While it handily trounced Chevrolet's Corvette by more than 15,400 copies in 1955, not every Ford Thunderbird left the assembly line fully equipped to completely fulfill its mission as a 'personal luxury' vehicle. This car is consigned by a local family.
Made in Ford's Detroit, Michigan factory (VIN code F) on January 15, 1955, this example is the 52nd unit off of the production line.
Finished in Torch Red (code R), the car's paint and trim are in overall fair order. However, the .....
contrasting white, power rayon canvas top has some blemishes that should be repaired. The body is straight and solid, the car's chrome wraparound bumpers fit tightly to the body and the engine bay is clean. There is a bumper jack in the trunk.
This T-Bird rolls on Coker Classic wide whitewall tires. Each one is mounted on a steel wheel and topped with a factory metal wheel cover. The tires and wheel covers are all in good order, except for the left rear tire, which have caps.
Beneath the forward-hinged hood is Ford's 292 CID Y-block V-8 engine with a four-barrel carburetor and dual exhausts. Backing this motor is Ford's three-speed Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission and a 3.31:1 final drive. Ford's Master Guide Power Steering is a driver convenience feature.
This locally consigned T-Bird was handed down through an estate. It is a nice solid car that has numerous imperfections in the paint as seen in the photos. Further, the left rear wheel cover is missing. Wear on the seat, temp and fuel gauge is inop. Brake lights and turn signals are inop. Left side door glass has a crack. The car runs and drives out nicely but does have its needs.
Items that are non-operational include the engine temperature gauge, the fuel gauge, the brake lights and all of the turn signals. The windshield wipers only operate on 'slow' speed.
Inside, the bench seat, upholstered in red with white trim (code XB), is in good, original condition with flaws, as is the red carpet. Some parts are original, like the dashboard, bench seat, floor-mounted shifter, inner door panels, while other components, such as the rim of the two-spoke steering wheel, is repainted, as is the lower dashboard and inner door panel trim. There are also new lap belts. A factory AM radio completes the interior.
Ford unveiled the Thunderbird at the Detroit Auto Show on February 20, 1954. The first production car came off the line on September 9, 1954, went on sale on October 22, 1954, as a 1955 model, and sold briskly; 3,500 orders were placed in the first 10 days of sale. While only 10,000 were planned, 16,155 cars were sold during the debut year.
The Thunderbird came with a removable fiberglass top as standard equipment, with a fabric convertible top as a commonly specified option. The engine was Ford's 292-cubic-inch OHV Y-block V-8. The exhaust pipes exited through twin bumper guards bolted to the rear bumper.
The car used existing chassis and suspension design and off-the-shelf Ford mechanical components. It was constructed using a body-on-frame technique utilizing a version of the standard Ford design cut-down to a 102-inch wheelbase, identical to the Corvette's. The engine was paired either with a Ford-O-Matic automatic or manual overdrive transmissions, and the car featured four-way powered seats and pushbutton interior door handles. Other unique features were a telescoping steering wheel and a tachometer.
Convertible competition to the Thunderbird included AC's Ace, Aston Martin's DB2-4 Mark II Drophead Coupe, Austin-Healey's 100, Chevrolet's Corvette, Jaguar's XK-140 and Morgan's Plus 4 TR.
If you're a Ford fan, a Thunderbird collector or if you seek a foothold in the collectible car universe, this T-Bird is an entry-level ticket.
VIN: P5FH138103
This car is currently located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows 19.039 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt title. GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!
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