The Ford Thunderbird on This Day in History

Thelma and Louise in their T-Bird

This Day in History: The Ford Motor Company produced its 50 millionth automobile, the Thunderbird on this day in 1958. The last Thunderbird rolled off the assembly line on July 1, 2005 after poor sales. The Thunderbird was the very first car I owned. The T-bird had a good history in pop culture, from the Beach Boys "Fun Fun Fun" to Suzanne Somers driving one in American Graffiti all the way to Thelma & Louise ending it in one. Marilyn Monroe's Raven Black '56 T-Bird sold at auction in 2018 for $490,000. Like many other cars (Pontiac, Seneca, Firebird, Dakota) the Thunderbird derives its name from the Native American legend of a mythic bird that created thunder and lightning.