Is it the car that makes you famous? Or is it the driver who makes the car famous? Or are they both?
The Ford Thunderbird is an American automobile icon that was built in the United States from 1955 to 2005. It was Ford’s answer to Chevrolet’s Corvette, but it was not sold as a full sports car on its debut release. Instead, Ford called it a personal luxury car, a description that opened up a whole new market segment at the time. At its introduction in 1955, it outsold the much more expensive Convertible by twenty-four to one.
At its creation, the car had many suggestions for a name ranging from “Hep Cat,” “Whizzer,” “Beaver,” “Runabout” to nicknames like “Detroiter,” “Arcturus,” “Savile,” “Coronado, and the always exotic “El Tigre”.
Initially, the name “Whizzer” was seriously considered as the name of the winning model, before stylist Alden “Gib” Giberson’s suggestion of the name “Thunderbird” was accepted. Although the name is widely believed to come from the Native American symbol, it actually comes from an ultra-exclusive housing area called “Thunderbird Heights.”
Retired GM executive Lewis D. Crusoe, Ford designer Frank Hershey, and Ford chief stylist George Walker are generally credited for creating the Thunderbird. The concept was said to be inspired by a sports car the trio saw in Paris. And that sports car that gave them the inspiration is rumored to be the reputable Jaguar XK120.
Now that we’ve covered the history of the trip, we can return to our first question. What entity achieves the elusive nature of “fame”? Is it the car, the driver, or better yet, is it both?
Suffice it to say that the Thunderbird has been an American automobile icon having been owned, driven and ridden by some of the most impressionable celebrities in history and yes, famous celebs like Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Arthur Miller and Elvis Presley. . The “recent” crowd of Thunderbird owners includes Rosie O Donnell, Halle Berry, John Travolta and the talk queen Oprah Winfrey.
But the list itself cannot answer our question. Because, we wonder, why did those big celebrities buy the car in the first place? Was your choice influenced by the elegance and quality of the Thunderbird? Or was it because they were influenced by the celebrities who first bought it? Or was it both? How do we even try to answer such questions?
If I had to do my bit (which I will do in a few words), I have a proposal. I think for any of us to arrive at an answer, we must first do one thing: we need to experience driving this car. Yes, nothing beats the certainty of experiencing something first hand. We need to experience what it feels like to have people looking at us, waving at us, waving at us while we’re riding the Thunderbird. There is a need to be a celebrity so that one can really see for oneself who the viewers are looking at: the car or us. Yes, I know that this proposal seems absurd, quite juvenile even. But then again, maybe not.
That proposition is possible because the Thunderbird is available to rent from any sports car, exotic, luxury and classic car rental. And the good thing about it is that many classic and luxury car rentals in the city are easily accessible through their websites. These websites offer services such as car information, pricing, and reservations. They also have other car models that we can experience first hand to also know what makes these cars special. Luxury classic car rentals were created to give us the experience of driving many cars without having to buy them. This time we can answer our questions.
Now, living the lifestyle of the rich and famous no longer seems too absurd. And the best part about it is that we don’t need to break the bank to get a ride in a famous car like the Thunderbird. There is no need to buy the car because we can rent it. This time, the question of who makes whom famous is no longer a theory. This time, we have the first dibs on the ride itself.
Experience is still the most important thing. So find out what a trip in a luxury car rental can bring you. And then maybe, just maybe, you’ll discover for yourself a walk down celebrity lane.
