Creating The Thunderbird

Creating The Thunderbird: 20” x 15” original watercolor composition - 1991. Jim Pfeffer was commissioned by William Howell of Tower Prints to create the first of several limited edition prints that were to be signed by living, automotive stylists from General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. The full color print, Creating The Thunderbird, was signed by Franklin Q. Hershey at the age of 84 noted for his lifetime of designing automobiles while working with General Motors and Ford Motor Co., the latter being his employer during the creation of the early Thunderbirds.
Mr. Hershey was flown to Houston, TX from Hemet, CA wherein four days were spent at Jim’s studio as they collaborated on choosing one of Jim’s three ideas that both felt would best represent the creation of the Little Thunderbirds. Mr. Hershey’s main input was as follows: “We all know what a Thunderbird looks like; what I would like to see is how we can make the car come alive, to make it move, to show it has life.” And so the best composition was chosen that depicted this feeling while showing all the design elements that made the Thunderbird iconic. Mr. Hershey (and Jim Pfeffer) had a signing session in St. Ignas, Michigan while attending one of the two “Straits Area Antique Auto Shows” as a guest of honor; Jim numbered them while Mr. Hershey autographed most all of the edition.