The Ford Thunderbird, named after a mythical bird, first flew onto the scene in 1955 as a two-seat luxury sports car, taking a cheeky jab at the Corvette and outselling it 23 to 1. With a design reminiscent of the era’s Ford beauties, it sported nonfunctional hood scoops and exhaust pipes that exited through the rear bumper guards. The ‘56 model brought a flashy Continental kit and a porthole hard-top roof. But while sleek in aesthetics, its hydraulic roof system was prone to comedic, unexpected leaks!