1957 Ford THUNDERBIRD

Built on the 23rd of November 1957 at the Dearborn plant in Michigan, this Torch Red Ford Thunderbird is one of the last cars ever built - and as such features all the Good Stuff.

Like a Colonial White ‘port-hole’ hardtop, a pleated Flame Red vinyl interior, a 312cu (5.1-litre) 245bhp V8 engine, and the nicest exhaust note this side of the Jordan F1 car we’re selling.

Mated to the wonderfully named three-speed Ford-o-matic, this matching numbers car is still finished in its original specification.

Showing just two previous UK keepers, it came here direct from the Classic Car Studio dealership in St Louis, in 2007. We are told that it was fully restored at some point prior to that with the work being carried out to a show-winning standard.

Having now covered just 7,800miles since its restoration, it remains in “captivating” condition according to the boss, a man regular watchers will know is not known for his unfettered outbursts of praise… 

“We were makin’ Thunderbirds

We were makin’ Thunderbirds

They were long and low and sleek and fast

They were classic in a word.”

‘Makin’ Thunderbirds’ by Bob Segar

Whoever restored the coachwork really knew their stuff; just take a look at the shutlines, the panel alignment, and the complete absence of the sort of bodgery that haunts lesser examples.

And the Torch Red paintwork is just as good as the underlying metalwork, gleaming in the sun and beaming with unrestrained 1950’s optimism and pride. Lashings of chrome too, all of which looks glorious and needs nothing other than continued polishing and admiration.

The twin exhausts exit neatly from the rear bumpers and the rear wings, with their innovative use of fins, are perfectly judged being stylish without being vulgar. The rear wheel spats are a delightfully retro touch too, as are the hood scoop, and the torpedo-style rear lights.

The Colonial White ‘port-hole’ fibreglass hardtop is in a very good condition, as is the white folding fabric roof. The headlinings of both are clean and undamaged.

The chromed wire wheels, complete with Thunderbird-branded three-eared spinners, are in a very good condition. They’re shod with whitewall 7.50-14 tyres too, all of which have good tread.

The car’s overall condition comes with third-party endorsements courtesy of its show-winning status having won trophies from the American Auto Club UK where it won ‘Best in Show’, the US Summer Nationals (Car of the Show), Americana (Best Thunderbird), Classic Americana (Best in Show), plus many others.

Problems seem to be limited to the odd stonechip and minor mark – but given that red is one of the easiest colours to match, touching these small blemishes in would be an easy and very satisfying job. And although the pics don't show it, a decent mop of the paint would remove the very light scratching you can see in certain lights.

“Don’t gimme no Buick,

Son you must take my word.

If there’s a God up in Heaven,

He’s got a Silver Thunderbird.

You can keep your Eldorados,

And the foreign car’s absurd.

Me, I wanna go down,

In a Silver Thunderbird.”

‘Silver Thunderbird’ by Marc Cohn

If you thought the exterior was fabulous then you’re going to be blown away by the cockpit. With a beguiling blend of red vinyl and chrome brightwork, it stuns you with its overall design before hooking you with its dozens of beautifully thought out features.

Features like the deep-dish red steering wheel with its huge chrome horn trim, chrome steering column and ‘FORD MASTER GUIDE POWER STEERING’ inscription.

Or the radio, which isn’t only wonderfully retro but features ‘TOWN’ and ‘COUNTRY’ settings. Or the five dials, whose shape and placement is echoed by the switches and air vents. Or the door trims, which blend machine-turned metal and red vinyl in the most convincing way we can remember seeing. Or the brake pedal, which features the legend ‘SWIFT SURE FORD POWER BRAKES’. Or, well, you get the idea…

The Thunderbird logo is used on the door cards, which is a lovely touch and one that is echoed on the bodywork and engine rocker covers.

The boot is neatly lined in plaid fabric and contains the spare wheel which is fitted with a brand-new tyre. The underlying boot floor is, of course, utterly solid and completely free of rust.

The pleated Flame Red vinyl seat is in a very good condition – and even the brilliantly termed seat-o-matic adjustment works as it should. Being a bench seat it’s perfect for snuggling up with a loved one at a drive-in movie – or even on the driveway at home listening to some period rock ‘n’ roll as you enjoy the last of the warm summer evenings…

Work to do? Well, the odd bit of trim is peeling away but this is very limited in scope and most definitely a nice-to-do job for some point in the future rather than something that needs sorting out immediately.

Other than that only a mild patina on a few of the dials and controls shows the car’s age but even this is charming rather than irritating. 

“My Thunderbird, my Thunderbird,

Put your head on my shoulder,

Don’t say a word,

We’ll cut across town in my Thunderbird.”

‘Thunderbird’ by John Hiatt

The engine bay and underside are as clean and well presented as the rest of the car, but then you’d already guessed that, hadn’t you?

We’ve driven it and can report that the 312 cubic inch ‘Y-block’ V8 engine starts promptly and quickly settles into an even tickover. The custom-built 'Custom Chrome Racing' exhaust system endows the T-Bird with a classic V8 burble, albeit one with an attractively hard-edged note under acceleration.

The three-speed Ford-o-matic gearbox isn’t only brilliantly named; it also changes gear smoothly and the brakes are very sharp and powerful.

“We’re burnin’ out the highway

Me with my foot to the floor

No wonder everybody goes crazy

Gotta drive this T-Bird more

I gotta have this T-Bird Angel, so we can fly away

I gotta have this T-Bird Angel, and drive all night and day”

‘T-Bird Angel’ by Uriah Heep

The Thunderbird doesn’t have a current MOT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have the car re-MOT’d at the earliest. The cost of an MOT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic car, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

It has a number of expired MOT certificates plus some old invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it since arriving on these shores in 2007. It also still has its American certificate of title from the Classic Car studio in St Louis.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this paperwork.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.  

“My first love was an older woman,

There’s been many since,

But there’ll never be another.

Built in 1955, snowshoe white, overdrive,

I never should’ve sold her, I’ll always love her,

She was mine.”

‘First Love’ by Alan Jackson

As you can see from the numerous songs that have been written about it, the Thunderbird is THE quintessential American convertible; wonderfully designed, it strikes the balance between showy and gaudy better than any of its contemporaries.

Yet, this counts for nothing if the car itself is neglected or rusty or both – and this example is neither. Looking stunning, it drives beautifully and is one of the best, if not the best, in the country.

A former show winner, only the most fastidious would feel the need to remedy its few minor blemishes; the rest of us would be happy to drive it long and hard with a loved one curled up next to us and the Beach Boys on the radio…

And, it’s not as if it’s going to cost you a fortune. Despite being one of the most lusted after cars we’ve had pass through our hands this year – and this has been a very busy year with an awful lot of drool-worthy cars being offered – we predict that it’ll sell for between £36,000 and £50,000, which is an absurdly small sum for such a magnificent slice of 1950’s American culture. 

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located at The Market’s Abingdon headquarters; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.