The cocktail-lounge rear seat arrangement may seem like a trivial detail today, but in the ’60s it was a sensation. In ’66, an overhead display console with warning lamps was introduced. Reportedly, the sequential lamps were ready for introduction in ’64, but the feature spooked state highway officials so much that it was held back until ’65. The gee-whiz features included the Swing-Away Steering Wheel, a T-Bird signature item first seen in 1961, sequential rear turn signals, and the wrap-around rear-seat layout shown above. The top line in Thunderbird advertising for the Flair Bird years was “The Private World of Thunderbird,” painting a picture of exclusivity and prestige.Īlong with their hawk-like styling, the Flair Birds might be remembered best for their compelling gimmicks and gadgets. That was a few hundred dollars more than even the Buick Riviera, Ford’s new competitor in the personal-luxury class. Meanwhile, with prices in the $4500 range, this new ‘Bird was by far the most expensive car to wear a Ford badge in ’64-’66. The crisp and carefully chiseled lines projected luxury and substance, and indeed: this latest Thunderbird weighed more than 4600 lbs at the curb-more than hefty for a four-passenger coupe. David Ash and Art Querfeld under the direction of Ford design chief Gene Bordinat, the Flair Bird, as it would eventually be labeled by T-Bird enthusiasts, sported new exterior sheet metal over the same unit-construction platform used on the Bullet Bird Thunderbirds of 1961-63. The fourth-generation Ford Thunderbird introduced in 1964 wasn’t exactly an all-new car, but it was totally fresh on the outside. The 1964-66 Flair Birds were the most luxurious Thunderbirds to date, and they signaled a clear change in direction for Ford’s popular personal-luxury car.
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