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Jan 22, 2002/ FW/ -–- The year was 1954. The place was Dearborn, MI. The company was
Ford Motors. The car was the 1955 Thunderbird!
There were at least 4,000 orders waiting even before the first car came out of the assembly
line. Ultimately, 16,000 units were sold.
It was an instant favorite by the American public. With its V-8 Engine, 198 HP and 292 cubic
inches powertrain, the Ford Thunderbird catapulted it into American consciousness as one of
the premier cars of its time.
Fast foward 45 years.
Marc Jacobs for Thunderbird
Photo courtesy of Ford Motors
Ford Thunderbird is not just a car, it is part of American culture!
Enter car designer Doug Gaffka. He has brought back the Thunderbird as an emblem of American
style, and as Ford living legends design director, he guides the styling studio responsible
for other Ford icons like the legendary Mustang.
Gaffka redesigned the Thunderbird and comes up with the 2002 model that expresses a bold,
confident and free feeling delivered in the form of a dramatically designed, two-seat,
rear-wheel-drive, V-8-powered convertible roadster—a modern throwback to another optimistic
American era.
Add 9 fashion designers, stars in their own right. Mix all of them together and you get
"Americana chic."
Nine renowned fashion designers worked together and created clothes and accessories inspired
by the Thunderbird.
John Bartlett created jeans in black leather with a silver Thunderbird-buckled belt and
a sleeveless tee in black silk, featuring a red “T” as a graphic inset.
Diane von Furstenberg created a custom print for a silk scarf that also has been incorporated
as the paint scheme for a one-of-a-kind Thunderbird.
Lambertson Truex came up with his and her totes that features the Thunderbird’s actual
convertible fabric.
Oliver Peoples designed eyewear frames and lens shape that was borrowed from the flowing lines of the
Thunderbird’s windshield. The eyewear will be the lone creation that will eventually go on sale to the public.
Carolina Herrera, Marc Jacobs, Gene Meyer, William Reid, and Jack Spade also created clothes and
accessories inspired by the Thunderbird.
So mark your calendar - February 13, 2002, the date that you will hear the new Thunderbird's
mighty roar.
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