as the T-Bird , was introduced to the public in1954 at the Detroit Motor Show.

And in a unique marketing move, Ford did not describe the Thunderbird as a sports car - which undoubtedly it was - but rather a “personal luxury car,” highlighting the model's luxurious features.

The Thunderbird had a more “sporty” look than previous Ford models with a sleeker design. The new range certainly captured the attentions of the American motoring public, selling over 16,000 models during the first year of production as against only 700 sold by its rival in the 1950s sports car market – the Corvette.

The Thunderbird underwent a redesign in 1957 with restyled bumpers, grille, tailfins and back lights. Horsepower was beefed up to 245 with the introduction of the V8 engine, which saw sales exceeding 21,000 during 1957.

1958 saw Ford launch its second generation of the T-Bird. A four door version was made available and it increased in both weight and size. However, the two door model, more typical of a sports car, was still produced and sales topped 37,000 for the year.

Related Articles