Auto Factoids for the Week of 2/22/2015 – Firebird, Thunderbird, AMX

Got a few huge debuts this week’s Auto Factoids (#AutoFactoids), so lets get started.

 

Feb 23, 1954 – Ford shows off the Thunderbird for the first time.

Although the Thunderbird wasn’t available until 1955 it was in design.  Originally it was going to be called the Vega!!

 

Feb 23, 1967 – Pontiac debuts the Firebird

The brain child of John Delorean the Firebird started out as the Banshee in two versions (XP 833 convertible or Hard top coupe).  1966 it was a two seater referred to as XP-798.

 

Look some what familar? Corvette maybe?	Pontiac brass thought so too and these concepts were not approved.
The XP 798 Firebird concept.	1967 Firebird

 

 

Feb 24, 1968 – American Motors debuts the AMX

 

Feb 25, 1905 – Jose Piquero crossed the Andes in a Caddy!!

Had to dig for this one. Found it on http://forums.cadillaclasalleclub.org.   Back in 1905 a Cadillac was the first car to cross the Andes (the mountain range not Andes, New York) that happened on Feb 25th, but I don’t know why, nor does anyone else seem to know.  I can tell you  the Andes are in South American and average about 14,000 feet in altitude.  The ’05 (that’s 1905 not 2005) Caddy was, well, let’s say “airy”.   That ‘brave’ (pronounced ‘Crazy’) soul was Jose Piquero. But wait, some sources say it wasn’t a Caddy at all, but a Oldsmobile.

So I would imagine in either ride the trip was a tad bit chilly.

 

Feb 27, 1934 – Ralph “Corvair Killer” Nader was born in Conn.

You can celebrate that (anyone?  Bueller, Bueller…) if you absolutely can’t find another reason to have an adult beverage.  I wonder if he fell out of a car seat when he was young?

 

Feb 28,  1940  – Mario Andretti born in Montona, Italy

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim