Vehicle Description
1955 Ford Thunderbird ?Ford?s first two-seater since 1938 ?One of
16,155 examples made in 1955 ?292 CID OHV Y-block V-8 engine with
dual exhausts ?Ford-O-Matic two-speed automatic transmission ?White
exterior with red and white interior and a white fiberglass hard
top ?Power steering and power seat Ford made the biggest splash of
the 1950s when it pulled the wraps on the Thunderbird at the
Detroit Auto Show. First year T-Birds are becoming harder and
harder to find; the two-seater laid the groundwork for personal
luxury cars of the future. This car is being brought to us by a
local consigner who is thinning his collection. This example was
made on July 21, (prod code G21) 1955 and was the 160th vehicle
made that day at Ford?s Dearborn, Michigan factory (VIN code F). It
was delivered to the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (code PI) sales area.
The car?s white paint and trim are in overall very good order. The
car?s body is straight, its engine bay is very tidy and there?s an
AC Delco battery that appears new. The chrome bumpers overall are
in good shape. This T-Bird rolls on wide whitewall tires mounted on
steel wheels topped with wire wheel covers. The wheels are in very
good order while the tires are in good, original order. Under the
forward-hinged hood is Ford?s 292 CID Y-block V-8 engine the
breathes through dual exhausts. Backing up the motor is a
Ford-O-Matic two-speed automatic transmission. Driver convenience
features include power steering. Inside, the car?s red and white
interior is a great contrast to the exterior. The seats are in
overall great shape, as is the red carpeting. The two-spoke
steering wheel is in satisfactory shape, along with the inner door
liners and dashboard but there is some chips on the dash. A
driveshaft-mounted shift lever is between the seats. 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 and 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 in 1955. This Thunderbird is a great driving
car but has some needs: the speedometer is inaccurate, wipers and
tachometer are inoperable, fuel gauge is stuck at full and the
blower motor does not engage. The Thunderbird came with fender
skirts and a removable fiberglass top as standard equipment, with a
fabric convertible top as a commonly specified option. 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. 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. Ford?s two-seater
outsold its primary Detroit competition, Chevrolet?s Corvette, for
at least three reasons, despite launching two years later ? Ford
offered V-8 power from the start; the Thunderbird had roll-up side
glass and exterior door handles and it was finished in traditional
sheet metal. By the mid-50s, when the Corvette became a serious
threat, Ford decided to go in a more profitable direction for 1958
but that?s another story. Ford fans and Thunderbird aficionados
should stop by to review this prime piece of Ford?s crowning ?50s
achievement, carving out a new vehicle class for others to imitate
for the next 30 to 40 years. Stop by MotoeXotica Classic Cars
today! VIN: P5FH175324 This car is currently located at our
facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer
shows 81,071 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a clean and
clear, mileage exempt title. GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!? Note: Please see
full terms and conditions listed below that pertain to the purchase
of any said vehicle, thank you.
