Vehicle Description
The first retail Thunderbird ever sold, VIN 005 was produced at the
Michigan factory on September 9, 1954. This car came equipped with
the 292ci Y-block engine, Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission, and
power steering, windows and seats. It has a wheelbase is 102
inches, BHP rating of 193 and weighs 3,250 pounds. One of the first
performance road tests of the newly created Thunderbird car done by
a national magazine was tested on this same car. Sports Illustrated
did an article October 4, 1954, entitled "Testing the Thunderbird,"
and this T-Bird was used as the test vehicle. This car has been
featured in magazines, books, promotions, blogs and television
shows. It has also made many special appearances at various
museums, car shows and special events, like the 1984 Olympics. The
Ford Motor Company commissioned the car, usually in its private
trailer, to various events such as their national conferences and
car shows including Ford headquarters in Dearborn, MI. It has been
pictured with generations of Ford executives and celebrities such
as Carroll Shelby, Barbara Streisand and Jay Leno, to name a few.
The history of the Thunderbird dates back to the early 1950s, when
a few individuals at the top of Ford's organizational chart
conceived the idea of a sports car. Designer Frank Hershey fathered
the idea of the sports car program that became the Thunderbird. The
real history of this car dates back to 1965, when a well-admired
gentleman and car buff by the name George Watts came across what he
called "a needle in a haystack." After Ford officially verified the
status of his car as the first retail production Thunderbird, he
meticulously restored the "original" to original. After documenting
every step with photos, it appeared three years later - as if it
just rolled off the assembly line. The rest is history. A select
offering from a private collection. **TITLE IN TRANSIT**
