Story on how the naming of the car Thunderbird started

[Jim Demmitt Jr]

How they came up thunderbird

Naming
There was some difficulty in naming the car, with suggestions ranging from the exotic to the ridiculous (Hep Cat, Beaver, Detroiter, Runabout, Arcturus, Savile, El Tigre, and Coronado were submitted among the 5,000 suggestions). One serious suggestion was Whizzer. Crusoe offered a $250 suit to anyone who could come up with a better name.

Stylist Alden "Gib" Giberson submitted Thunderbird as part of a list. Giberson never claimed his prize, settling for a $95 suit and an extra pair of trousers from Saks Fifth Avenue. A Saks Fifth Avenue store in Phipps Plaza, Atlanta. ...

According to Palm Springs Life magazine, the car's final name came not from the Native American symbol as one might expect, but from an ultra-exclusive housing tract in what would later be incorporated as Rancho Mirage, California: Thunderbird Heights. Rancho Mirage is a city located in Riverside County, California. ...

[mannysc]

wow i thought it was named after the wine the designer was drinking .

[dwayne]

headake-after a bottle of mad dog 20-20.

[franky_402]

i also read somewhere the gentleman came up with the name one night watching the thunderstorm and see a bolt of lighting that looked like a bird, hence the name thunderbird!!!! Ill see if i can find the write up where it explained a little bit more

[Jim Demmitt Jr]

Thunderbird & Falcon

You ever herd the strange way Ford came up with name Falcon?

[franky_402]

no, lets hear it

[Jim Demmitt Jr]

no, lets hear it



Two Auto Makers Pick Same Names


But Ford wins Falcon Only Minutes Over Chrysler



The Ford Motor Company won a close race with coincidence.


Both Ford and the Chrysler Corporation, unknown to each other, chose the name Falcon for their new small cars. But because Ford reserved the name with an industry registry only twenty minutes ahead of Chrysler, it won the right to the name.


Ford and Chrysler independently settled on Falcon, but Ford won by notifying the Automobile Manufactures Association of its choice twenty minutes ahead of Chrysler. The association is the official industry arbiter and its Proprietary name File is the trade-name bible for the car makers.


Actually Chrysler was said to have been the first to indicate its interest in the name Falcon, when it asked that a search be made on the availability of the name.


The report was made, but while the Company was making its final decision, Ford called and registered the name, unaware, association officials said, that Chrysler was considering it too.


Falcon is not new to the automobile industry. The roster of 2600 names that have graced the automotive scene in the last sixty years shows that Falcon was used by two other manufacturers. A Falcon passenger car was made in 1922 and a Falcon-Knight was marketed in 1926.


Industry sources noted that it was possible although not likely, for Chrysler and General Motors to shift to other names for their new cars. Ford however appears firmly decided on Falcon.



New York Times 5/21/59

[SCme]

The falcon story is close to the way Shelby named his GT500KR the King of the Road. Seems he heard that Chevrolet was going to offer a king of the road package/edition of the Vette after a quick research, it was found that the name was available and so Shelby had it copyrighted and Chevy was out of luck.

[Jim Demmitt Jr]

The falcon story is close to the way Shelby named his GT500KR the King of the Road. Seems he heard that Chevrolet was going to offer a king of the road package/edition of the Vette after a quick research, it was found that the name was available and so Shelby had it copyrighted and Chevy was out of luck.



Thank God

Glad Shelby got it before Chevy did if you ever get a chance to go to his Shop in Vegas do so its amazing