The Thunderbird name encompasses a long period of production. The first of them was released in 1955 to rival Chevy's Corvette with the addition of some extra luxury features. It was a huge success. Added power came in 1956 with changes to softer rear springs and more boot space due to customer demand. The new hardtop option with porthole windows vastly out-sold the plain type. The fins of 1957 were less prominent than on many other cars. Power was again increased with a supercharged version mainly for racing. These were the cars that created the Thunderbird legend. This is a book of contemporary road and comparison tests, new model introductions, driver's impressions, technical and specification data racing and history. Models covered include: FX-Atmos, 256, 292, 312, (Streetliner , F-Bird.