Thundering Through Time - New Jersey '99!

As most great ideas go, The Classic Thunderbird Club International's was born out of pure love and passion. Vic Take, of Clayton Missouri, began the idea of an international club for classic T-Bird owners by running an ad in what we now know as Car and Driver magazine. A correspondence newsletter, beginning way back in 1961, began to raise the interest level. This "shoestring organization" operated at that time on a $1.00 donation from each correspondent.

The first year membership grew to over 230. As the task became too large to handle, Vic suggested that the Bay Area Thunderbird Owners Club (BATOC), which had organized in 1958, might be interested in mothering his fledgling group. BATOC called a special meeting, brought in their lawyer, then turned down the idea. At this juncture, "Birdland's" editor, Roger Neiss, decided to assume the responsibility on his own. Roger was in the type composition business working with local printers, so he was off to a good start. A CTCI office was established in his Oakland, California, home.

With the Jan./Feb. 1963 issue, the EarlyBird was born. Vol. 1, Nos. 1 - 2 was more of a newsletter, being 8 pages long, but was the beginning of a method for Classic T'Bird enthusiasts around the country to share their ideas and their love for their little beauties. It was a combination of national CTCI news and also served as the Bay Area newsletter.

EarlyBird began with 55 CTCI subscribers, dues of $5.00 per year and a cost of about $100 an issue to print. In 1963 you could buy a soft-top for $135 and a "cherry" T'Bird for $1,700!

In June of 1963, CTCI members were invited by the Thunderbird Sports Car Club of Chicagoland to attend a celebration of Henry Ford's 100th Anniversary in Dearborn, Michigan. Nineteen little T'Birds participated, and Ford Motor Company was so delighted that they shot many feet of promotional footage of the event. Such a good time was had by all that Ford invited the Chicago Club back again in 1964. The Chicagoans graciously asked all CTCI members to come along too, and because there were more than twice as many CTCI people attending, this event has become known in CTCI history as the "First National Reunion" (although not an actual CTCI sponsored event). This historic date as been memorialized by conventions in Dearborn in 1974,1984 and 1994!

Ford Motor Company honored the 79 attendees royally, treating them to elegant meals in the Ford Executive Dining Room, and a tour of the Rouge Assembly Plant to see the "new" 1964 Mustangs. They provided distinguished guest speakers such as William E. Burnett, (who served as Executive Engineer for the Thunderbird operation during the years the 'Birds were being hatched).

A meeting of CTCI members was held on the last day, and the first bylaws drafted by Director Stu Whittelsey were approved and turned over to Ford Motor Company's legal department for incorporation. Many of those first organizers of CTCI are still active members today. By 1972 the club had grown to 4,250 members. Today, thanks to the vision of Vic Take, CTCI has approximately 7,500 members, 113 chartered chapters representing 23 countries around the world and all 50 states of the USA!

The 1999 CTCI Northeast Regional was hosted by the New Jersey Open Road Thunderbird Club. Held at the Somerset Marriott in Somerset, NJ on July 22-25th, 1999, over 200 people and fifty-six little T-Bird beauties gathered for a weekend packed with activities. The caliber of the cars was evident as two qualified for the prestigious "Excellence in Authenticity" award and ten Primary Class Concours cars were elevated to Senior Class!

All judges, regardless of their experience, must attend a Judge's Seminar. The seminar provides a review of the rules and protocols that must be followed for all judging at any CTCI Sanctioned Event.

The Thunderbird Concept Car was scheduled to be at the event but unfortunately it was needed elsewhere at the last minute, and was detoured to the midwest. Ford went out of their way to provide an alternative and sent two of their top people from the Product Development Center to the show.

Doug Gaffka, the Chief Designer of the new Thunderbird Concept Car, gave an interesting multi-media presentation at the Awards Banquet on Saturday night. Doug explained that it was not Ford's intention to re-create the original T-Birds, they're already a Classic that needs no imitation. Rather, the thinking behind the new design was to capture the essence of the Thunderbird (that had made it such a classic), and to "capture that heart-stopping, head-turning 'thing' that we all know when we see it".