![]() The Thunderbird is offered with the original owner's manual, dealer brochures and tons of documentation. Since the restoration, the car has been used sparingly and kept in the consignors San Diego-based climate controlled garage. ![]() This expertly restored 1957 Thunderbird is handsomely equipped with Power Steering, Power Brakes, a Hardtop and a classic Town & Country radio. A few thoughtful mechanical upgrades were made to the car, such as the installment of a dual master brake cylinder, and a seven-blade cooling fan for drivability. A striking livery of Black over Turquoise and White interior was chosen for the car, making it look so very 1950s. All work was done to factory specifications, and to a very high standard. The body was lifted off the frame, and parts and pieces re-finished throughout. The work order was to restore the car to show winning condition and Prestige Thunderbirds would soon after set out to do just that, beginning a full disassembly of the car. Soon after, a complete nut and bolt restoration was begun by a group of local San Diego based restorers, but after being a few years into the process, the consignor decided to hand the project over to Los Angeles based marque specialists - Prestige Thunderbirds. Although in need of a restoration, the car is said to have been very dry and original at this point. The Ford remained in this ownership until the early 2000s when the consignor purchased it. The Thunderbird is said to have remained with its first owner until the early 1980s, when a fellow San Diegan pro golfer purchased it. Today the original 1955-'57 Thunderbirds are among the most desirable and sought after of all post-war American automobiles, and are highly regarded by collectors for their unique design, abundant creature comforts and the performance of their Ford V-8 engines.Ĭompleted at the Dearborn, Michigan Ford plant, this 1957 Thunderbird D-Code is believe to have been sold new in San Diego, California. Despite its success, the original Thunderbird concept was soon abandoned and a larger - and slower - four-seat version was introduced for 1958, a move that turned the early two-seater cars into collectors' items almost overnight. This alteration provided greater luggage space while enabling the spare wheel to be relocated in the boot, a move that would improve the handling. A more thoroughgoing re-style for 1957 saw the adoption of a longer tail section featuring prominent fins. ![]() There were few alterations made for the '56 season, the most obvious being the relocation of the spare wheel to the outside of the trunk in 'Continental Kit' style, while a 312ci, 215bhp Thunderbird Special V8 was added to the engine options. Introduced in two-seat 'personal car' form, the Thunderbird was intended to appeal to image-conscious younger customers, and beat the Corvette hands down in the sales war thanks to its superior V8 engine and greater refinement.Ī low, sleek two-seater, the Thunderbird offered amenities not found in the competing Chevrolet Corvette, most particularly rollup windows, offering comfort and convenience options tailored to an affluent market.įord's product planners hit the market dead center and over 16,000 Thunderbirds were assembled in the 1955 model year. *The last year of the two-seat ThunderbirdĬonceived to challenge Chevrolet's Corvette sports car, the iconic Thunderbird debuted in October 1954 and was one of the first models produced with Ford's new overhead-valve V8 engine. *Classic and Elegant V8 Powered Americana *Equipped with many power amenities and hardtop *Finished in striking Black over Turquoise livery *Exquisite restoration by Prestige Thunderbirds The “hole-in-the-frame”, (a cast lug in the frame behind the engine that allowed a single carb to run a straight tube trough it to a large air cleaner under the seat) actually trickled-up to the TR6 line.Front Independent Suspension – Live Rear Axle The lower exhaust bracket, always prone to cracking from vibration, was beefed up. A very handsome color scheme.Ī new chain guard was introduced across the entire line, offering better enclosure and more solid mounting (to the lower rear shock bolt). The fenders were painted to match also, with a gold-lined stripe running down their centers. Triumph Motorcycles probably did better in this area (picking better colors and finishing them better) than just about anyone else in the British Motorcycle Industry at the time. This large badge, in conjunction with a chrome trim strip allowed 2-tone paintjob in the best tradition of late 1950’s decadence. BOLD NEW TANK BADGE ON 1957 TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRDĪ new chromed tank badge appeared, recognizable by the striking chrome-grille ‘mouth organ’ look, with the Triumph name picked out in white against a black background (and a new tank was needed to accommodate it).
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