by Erik Steidl
The International Thunderbird Convention is happening right here in Cleveland, August 6-11! And, great news: our own Chief Car Idiot Bernie Golias is slated to speak at the convention’s welcome party!
As we gear up for the ITC’s biggest event of the year, let’s read up on T-Bird history and hear from President Gerard “Bart” Bartasavich.
“No matter what you’re used to, or what your expectations, you’re in for exciting surprises from the moment you set eyes upon the Thunderbird.”
Those words, taken from an advertisement for the original Ford Thunderbird, exactly describe America’s reaction to its release in 1955. The Thunderbird, or T-Bird, was an instant success and became an enduring classic.
Ford initially developed the T-Bird to compete with General Motors’ release of the Corvette two years earlier. Remarkably, this audacious newcomer soared high above its competition, outselling the Corvette by over 13,000 units in its first year. While the Corvette was billed purely as a sports car, the T-Bird was marketed as “a distinguished kind of personal car that combines sports car styling and performance with passenger car convenience.”1
The Thunderbird only flew higher from there. It became more than a car . . . it became an icon. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy had more than 50 of the cars in his inaugural procession. Then, in 1964, The Beach Boys released their song “Fun Fun Fun,” which included the Thunderbird in its lyrics: “And she’ll have fun, fun, fun ‘til her daddy takes the T-Bird away” (Come on, you know you’re singing it in your head). It also became an extremely popular car to feature in movies, shows and music videos. To be exact, it has been in 2,646 so far, according to the Internet Movie Cars Database.2
Sadly, the last Thunderbird rolled off the production line in 2005, placing it fully in the classic and historical category. 3 However, as with many of these beloved cars, the T-Bird’s devoted followers enjoy getting together to share their love for the beauty, style and power of this iconic automobile. There are quite literally hundreds of chapters of Thunderbird clubs spread throughout all 50 states, all 10 Canadian provinces and over a dozen international countries on 4 continents.
One of the most prominent is the International Thunderbird Club, whose common goal is “to preserve and enjoy all Thunderbirds with family fellowship, shows, tours, seminars, technical help, parts availability, meetings and a great bi-monthly magazine, the ITC Thunderbird Script.
Mr. Gerard “Bart” Bartasavich, President of the International Thunderbird Club, was kind enough to talk with us about his love of T-Birds, The International Thunderbird Club, and their upcoming national convention in Cleveland.
CIF: So, first, why the Thunderbird? Do you have a special connection to the car from your childhood, or was it something that happened for you later in life?
Bart: I have always had an interest in all Ford cars and thought the T-Bird was an exceptional product. When I was searching for a ’57 T-Bird, it happened that the newest generation was in production. I found my 2003 with 16 miles on it through a local car dealer on eBay. Five years ago, I bought my dream car, a restored 1957 Thunderbird, that was owned by a 98-year-old woman (who just turned 104 years young).
CIF: The ITC’s website lists all the ways that it preserves and enjoys Thunderbirds. The first of these is “family fellowship.” What does that looks like?
Bart: The cars bring members together, and friendships are built from there. Members often help in time of need or in celebration. For example, in recent years, we have sponsored charities at our conventions to raise monies for member’s causes.
CIF: The next few ways are “shows, tours, and seminars.” How often do each of those generally happen, and what do they look like?
Bart: ITC is an international organization with members around the globe. Our largest event is our annual five-day convention that is hosted at a different location each year. There are planned events like local sightseeing trips, car seminars, a Concours show on Saturday and ending with an awards banquet.
Our second biggest event is in Carlisle, PA at the All Ford Nationals the first week in June. It is a 4-day event with the car show, planned dinners, lunches and refreshments at our ITC tent. Special cars are featured each year by the Carlisle event team, and ITC works closely with them. In 2015, it was the 60th anniversary of the T-Bird, and ITC drew over 300 T-Birds to celebrate that weekend.
ITC also has local chapters that have events throughout the year. These events can be found in the ITC Script magazine published bi-monthly and on our website at https://www.intl-thunderbirdclub.com/.
CIF: The ITC’s national convention is coming up soon (August 6-11). Can you give us a quick rundown of all the goings-on there? How can people get tickets or find out more about it?
Bart: Here are links to our website, the national convention flyer and the convention application.
CIF: With video game popularity always increasing, how can we engage the next generation of young people in car enthusiasm?
Bart: ITC has partnered with Hagerty Insurance to sponsor Youth Judging at our national convention for youngsters 6-14 years old. We’ll have children at our convention learning about cars and judging for awards. This year’s convention charity is Prayers from Maria, brain cancer research for children.
CIF: Do we need to implement any new programs and/or events to interest the next generation, or do you think that they’ll simply be interested in cars the same way that their parents and grandparents always have been?
Bart: Younger people are not drawn to cars like past generations. Cars represented freedom and independence. Many articles have been written on the subject. No one knows where the old cars will be in future years. However, I know the current passion is still strong: the ITC Facebook page has 7,000+ members from around the world.
CIF: That’s amazing! How can people learn more about the International Thunderbird Club?
Bart: View the ITC website for applications for the club and info on the convention. The ITC Script is full of T-Bird articles, technical advice, cars and parts for sale and so much more! Also consider joining International the Thunderbird Club’s Facebook page to view pictures and read of stories about T-Birds.
We can’t wait to join in the T-Bird love at the ITC National Convention August 6-11. Be sure to stop by and hear our Chief Car Idiot, Bernie Golias, share fun facts on Cleveland auto history. It’s guaranteed to be “Enchantment Unlimited.”
Works Cited
1“1955 Ford Thunderbird Advertisement, ‘Enchantment Unlimited, The New Ford Thunderbird.’ ” The Henry Ford, 1955 https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/artifact/345988.
2“Ford Thunderbird in Movies and TV Series.” Internet Movie Cars Database, http://www.imcdb.org/vehicles.php?make=Ford&model=Thunderbird&page=1.
3History.com Editors. “Last Ford Thunderbird Produced.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 13 Nov 2009, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/last-ford-thunderbird-produced.