Ford USA - Thunderbird - 1955
Starting bid
€ 1
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Expert
Selected by Arjan Rietveld
Thirty years' experience with classic cars, specialising in Italian cars and Porsche.
Estimate € 43,000 - € 48,000
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Description from the seller
Ford Thunderbird 1955
- Sought-after 3-speed manual transmission with overdrive
- Original color scheme in turquoise
- Very original condition
- Extensive American documentation available
- Notable example due to appearance in several films and series, including Top Gear
- Hardtop
HISTORY/DOCUMENTATION
An iconic car: the first-generation Ford Thunderbird, produced from 1955 to 1957. This exemplar was manufactured on March 21, 1955 and carries the body code P5FH197955, where P stands for the engine code (312 4V V8), the 5 for the model year 1955, the F for the production location (Dearborn, Michigan) and the H for the model (Thunderbird). The remaining coding also corresponds to the trim, namely: 40A (Roadster), T (Thunderbird blue). The special thing about this car is that it was originally fitted with a 3-speed manual transmission with overdrive; rare and highly sought after! Also notable is that extensive documentation accompanies the car, so the history is well known. There is even an old photo from the United States of this car, with license plate 'USU 501'—a wonderful photo with two women half leaning over the car: pure Americana. In the early '70s, the then-owner, although the car remained in excellent condition, stripped and restored it to concours condition, reusing as many original parts as possible. The car was then heavily used as a show car at auto events, praised for its superb condition. Documentation of this is available. In 1990 the T-Bird was shipped to the United Kingdom, where its originality and condition attracted significant media attention. The car appeared in films and series such as Boon, Tomorrow's World, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries and Top Gear (1991). It was also used by K-Tell Records for promotional purposes and appeared on the cover of a parts catalog. This parts catalog is present with the car! Also many other documents such as maintenance invoices and export documents are with the car. In 2006 the car was imported to the Netherlands, where it has had only 2 owners. This is a unique chance to own a particularly fine and coveted Thunderbird with a wonderful history!
EXTERIOR
Originally finished in the coveted turquoise color and delivered with a hardtop in the same color. This contrasts beautifully with the striking white interior and the white soft top. The soft top is originally electrically operated, but this system has been disconnected so the roof can be opened manually with ease. The restoration carried out is now more than 50 years old and therefore the car is no longer in concours condition, but it is in good condition with still a beautiful paint, fresh rubbers and lighting. The car's design is iconic, for example look at the exhausts integrated into the rear bumper. The car is in a very original state.
INTERIOR
An opulently luxurious interior, especially for the 1950s unique and forward-looking. Think, for example, of an original electrically adjustable bench seat in 4 directions, electrically operated windows and power steering. Currently, the electrically adjustable bench seat is not working. The leather interior is finished in a striking turquoise and white color scheme. The interior is further equipped with a horizontal speedometer, a clock, a tachometer, heating and a radio. Naturally, it is very comfortable to sit on the comfortable bench. The interior is in a very original condition.
TECHNICAL
Although the Thunderbird shared several design features with other Fords of the time, such as some round headlights and taillights and modest tail fins, it had a slimmer shape and featured a hood with a air intake and a speedometer up to 240 km/h, which was not available on other Fords. It used mechanical parts from mass-production models of Ford. The frame with a wheelbase of 2591 mm was a shortened version also used in other Ford models, and the standard 4.8-liter Y-block V8 engine came from the Mercury division of Ford. Shifting can be done via the 3-speed manual transmission with overdrive. This overdrive is very rare and highly sought after. The car starts, drives and shifts properly.
GENERAL
The Thunderbird, designed to rival the Corvette from Chevrolet, was one of the first Fords with the new head-cylinder V8 engine. The Thunderbird was introduced as a two-seat 'personal car' and was aimed at image-conscious younger customers. It was not a pure sports car, but primarily focused on comfort as well. Thanks to its superior V8 engine and greater refinement, it outsold the Corvette by a large margin in the sales war. Despite this success, the original concept was quickly abandoned and in 1958 a larger—and slower—four-seat version was introduced, causing the early two-seaters to become collectible almost overnight. The first-generation Thunderbird was built from 1955 through 1958. The Thunderbird sold exceptionally well in its first year and in 1955 sold more than 23 times as many as the Corvette, with 16,155 Thunderbirds sold compared to 700 Corvettes. A total of 11 generations of the Thunderbird have been released over the years, up to 2005.
Seller's Story
For several years we have been active in the sale of vintage, classic and modern sports cars throughout the Netherlands, Europe and the rest of the world. We offer a wonderful variety of collector and driver cars that you can enjoy for years to come. You can find this online at Carrosso. com or by visiting our showroom in Oldemarkt, an hour's drive from Amsterdam.
We have a wide variety of classic sports cars, if you are interested in the specific details of a particular car, feel free to give us a call. We are open to negotiating transactions, we can store cars, and we have an effective and reliable way to sell your cars through our purchase or consignment sales program. So, if you have a (classic) sports car for sale, contact us and we can give you the price your car deserves!
Ford Thunderbird 1955
- Sought-after 3-speed manual transmission with overdrive
- Original color scheme in turquoise
- Very original condition
- Extensive American documentation available
- Notable example due to appearance in several films and series, including Top Gear
- Hardtop
HISTORY/DOCUMENTATION
An iconic car: the first-generation Ford Thunderbird, produced from 1955 to 1957. This exemplar was manufactured on March 21, 1955 and carries the body code P5FH197955, where P stands for the engine code (312 4V V8), the 5 for the model year 1955, the F for the production location (Dearborn, Michigan) and the H for the model (Thunderbird). The remaining coding also corresponds to the trim, namely: 40A (Roadster), T (Thunderbird blue). The special thing about this car is that it was originally fitted with a 3-speed manual transmission with overdrive; rare and highly sought after! Also notable is that extensive documentation accompanies the car, so the history is well known. There is even an old photo from the United States of this car, with license plate 'USU 501'—a wonderful photo with two women half leaning over the car: pure Americana. In the early '70s, the then-owner, although the car remained in excellent condition, stripped and restored it to concours condition, reusing as many original parts as possible. The car was then heavily used as a show car at auto events, praised for its superb condition. Documentation of this is available. In 1990 the T-Bird was shipped to the United Kingdom, where its originality and condition attracted significant media attention. The car appeared in films and series such as Boon, Tomorrow's World, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries and Top Gear (1991). It was also used by K-Tell Records for promotional purposes and appeared on the cover of a parts catalog. This parts catalog is present with the car! Also many other documents such as maintenance invoices and export documents are with the car. In 2006 the car was imported to the Netherlands, where it has had only 2 owners. This is a unique chance to own a particularly fine and coveted Thunderbird with a wonderful history!
EXTERIOR
Originally finished in the coveted turquoise color and delivered with a hardtop in the same color. This contrasts beautifully with the striking white interior and the white soft top. The soft top is originally electrically operated, but this system has been disconnected so the roof can be opened manually with ease. The restoration carried out is now more than 50 years old and therefore the car is no longer in concours condition, but it is in good condition with still a beautiful paint, fresh rubbers and lighting. The car's design is iconic, for example look at the exhausts integrated into the rear bumper. The car is in a very original state.
INTERIOR
An opulently luxurious interior, especially for the 1950s unique and forward-looking. Think, for example, of an original electrically adjustable bench seat in 4 directions, electrically operated windows and power steering. Currently, the electrically adjustable bench seat is not working. The leather interior is finished in a striking turquoise and white color scheme. The interior is further equipped with a horizontal speedometer, a clock, a tachometer, heating and a radio. Naturally, it is very comfortable to sit on the comfortable bench. The interior is in a very original condition.
TECHNICAL
Although the Thunderbird shared several design features with other Fords of the time, such as some round headlights and taillights and modest tail fins, it had a slimmer shape and featured a hood with a air intake and a speedometer up to 240 km/h, which was not available on other Fords. It used mechanical parts from mass-production models of Ford. The frame with a wheelbase of 2591 mm was a shortened version also used in other Ford models, and the standard 4.8-liter Y-block V8 engine came from the Mercury division of Ford. Shifting can be done via the 3-speed manual transmission with overdrive. This overdrive is very rare and highly sought after. The car starts, drives and shifts properly.
GENERAL
The Thunderbird, designed to rival the Corvette from Chevrolet, was one of the first Fords with the new head-cylinder V8 engine. The Thunderbird was introduced as a two-seat 'personal car' and was aimed at image-conscious younger customers. It was not a pure sports car, but primarily focused on comfort as well. Thanks to its superior V8 engine and greater refinement, it outsold the Corvette by a large margin in the sales war. Despite this success, the original concept was quickly abandoned and in 1958 a larger—and slower—four-seat version was introduced, causing the early two-seaters to become collectible almost overnight. The first-generation Thunderbird was built from 1955 through 1958. The Thunderbird sold exceptionally well in its first year and in 1955 sold more than 23 times as many as the Corvette, with 16,155 Thunderbirds sold compared to 700 Corvettes. A total of 11 generations of the Thunderbird have been released over the years, up to 2005.
Seller's Story
For several years we have been active in the sale of vintage, classic and modern sports cars throughout the Netherlands, Europe and the rest of the world. We offer a wonderful variety of collector and driver cars that you can enjoy for years to come. You can find this online at Carrosso. com or by visiting our showroom in Oldemarkt, an hour's drive from Amsterdam.
We have a wide variety of classic sports cars, if you are interested in the specific details of a particular car, feel free to give us a call. We are open to negotiating transactions, we can store cars, and we have an effective and reliable way to sell your cars through our purchase or consignment sales program. So, if you have a (classic) sports car for sale, contact us and we can give you the price your car deserves!
Details
Brand
Ford USA
Model type
Thunderbird
Year
1955
Located in
Netherlands
Mileage reading
9206 mi
Registration papers
with Dutch registration
Transmission
Manual
Fuel
Petrol
Colour
Blue
Horse power
194
Cubic capacity
4785
Matching numbers
Unknown
Matching colours
Yes
Service book/history
No
Valid MOT
No
CoC (Certificate of Conformity) present
No
Condition (Paint & body)
Good: may require conventional body and paintwork. May require replacement of parts
Condition (Interior)
Good: shows signs of normal wear and usage. May require repair or replacement of parts
Condition (Frame & underbody)
Good: frame/structure shows minor signs of surface rust, signs of usage/wear, may require some attention
Condition (Mechanical)
Good: mechanically sound. May require maintenance and repair
Condition (Overall)
Good condition: visible signs of wear and general ageing
Vehicle registration
We can help buyers register their vehicle through our trusted external partner. The process is straightforward and can be completed after purchase. Vehicle registration remains the buyer's responsibility.
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Catawiki always aims to offer you the best possible buying experience. Our experts virtually review and select every vehicle in line with our submission guidelines and we require our sellers to provide the most accurate description of the vehicle. However, providing a fully detailed analysis of the vehicle is extremely difficult, and close to impossible. To guide you, we ask our sellers to provide information about the vehicle’s condition. Please consider that most vehicles for sale are classic vehicles and they often already have a whole life behind them, meaning that even a condition 1 or 2 vehicle might need maintenance to be ready for the road. It is advised to carefully read our submission guidelines that further describe details about the condition grades and types to manage your expectations. Cars are sold “as is”, meaning as described and in the condition they are in at the time of the sale and without any representation, warranty or assumption of liability of any kind as to the condition by Catawiki or by the seller. The condition of this item is the opinion of the seller and may differ from yours, your local garage, or the dealer’s opinion. This does not automatically mean the car does not conform to its description. Before bidding, please check your local legislation regarding vehicle registration. Neither the seller nor Catawiki is responsible for the registration of the vehicle in your country and will not accept a cancellation for your failure to register the vehicle. We also recommend that, if possible, you arrange a viewing with the seller before placing a bid.
Catawiki always aims to offer you the best possible buying experience. Our experts virtually review and select every vehicle in line with our submission guidelines and we require our sellers to provide the most accurate description of the vehicle. However, providing a fully detailed analysis of the vehicle is extremely difficult, and close to impossible. To guide you, we ask our sellers to provide information about the vehicle’s condition. Please consider that most vehicles for sale are classic vehicles and they often already have a whole life behind them, meaning that even a condition 1 or 2 vehicle might need maintenance to be ready for the road. It is advised to carefully read our submission guidelines that further describe details about the condition grades and types to manage your expectations. Cars are sold “as is”, meaning as described and in the condition they are in at the time of the sale and without any representation, warranty or assumption of liability of any kind as to the condition by Catawiki or by the seller. The condition of this item is the opinion of the seller and may differ from yours, your local garage, or the dealer’s opinion. This does not automatically mean the car does not conform to its description. Before bidding, please check your local legislation regarding vehicle registration. Neither the seller nor Catawiki is responsible for the registration of the vehicle in your country and will not accept a cancellation for your failure to register the vehicle. We also recommend that, if possible, you arrange a viewing with the seller before placing a bid.
