Built on the same assembly line at Ford’s massive Wixom, MI, plant the two iconic nameplates are known and loved by many of the same folks. At the 49th annual Pageant of the Thunderbird they gathered at Twila Reid Park in Anaheim, CA, to show off their beauties, compete for prizes and just have fun. The show was sponsored by the Early Birds of Southern CAlifornia. Some of the area’s best Thunderbirds of all eras dotted the field along with a few non-T’bird Fords, and of course, LCOC’s Lincolns.
After a recent heat wave with temps topping 100 degrees F, we were in the comfortable 70s throughout the day.
There was ample evidence of pre-event planning and polishing, as all the show cars glistened, rewarding the hard work of their owners. Oldest of the Lincoln entries was a 1956 Premiere entered by Jeff Frank. Two 1964s—one convertible and one sedan—owned by Elayne Bendel and Bryan Burns rumbled in to the show. A new-to-him Mark III owned by Jim Ayres and a gorgeous 1971 Mark III owned by Jack Russell were crowd pleasers. A pair of beautiful Mark VIIs owned by Marv Wendt and Scott Balanda demonstrated the black and white of the brand. Jim’s venerable Mark VIII driven by Halsey Posadas was the newest of the Lincolns.
Lincoln owners held their own meet-within-a meet with people’s choice voting determining who took home the prizes, which were special offerings from Jim’s personal collection. Owners and spectators alike cast ballots. The final results were close, but in the end it looked like unusual colors proved popular with voters. Elayne’s convertible took top honors followed closely by Jeff’s Premiere, Jack’s Mark III and Bryan’s ’64 sedan.
Thunderbirds included the iconic 2-seaters of the mid-1950s, later model “square birds” up to 1960, and newer versions all the way up to the early 2000s. Elayne’s mom’s favorite cars were the Early Birds from the mid-’50s. She would have loved this event! Mom had good taste, and who wouldn’t have enjoyed styling around town in one of these beauties!
As with most collector car shows, this one brought both a smile and a tear to our eyes remembering our golden days of yesteryear. I hope you enjoy our photo tour down memory lane below.
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