Jeff Steinke enjoys tooling around town in a 1957 Ford Thunderbird.
ELIDA – Jeff Steinke has a big decision to make when he plans a major trip: Should he drive his 1958 Ford Thunderbird, or would he rather travel in his 1957 Thunderbird?
He’s done both.
The Elida man drove the ‘58 T-Bird to California and back. The ‘57 model has made the journey to Virginia and Washington D.C.
His decision comes down to two things.
“The ‘58 is a better riding car, but the ‘57 has air-conditioning,” Steinke said.
Regardless of which car he drives, one thing always holds true.
“Whenever I stop along the way, I get a lot of compliments from people checking out the car,” he said.
The 61-year-old man gets his love for Thunderbirds honestly.
“I love cars and was raised around a Thunderbird growing up. My Dad had a ‘58,” he said.
The Thunderbird has been part of the Ford lineup for 67 years. It was introduced in February 1954 at Detroit’s first post World War II auto show. It rolled off the assembly line in Dearborn, Michigan, in September of that same year with a price tag between $2,695 to $4,000. Buyers called it “a morale builder that is fun to drive,” according to Ford.
GET YOUR CAR FEATURED
The Lima News publishes photographs of vintage cars, 20 years or older, free of charge in Real Wheels. It is easy to get your car featured:
• Mail: Real Wheels, Newsroom, The Lima News, 3515 Elida Road, Lima, OH 45807.
• Email: [email protected]
• Include: Photograph of your car; year of car, make and model; how many years you have owned the vehicle; car’s history; best memory of car; your name, address and telephone number (the phone number will not be published).
If you have further questions, contact The Lima News newsroom at 419-222-6397 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.
ONLY ON LIMAOHIO.COM
Check out cars we’ve featured and discuss your memories on the Real Wheels page at LimaOhio.com/tag/realwheels.
