You may recall the Firebird shown above is actually a Skybird, Pontiac’s cringe attempt to make a Firebird just for ladies. That’s a whole lotta powder blue. In addition to other ill-advised “lady car” attempts, the Skybird got me thinking about all the bird-named cars out there, and here we are with today’s Ask.
Answer the bird question any way you like. Tell me about your favorite bird names, even if the car isn’t that great. Tell me about the actually-good cars you like that are named for birds. Cars that seem to be bird-named for no good reason? Also fair game.
I’m also down to talk about the cars that go full bird, if you will. For example: the Eagle Talon. It’s a bird and part of a bird! I wish this had caught on as a car-naming trend, if only because Toucan Beak would be a great name for a minivan.
I’m also a big fan of less-badass-sounding bird names. This serious-looking banana is the Aspark Owl, a much more interesting name than something more try-hard like Alpha Fulcrum or Testicular Fortitude.
How about bird cars from TV, film, or comics? For sure! Let’s not sleep on Condorman’s Condormobile (a modified Sterling Nova kit car a hood-bird that puts the Bandit’s Trans-Am to shame):
Keep it going, I look forward to your bird-car shout outs in the comments!
Top graphic image: Mecum Auctions
Tamiya Falcon!
Studebaker Hawk series. Known mainly for odd styling, but the last of the breed–the GT Hawk–were stylish, if unusual, grand tourers.
The Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust! Shark plus Eagle FTW!
WS6
WS6
WS6
WS6
WS6
WS6
WS6
WS6
I know it’s craptastic on the inside but my 12 year old brain still wants one bad
1995 Bill Elliott Mac Tonight Thunderbird
Thundercougarfalconbird FTW
I have to think the most outrageous in-your-face statement of America being a ridiculous place was the 1970 Plymouth Superbird in Petty Blue with a 426 Hemi.
What I’d like would be a Honda Hawk 400cc. (I bought a new CB360T in 1975)
Kissel White Eagle Speedster https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/6891-1929-kissel-8-126-white-eagle-speedster/
1960 Ford Thunderbird
1961
AU Falcon. I also don’t mind the FG as long as it has the Barra turbo.
Thundercougarfalconbird
Came here to find the Thundercougarfalconbird; was not disappointed.
I just discovered this exists:
https://thecondor.us/vehicles/armored-condor
I DO NOT hate that baby blue
FirebirdSkybird, and though I’ve never really been into those sort of cars (either then when they were new, or now) I would definitely have no problem driving that one around.Yeah it’s kind of gorgeous actually. They should have made the wheels darker blue to contrast them a bit, but I wish carmakers would do wild combos like this again.
I will always have a soft spot for a Silver ’96 Trans Am WS6, 6 speed w. T-Tops.
The one that I loved but cost too much to keep running as a daily and I was forced to sell due to limited funds
My favourite Bird Cars:
-1987-1988 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
-1989-1993 Ford Thunderbird Supercoupe
-1961-1963 Ford Thunderbird
-1977-1981 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
-1993-1997 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
-2014-2016 Ford FG X Falcon
-1990-1993 Pontiac Sunbird GT Turbo
-1st gen Eagle Talon
-1970 Plymouth Superbird
BULLET BIRDS?! Heresy.
In terms of style, the Bullet Birds are some of the best!
Squarebirds or bust
I would love to have a Skybird/Yellowbird/Redbird Esprit in good shape. Unfortunately since they were Esprits and not Trans Ams, not many of them at all were saved. The 77/78 Skybirds are my favorite. One of those cars with air conditioning and the Pontiac 350 would be a fantastic daily usable classic.
How has nobody mentioned the Humber Super Snipe??
And its prewar predecessor, the somewhat less super Humber Snipe? But let us also not forget the Swallow Sidecar (that counts, right?), built by the Swallow Sidecar Company which became SS Cars Ltd. and then eventually Jaguar.
87-89 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am GTA. 1987 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. I want one of each. They may not be real birds, but Firebird and Thunderbird sound like they would be kickass birds; and the Ford Thunderbird sounds cooler than the Ford Turkey or Ford European Starling
Thunderbird Supercoupe in the first few years, before Ford ruined it with cost cutting and bad restyling jobs.
1961-1963 Ford Thunderbird; that car was peak 1960s space-race styling.
‘67-‘68 Firebird Sprint convertible.
AMC Eagle – the crossover SUV we didn’t know we needed, or at least didn’t know for another four decades.
Jeep CJ7 Golden Eagle – good enough for Daisy Duke, good enough for anyone. Great looking graphics package, too.
Buick Skylark – my dad’s 1969 in powder blue with a white roof is the very first family car I remember at age 3. If only he had bought it in GS Stage 1 form instead.
Ford Thunderbird – he has actually had two of these: one was also powder blue, the 1961 “rocket ‘Bird” he drove while dating my mom; and a black over red velour 1977 that he ordered new when I was a kid. That was one handsome looking disco malaise machine, I tell you.
Ford Falcon, especially the one we did not get in the US that Mel Gibson drove in the Mad Max movies – “The last of the V8 Interceptors! Piece. Of. Hist’ry. Woulda been a shame to blow it up.”
Honorable mention to the Australian Ford Falcon’s engine, which everyone knows was called the “Barra”. Now – the Barra (short for “Barramundi”) is a fish – but during development it was allegedly known as the Seagull, since it was designed to “shit on everything else”
That is an awesome nickname with an awesome explanation, and I am 100% here for it.
Tav Falco, a neighbor then, got an early 60s Tbird in purple, which was quite dramatic.
But then he had it redone in polished black!
Astounding and unrecognizable!
Stunning
I always liked Eagle Medallion wagons.
Or a first gen Firebird.
Just because I haven’t seen it yet: Buick Skylark. I loved the weird pointy nose and triangle eyes of the 92-95 when I was a kid.
Nice call. I preferred the Olds Achieva overall, but the Skylark had unique presence, which at that time was pretty unheard of for a Buick.
I’m actually quite fond of the Skybird, which is probably part of the problem as I’m not a woman in the 70s.
I also want to paint one of my Civics Tiffany Blue, so I may not follow gender norms regarding color.
Also I’ve loved the Plymouth Superbird in Petty Blue since my brother came home from the hobby shop with the Jo Hann model kit in 1986. (Give ro take a year)