Editor's note: Laura Lane is busy this week so we reached into the My Favorite Ride archives for this classic car column from July 2014. Occasionally, someone comes by the newspaper office to see me.

Few cars captured America’s soaring optimism like the Ford Thunderbird. Born in 1955 as a sleek two-seater to rival Chevrolet’s Corvette, it didn’t chase pure speed—it offered personal luxury with jet ...