My Aunt's 1957 Porthole Thunderbird

[Mike Dobrzelecki]

You want 1950s class? I submit for your consideration this original Kodachrome of my Aunt Irene "dressed to the nines" in front of her 1957 port-hole T-Bird., painted, I believe, in Starmist Blue.

When I was young Aunt Irene always seemed to me to be like a glamorous Hollywood Starlet from one of those jet-setting romantic movies in Technicolor from the 1950s. I imagined her flying off to the French Alps to ski with Cary Grant, or speeding down a street in Rome on back of an Italian scooter with Gregory Peck.

And Irene was always in Technicolor - I'm pretty sure that it was invented for women like her.

She did, in fact, ski. To me, at the tender, very provincial, age of 7, skiing was an exotic sport that only rich and beautiful people were able to do.Her hubby, my Uncle Paul, smoked a pipe, skied, etc., so he also cut an urbane and sophisticated picture in my 7 year old mind, too.

My impression of Aunt Irene was certainly cemented in place by her choice of super cool vehicles - her 1957 Powder Blue Porthole Removable Hard-top T-Bird. You can tell it's a 57:

1. Thunderbird emblem

2. Massive 2-part curved bumper

3. Taller grill

4. Parking lights in bumper

5. Licence plate position formed in bumper

6. Tail fins

7. Fender vent

8. script on front fender

9. Windwings and sunvisors

10."Thunderbird" by hash marks

My aunt was stunningly gorgeous, as the last two photos prove, and she was always the life of the party. I am happy to report that, at 93, she still is.  

Edited July 1, 2019 by Mike Dobrzelecki

[gman]

A nice tribute to your Aunt, and some nice photos that capture that time.