Square Bird Trivia Question of the Week:
1. Who performed the pop hit song titled ‘It’s Hip to Be Square’? And, can you guess, within five, the year it hit the top singles chart?
2. German immigrants introduced this small bird to the St. Louis, Missouri area in the 1870s. During the 138 years since, it has not spread to any other area in the U.S. and its population is isolated in a few square mile area in Madison County, Illinois, just east of St. Louis, MO. What is the name of this bird that is the subject of many a hunt by dedicated ‘birders’ from all across the country?
3. What was the first and last year of Ford Thunderbird production?
4. What pop singer (or group) warned that her daddy was going to take the T-Bird away? In the song’s lyrics, where did she cruise to? What did she forget all about? Why couldn’t the world stand her? What was the name of this song and in what year did it hit the pop charts?
5. In what year was Alfred Hitchcock’s movie The Birds released? Who was the leading lady in the film that shared a Golden Globe Award as New Star of The Year- Actress, along with Ursula Andress and Elke Sommer.
6. How many professional sports teams can you think of that are named after birds? Ask.com produced a site listing a dozen.
7. The second generation, 1958-1960 T-Birds, were nicknamed the ‘square birds.’ Do you know the nicknames of other generation Thunderbirds?
8. ‘Thunderbird’ is the name of a musical instrument. What kind of instrument is it and what is the name of the company that manufactures it?
Trivia answers, as well as more photos of Bill Mays fabulous Thunderbird, can be found by visiting my web site at: http://www.thefinman.com.

NOTE to birders: It IS hip to be square... especially if you’re a ’58, ’59 or ’60 T-Bird owner, or even just a fan– for that’s the nickname these three ‘birds’ earned, due to their relatively square lines. In particular, that classic roof line which lead to use of the term ‘Thunderbird roof’ being adopted to many other cars of the late fifties and early sixties.
You’d have to be an aficionado to tell the difference between the three model years, but anyone who’s been intimately involved with a square bird, such as Bill May from North Richland Hills, Texas (a Fort Worth suburb) and the proud owner of the beautiful ‘white bird’ shown above. Bill has shown his car at many car shows and it has received certification as a ‘survivor’ from the Vintage Thunderbird Club International. You’re probably asking what is the significance of the word ‘survivor’. The term is loosely used by many who portend a knowledge of collectible automobiles and in its most liberal definition, means, as one might expect, an older car which has been cared for and properly maintained through the years and is in relatively good condition. This broad definition will suffice for all but the diehard old car folks, like Bill May (and the FIN MAN), who base their definition on the conditions prescribed by a respected car club that has set standards for the term and the granting of awards based on those conditions and rules. Basically, to qualify for ‘survivor’ status, a car must be of low mileage and had little or no cosmetic repairs, inside or out, since the day it was delivered as a new vehicle. A score sheet of sorts is used to judge the worthiness of the car for such an award and the less that has been ‘restored’ the more points the car will earn. In other words, the exterior paint and chrome, glass and interior materials and fabrics should all be original. Anything that has been replaced or restored over the years will cost points against the total score. For instance, a car that has been repainted, even though it was a fine quality job in the original color, will score fewer points than an identical car which has its original paint... even though that paint may be somewhat worn. Repainting, reupholstering and re-chroming are all ‘restoration’ procedures and therefore deem the car a restored vehicle, not an original. And another thing... many people outside the hobby think that a fifty year old car with only 100,000 miles on it is a ‘low mileage car’. Not so. Even though that averages out to only 2,000 miles per year, its still a hundred thousand mile car. And remember... back in those days, a car that had racked up a hundred grand on the clock was considered worn out! By the way... Bill’s ‘59 has but 63,000 certifiable, original miles on the odometer which is very good... perhaps excellent, but not great. Believe it or not, there are fifty year old cars out there in the world with 20k, 10k and less miles on them... and a Thunderbird with such mileage, if one should surface, would score a higher point rating for miles than Bills car did. A key ingredient here is that the mileage MUST be verifiable beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Although full-sized Fords we introduced on November 7, 1957 (fall intros of next years model were customary back then as they generally are today), the totally new Thunderbird’s debut was held off until February of 1958. The ‘square bird’ left the nest with a great deal of controversy, for fans and owners of the original 55-57 two-seat T-Birds were appalled that the executives at Ford would include additional seating for two in the rear. Imagine, if you would, the uproar if Chevrolet announced tomorrow that it was changing the Corvette to accommodate four passengers!!! It could very well mark the end of the American sports car as we know it. Although unpopular with fans, the marketing decision was pure genius and what resulted is considered by many, the first ‘personal luxury car.’ Sales proved the decision was sound as the 1958 Thunderbird outsold the last edition of the ‘baby bird’ by a margin of near 2:1. By 1959, the new, larger Thunderbird was really rolling as sales again nearly doubled the figure of the 1958 models, and the momentum didn’t stop there as 1960 sales rose to just over 91,000 units, four times that of the ‘57 model and nearly double the total of 1955-6 and 7 T-Birds combined! The Thunderbird purists may have been flappin’ their wings over the four place bird, but the public in general, loved it.
This car had it all... a new, more compact size (at 113" a five inch smaller wheelbase than the full size Fords), great style, and performance to go along with the rest of the package. The base engine was the Thunderbird 352 Special V-8 which had, as the name implied, 352 cubic inches of displacement (there you go Rich), or 5.8 liters for all the generation Xers and newer in the audience. It was fed by a 4-barrel carburetor and pumped out an even 300 ponies at 4,600 rpm. Aunt Dorothy wasn’t wild about that thirsty V-8 and probably would have opted for a six cylinder engine if one had been offered. If she thought that was bad, it’s a good thing her boys didn’t find out about the ‘J’ option... the Thunderbird 430 Special V-8. It was huffing, you guessed it, 430 cubic inches (a whopping 7 liters) and produced an extra 50 horsepower for the extra $177.00 that was added to the sticker. It also squeezed a compression ratio of 10.0:1 which meant it insisted on premium, leaded (Ethyl) fuel... but those who were willing to throw caution and economy to the wind, didn’t give a rat’s rear end because, after all, premium was going for about fifty cents a gallon then... and small price to pay for being able to peel the tread off the 6.00x14", four-ply Firestones in front of the kids at Florissant Steak ‘n’ Shake!
Options were many for the smaller, luxury Ford Thunderbird and include such popular items as Dual-Range Cruise-O-Matic transmission ($242.00); power brakes ($43.00); power steering ($75.00); four-way power driver’s seat ($86.00); front and rear power windows ($102.00); push button AM only radio ($105.00); heater/defroster (no they weren’t standard but were a $83.00 option); and for those who really wanted to splurge, ‘Select Air Conditioning was available for $446.00. Lesser trim options included an outside rearview mirror for just five bucks; whitewall tires ($36.00) and to finish out the wheel package, full wheel covers for another seventeen bucks. Can ya dig it? (yes, the T-Bird came with small caps and blackwall tires). A contrasting two tone paint scheme with the roof painted a second color would have run you $26.00.
Just in case you’re interested in getting into Bird watching, here’s a primer to give you a quick course in birding:
The 1958 T-Bird has a honeycomb-style grill made up of small circles. This pattern is repeated within the taillight bezel which houses two large round lamps. From the side, the ’58 has a set of five chrome striped bars affixed to the embossed projectile shape on the doors.
The 1959 birds, like Bill’s, have a grill consisting of horizontal bars which lends a custom look to this model. Again, this pattern is repeated in the taillight bezel. The sculptured side spears have a V-shaped, chrome arrow at the leading edge.
The 1960 models have a grill with a crosshatch pattern adorned with a large horizontal bar with three vertical dividers. As is the case with the first two models, this pattern (sans the bar) is repeated at the stern. But for 1960, three smaller round lamps (similar to Chevys of the day) occupy the area within the bezels. The side spear has a ‘Thunderbird’ script at the front end, and a set of three bars trim out the rear quarter panel.
There you have it. Now, the next time you go to a Ford show, you can be an expert on the Square Birds!
The Thunderbird palette for fifty-nine included nineteen colors– five more than standard Ford models. They included Diamond Blue; Steel Blue; Starlet Blue; Baltic Blue; Hickory Tan; Doeskin Beige; Sandstone; Tahitian Bronze; Cordovan; Platinum; Indian Turquoise; Glacier Green; Sea Reef Green; Tamarack Green; Flamingo; Brandy Wine; Casino Cream; Colonial White; and Raven Black. Two-tone combinations were offered with contrasting roof colors and was a $26.00 option.
The interior of Bill’s bird is done in a two-tone theme of turquoise and white. The center sections of the front buckets and the back seat left and right seat positions are white and the surrounding bolsters are turquoise. (See a photo of the interior on my web site at http://www.thefinman.com.) This popular leather option was priced at $106.00, a bargain by today’s standards.
A quick perusal of the November, 2008 edition of Auto Trader’s Classic Cars & Parts found only three listings for 1959 T-Birds... a decent-looking (at least in the picture) red coupe with a white top for just $7,500.00– probably a bargain... a similar all red hardtop with non-stock wheels for an ‘asking price’ of $18,000.00... and a Colonial White convertible with an enticing description including the rare option of factory air, was listed at $38,900.00 which could also be a bargain if the car is as described.
So get out there... pick up a square bird for cruisin’ at Chuck-A-Burger in St. John and St. Charles, Missouri.
For more photos of Bill May’s beautiful white Bird, including that gorgeous two-tone interior, visit my web site at www.thefinman.com. And, don’t forget to join me this Saturday on the old Chain of Rocks Bridge for the Route 66 Festival, Saturday, October 4, 2008. (For more details visit the web site at http://www.thefinman.com.
The FIN MAN– Bruce Kunz, is available for your group’s special event and is currently booking dates for 2008 and 2009. During his appearances, he presents an overview of the collector car hobby plus a detailed look at American cars from the fifties and sixties. His program includes a Power Point presentation with images of collectible automobiles and various associated nostalgia and Americana. Guests also have the opportunity to play "FINS for FUN" (which inspired his nickname), the video car trivia game Mr. Kunz first produced in 1987, in which players compete for auto related prizes donated by supporting Fin Man sponsors. For more information, click on this link: http://groups.msn.com/the-fin-man/seminaragenda.msnw.
Bruce Kunz is a member of the Society of Automotive Historians, the St. Louis Chapter of the Buick Club of America and the Monte Carlo Owners Association of America. He welcomes your comments and suggestions. To e-mail him, click here > mailto:the_fin_man@msn.com.
The FIN MAN– Bruce Kunz, is available for your group’s special event and is currently booking dates for 2008 and 2009. During his appearances, he presents an overview of the collector car hobby plus a detailed look at American cars from the fifties and sixties. His program includes a Power Point presentation with images of collectible automobiles and various associated nostalgia and Americana. Guests also have the opportunity to play "FINS for FUN" (which inspired his nickname), the video car trivia game Mr. Kunz first produced in 1987, in which players compete for auto related prizes donated by supporting Fin Man sponsors. For more information, click on this link: http://groups.msn.com/the-fin-man/seminaragenda.msnw.