"Retro Thunderbird" - New Paperback Book About Our Cars

[5bird7]

Glad to hear the reviews. So far not on my list of must haves. I'll check my emails to see if he ever sent me an email.

[4LOWBIRDS+7]

I am glad I waited for the reviews.

[kbrighton]

I looked at the preview on Amazon. It could have used an editor: "Austen Martin", "Fords first Retro Car".

[JerriLampon]

I am glad I waited for the reviews.

Yeah, me too. I feel like I've read it already.

[BLACK BEAUTY]

A waste of $$. I did find on page 21 where he said the 007 had 'special tuning of the 3.9 liter V8 engine'. First I'd ever heard of that??

[wcoates]

A waste of $$. I did find on page 21 where he said the 007 had 'special tuning of the 3.9 liter V8 engine'. First I'd ever heard of that??

Greg, first time you ever heard of that because that was the first time someone made that up!

[007Cruiser]

Greg, first time you ever heard of that because that was the first time someone made that up!

You never heard this? When I push the “Eject” button, mine plays the theme from “Die Another Day”.

[dfoieksa]

Thanks for the heads up Paul. I checked it out and ordered it. Thanks again.

[Quickdraw]

Thanks for the heads up Paul. I checked it out and ordered it. Thanks again.

You seem to be very hungry for Thunderbird information. You won't find a better book about our cars than this one: https://www.ebay.com/itm/2002-Ford-Thunderbird-Illustrated-Book-by-Michael-Lamm-132-pages-T-Bird-History/133365568012?epid=1843300&hash=item1f0d35120c: g:nF8AAOSwX0heIzeO

[Will]

The other important book for Thunderbird owners is Thunderbird Fifty Years by Alan H. Tast, published in 2004. While Lamm's book covers just the Retro model, Tast's book takes us through the full history of the T-Bird, all 11 models from the 1955 to our Retro's. Lots of color photos by David Newhardt as well as some in black-&-white. Covering 11 models leaves room in only the last 15 pages (pp. 172--187, or chapter 13, "Resurrection") for Tast to discuss the Retro, so the reader must be interested in the whole life of Thunderbirds. I have both books on my nightstand, along with a complete set (4) of Retro sales brochures, one for each model year. Yes, I do love the Thunderbird, mine as well as yours. ---Will

[Skip]

After receiving a copy of this, I have to apologize for even bringing it up. The best thing about it is the photo on the front cover. It is riddled with so many inaccuracies that the "author" should be ashamed it was published. As far as publishing goes - could it have been any more cheaply produced?

I'm no copyright expert, but aren't you supposed to get permission to publish someone else's picture(s) instead of apologizing if you "accidently" trampled on their property? At least he gave portholeauthority.com a plug or two. If this guy has been putting out little booklets like this for 40 years or so, you'd think he'd be better at it.

I bet there are dozens of TBN members that could have done a better job than Mr. Narus. You expect to get inaccuracies in newspapers when they do a 30 minute interview from someone in our group at an event, but when a guy lists as many sources as he did at the end of the "book", it seems like something better should have come from it.

As far as being a primer goes, the best thing these pages can prime is a campfire. However, the picture of the beautiful Torch Red Retro on the cover is suitable for framing.

The cover photo is clearly one of the best professional images of retro Birds ever published, especially since it is Torch Red. It has been around for a while and used in other sources. I think it might have been in a Hagerty ad. I have it on the desk top of my computer.

[Skip]

After receiving a copy of this, I have to apologize for even bringing it up. The best thing about it is the photo on the front cover. It is riddled with so many inaccuracies that the "author" should be ashamed it was published. As far as publishing goes - could it have been any more cheaply produced?

I'm no copyright expert, but aren't you supposed to get permission to publish someone else's picture(s) instead of apologizing if you "accidently" trampled on their property? At least he gave portholeauthority.com a plug or two. If this guy has been putting out little booklets like this for 40 years or so, you'd think he'd be better at it.

I bet there are dozens of TBN members that could have done a better job than Mr. Narus. You expect to get inaccuracies in newspapers when they do a 30 minute interview from someone in our group at an event, but when a guy lists as many sources as he did at the end of the "book", it seems like something better should have come from it.

As far as being a primer goes, the best thing these pages can prime is a campfire. However, the picture of the beautiful Torch Red Retro on the cover is suitable for framing.

Spelled J Mays' name wrong too.

[EllisonCal]

Subtitle, "How it Failed" is a turnoff for me.

That's what I thought too. If the 2002-2005 Thunderbird failed because they only made it for 4 years, then so did the 1955-1957 because it only was around for 3 years. Ford wanted more sales and a back seat in 1958 tripled sales. For a number of years the 1955-7 models were just OK used cars and were relatively inexpensive. Eventually people became more interested in them because they were 2 passenger cruisers, not much different from what ours are.

[Garryowen]

To me, my family, immediate and extended into Thunderbird clubs and of course TBN, the Retro is/was NEVER a failure.

The car was never built to have a continuous production life. It filled a design team's desire & buyer's desire for some thing with a touch of nostalgia for a two seater cruiser that was only to have a 100,000 unit production run.

Production stopped at 68,000 or thereabouts for many reasons, but in my opinion the car did not fail.

Must join with steelblue5505 about the "failure" assessment. My gracious and gorgeous Lady enjoys her 02 whisper white Thunderbird and finds greater interest in the car every time she goes about in it. The family "bird" has given 18 years and 75K miles of virtually flawless operation beyond normal fair, wear and maintenance. It has long since made "peace" with its garage-mate, my '04 C5 Corvette, likewise in GM Arctic white. The Thunderbird tends to be our preferred cruiser for the Appalachian foothills of NE Georgia and western NC, simply owing to the ability to carry more items than the Corvette! No, this car is not a failure in any sense. It is a fitting example of a classic American marque.