Kathy DeLucca’s 2005 Ford Thunderbird boasts a shiny black exterior with an all-black interior that includes leather upholstery.
By Susan Thompson | Lake Panorama Times
The first Ford Thunderbird was introduced in 1955 as a sporty two-seat convertible and was Ford’s response to the popular Chevrolet Corvette. It wasn’t marketed as a sports car but rather as a “personal luxury car.” In its first year, the Thunderbird outsold the Corvette by more than 23 to one.
Kathy DeLucca’s Ford Thunderbird is one of just 1,500 built and sold in 2005 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first Thunderbird manufactured in 1955.
Production ended in 1997, then resumed in 2002 and continued into 2005. That year marked the 50th anniversary of the Thunderbird and called for a special design. It was unveiled at the Miami Auto Show on Nov. 5, 2004. Just 1,500 of the 50th anniversary cars were manufactured, which also were the last Ford Thunderbirds ever made.
Most of those final 1,500 Thunderbirds were snapped up by car enthusiasts who recognized the unique opportunity to own the 50th anniversary edition. That wasn’t the case with Kathy DeLucca.
“I was planning to retire soon and wanted to celebrate by purchasing a convertible for myself,” DeLucca says. “I considered both the Chevrolet Corvette and Ford Thunderbird. The Corvette was a little closer to the ground, so I decided on a Thunderbird. In the spring of 2005, I walked into Charles Gabus Ford and saw a black Thunderbird in the showroom. I pointed at it and told the salesman I wanted to buy that car,” she says.
When DeLucca was a senior in high school, her parents owned a Chevy Impala convertible.
“It was red with a white top and beige interior,” she says. “My two older sisters were gone from the house, and I was the only child left. My parents let me drive that convertible quite a bit my senior year, and I really enjoyed it.”
DeLucca’s 2005 Ford Thunderbird boasts a shiny black exterior with an all-black interior that includes leather upholstery. It has a soft black top that opens and folds behind the seats with the push of a button. A hard top covered in canvas sits in the garage.
“It takes at least three people to lift it and put it on the car,” DeLucca says. “I haven’t done that for several years. I don’t drive it in the winter, so I really don’t need the hard top.”
DeLucca has one granddaughter, who was born in 2002.
“It wasn’t long after I got the car, and I was picking her up to bring her to the lake for a visit,” she says. “She wasn’t very old and still needed a car seat. As I was getting it into the passenger seat, she said ‘Grandma, I need to sit in the back.’ I laughed and had to show her my car doesn’t have a back seat.”
DeLucca and her long-time partner, Larry Bergemann, bought a home at Lake Panorama in 1992.
“Larry already owned a C lot so he could boat,” DeLucca says. “We were both working in the financial services industry in downtown Des Moines and renting. One day he called to say he had found a place he thought would work for us.”
They toured the small, one-story home on the east side of the lake.
“You could definitely tell bachelors lived there,” she says. “It had red shag carpeting and a red bathroom.”
Despite the poor condition of the house, the couple purchased it and did a major overhaul. They added a full story on top of the existing home, turning the bachelor’s pad into an expansive, well-appointed home with beautiful woodwork and great lake views.
Bergemann passed away in June 2023.
“He very seldom drove the Thunderbird and never rode along with me,” DeLucca says. “It’s always been my retirement car, even though I didn’t retire until two years after I bought it.”
Purchased brand new in 2005, DeLucca’s Thunderbird now has 47,000 miles on the odometer.
“I only drive it in good weather, probably 300 to 500 miles each year,” she says. “Sometimes I drive it to Des Moines. Usually it’s just around Panora, sometimes to Panorama West for women’s golf league on Tuesday mornings. The trunk is small but just big enough for my golf bag.
“It’s been a good vehicle. I’ve never had any problems with it,” DeLucca says. “One year, mice got under the hood and I had to have some repairs done. I just replaced the battery, and it probably is time to consider new tires.”
The other car in DeLucca’s garage is a 2017 Lexus 450 Hybrid. While most of her driving happens in the Lexus, she enjoys getting the Thunderbird out on nice days. She gets comments from onlookers sometimes, but so far, no offers to buy.
“I always thought I might give it to my granddaughter, but it’s really not a very practical car with such a small trunk and only two seats. I suppose, someday, I will sell it but not yet,” she says. “As I get older, it does get harder to get in and out of the driver’s seat.”
DeLucca will turn 81 years old at her next birthday. That may surprise those who watch her play competitive golf, participate in classes at ReShape Fitness Studio, listen to details of her latest overseas travels, and get in and out of her Thunderbird with ease. n