Summary

Absolutely stunning example of this iconic first generation 'personal luxury car' from Ford, brought to market as an answer to GM's sports minded Corvette. Super restoration. From the Bob Howard Collection.

Details

The Thunderbird entered production for the 1955 model year as a sporty two seat convertible. Unlike the Chevrolet Corvette, it was not marketed as a sports car. Rather, Ford created a new market segment, the personal luxury car, to position it and put greater emphasis on the car's comfort and convenience features, rather than its inherent sportiness. Designations aside, the Thunderbird sold exceptionally well in its first year. In fact, the Thunderbird outsold the Corvette by more than 23 to one in 1955 with 16,155 Thunderbirds sold against 700 Corvettes. With the Thunderbird considered a success, few changes were made to the car for 1956. The most notable change was moving the spare tire to a Continental style rear bumper, in order to make more storage room in the trunk, and an optional porthole in the removable roof was offed and often selected by buyers. This beautiful restored T-Bird is shown in a beautiful red and white combination. This car has stood up well and turns heads when shown. Equipped with a 312/225hp V8, it has plenty of sport to go with the luxury of 4-way electric seats, power windows, air conditioning and Town & Country radio. From the Bob Howard Collection.