The Beach Boys had a hit with "Fun, Fun, Fun" ("'til her Daddy took the T-Bird away") and Frank Sinatra bid farewell to his T-Bird in the movie "Pal Joey" with the phrase "So long, little Bird, don't pick up any nails."īrock has a theory about why the women in her group dig Thunderbirds. Other regulars are teacher Karen Hoppert of Tulare (golden bronze 2005 T-Bird), Ruby Young of Visalia (bright red 2004), plus Anne Julien and Dorothy Peck, both of Visalia, and Floretta Schletewitz of Clovis, who don't actually own T-Birds but come along for the fun. "She said, 'Mom, what are you doing?' I got a fun car!" "My daughter thought I'd lost my mind," Hurst said. But before long, she drove home in her new solid red 2002 T-Bird. "I'm not buying a car that costs $40,000," Elsie said at the time. "I just like the impromptu-ness," said Jeanette Groh of Visalia, who recently joined the group after acquiring a pearl white 2005 T-Bird that boosted her spirits after the death of her husband last year.Įlsie Hurst, co-owner of Valhalla restaurant in Visalia, said a customer who works in commercial real estate told her right after the 2002 T-Bird hit the streets, "Elsie, you need to get a Thunderbird." Yet it's the T-Birds that they have in common ? that, and time to get together, sometimes on short notice. We never want to be known as a 'car club.'" We have a lot of social time together, laughing and planning new events. "We're not a club," Brock said emphatically. They say it's not about the cars ? not by a country mile. Over time, more friends and acquaintances who own T-Birds started joining their day trips to favorite restaurants. A week later, they journeyed to Bakersfield, Calif., to go antiquing and have lunch at a Basque restaurant. That afternoon, they hatched a plan: invite two friends who also own T-Birds for a trip to tour a new hotel. They rolled down their windows and Green "hollered out her phone number," Brock said. The informal group ? there are no dues, no officers and no meetings with minutes ? sprang to life two years ago when Brock, a former interior decorator, was driving her red 2002 T-Bird with a white hardtop in Visalia.Ī nearly identical red 2005 T-Bird with a black cloth top, driven by Rosalie Green of Visalia, pulled up next to Brock at a stoplight.īrock recognized Green as an acquaintance from her interior decorating days. "The camaraderie is great," said Hayes, one of the group's seven widows. Brock, the group's unofficial social director, heard about Hayes from a mutual friend, so she called to ask if she would like to join their next outing. His merlot red 2002 Thunderbird sat in the garage while she grieved. "I decided it's hard to fly like an eagle with turkeys, so I needed a Thunderbird," Ykema joked.īarbara Hayes of Selma, Calif., buried her husband, Jerry, last year. Group member Alicia Ykema of Hanford, Calif., co-owner of a turkey farm, got a white 2003 T-Bird after a test drive. They feel like they are in charge, in preserving their own lives and culture." "People don't buy a car they wear a car, like a dress. "These cars are very sensuous," Rapaille said. It's by design, not chance, that the newer model T-Bird appeals to ladies, said Clotaire Rapaille, a French psychologist who used his training in Jungian archetypes to help Chrysler design the PT Cruiser and keep the Jeep true to its roots. "Find a hobby that you like and expand on it." She owns two T-Birds ? a sage green, all-original 1956 two-seater that she stumbled across at an estate sale and a 2004 merlot red model. "When you get older, you can still have a lot of fun," said Brock. The most recent T-Bird is a retro version of the original and has both hard and soft tops. The convertible has a removable hard top, some with eye-catching portholes, or a soft top. The original two-seater Ford Thunderbird, manufactured from 1955 to 1957, captivated the public with its European-inspired sporty looks. "We're too young for the rocking chair," Brock said cheerily. Honks and waves from other drivers are routine. They drive single-file in a caravan, causing heads to turn wherever they go. The latest two-seater T-Bird, built from 2002-05, is the car of choice for a group of California ladies, some of whom found a new companion ? one with four tires and an engine ? after they were widowed.Īt least once a month, Maxine Brock of Visalia, Calif., and 10 like-minded friends ? they're all single, and most are 60 or older ? rev up their T-Birds and hit the road. Ladies seem to have a thing for the Ford Thunderbird, whether it's the stylish '50s original or the recent revival. ? It was the car of choice for Thelma and Louise, and also for the mysterious blonde in "American Graffiti."
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |