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- 1955 Ford Thunderbird, March 1954 - Ford Motor Company introduced Thunderbird for 1955. The two-seat convertible came in response to Chevrolet's Corvette, which arrived two years earlier. Thunderbird was a personal luxury car boasting the look and V-8 power of a sports car, but with a more refined interior and a variety of power-assist options. Ford built more than 16,000 Thunderbirds in that first model year.
- March 01, 1954
- Collections - Artifact
1955 Ford Thunderbird, March 1954
Ford Motor Company introduced Thunderbird for 1955. The two-seat convertible came in response to Chevrolet's Corvette, which arrived two years earlier. Thunderbird was a personal luxury car boasting the look and V-8 power of a sports car, but with a more refined interior and a variety of power-assist options. Ford built more than 16,000 Thunderbirds in that first model year.
- William Clay Ford with Continental Mark II, 1954 - William Clay Ford (1925-2014) was Henry Ford's grandson and the youngest of Edsel and Eleanor Clay Ford's four children. In 1952, William headed a group that designed an elegant new edition of the classic Lincoln Continental that had been developed under his father Edsel's direction. In this photograph, he is standing next to a black Continental Mark II automobile from 1956-1957.
- March 02, 1954
- Collections - Artifact
William Clay Ford with Continental Mark II, 1954
William Clay Ford (1925-2014) was Henry Ford's grandson and the youngest of Edsel and Eleanor Clay Ford's four children. In 1952, William headed a group that designed an elegant new edition of the classic Lincoln Continental that had been developed under his father Edsel's direction. In this photograph, he is standing next to a black Continental Mark II automobile from 1956-1957.
- 1956 Continental Mark II Automobile - Ford's Continental Division built its Mark II to the highest standards. Parts were checked and re-checked, components were tested and re-tested, and employees were encouraged to report even slight defects. High quality meant high cost -- the Mark II was nearly $10,000 when the most expensive Lincoln was less than $5,000. Production lasted only through the 1956 and 1957 model years.
- 1955
- Collections - Artifact
1956 Continental Mark II Automobile
Ford's Continental Division built its Mark II to the highest standards. Parts were checked and re-checked, components were tested and re-tested, and employees were encouraged to report even slight defects. High quality meant high cost -- the Mark II was nearly $10,000 when the most expensive Lincoln was less than $5,000. Production lasted only through the 1956 and 1957 model years.
- Clay Model of Continental Mark II, April 1954 - William Clay Ford, youngest child of Edsel Ford, championed the Continental Mark II as a tribute to his father's original Lincoln Continental introduced for 1940. Elegant and understated, the Mark II avoided the excessive chrome brightwork typical of the 1950s. The car arrived in showrooms for 1956, but disappointing sales ended production after the 1957 model year.
- April 20, 1954
- Collections - Artifact
Clay Model of Continental Mark II, April 1954
William Clay Ford, youngest child of Edsel Ford, championed the Continental Mark II as a tribute to his father's original Lincoln Continental introduced for 1940. Elegant and understated, the Mark II avoided the excessive chrome brightwork typical of the 1950s. The car arrived in showrooms for 1956, but disappointing sales ended production after the 1957 model year.
- Brochure, "This Happy Place...This Sweet Recess," George W. Walker Industrial Design, 1952 - George Walker studied at the Cleveland Art Institute and, early in his career, illustrated advertisements for Peerless Motor Company. He opened his own design firm in Detroit in 1929. Ford Motor Company hired Walker as a consultant in 1946, and he headed Ford's design department from 1955-1961. A showman at heart, Walker championed several futuristic Ford concept cars.
- 1952
- Collections - Artifact
Brochure, "This Happy Place...This Sweet Recess," George W. Walker Industrial Design, 1952
George Walker studied at the Cleveland Art Institute and, early in his career, illustrated advertisements for Peerless Motor Company. He opened his own design firm in Detroit in 1929. Ford Motor Company hired Walker as a consultant in 1946, and he headed Ford's design department from 1955-1961. A showman at heart, Walker championed several futuristic Ford concept cars.