Vehicle Description
THIS VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY IN BEAUTIFUL PUNTA GORDA, FL SCHEDULED TO
CROSS THE BLOCK AND WILL BE SOLD AT THE PREMIER AUCTION GROUP'S
ANNUAL CLASSIC AND SPECIALTY VEHICLE EVENT AUCTION THIS MARCH 19TH
AND 20TH. YOU'RE WELCOME TO CONTACT US OR THE TEAM AT PREMIER
AUCTION GROUP REGARDING THIS VEHICLE'S DETAILS AND SIGNING UP TO
ATTEND THE AUCTION EITHER IN PERSON, BY PHONE WITH A ON SITE
REPRESENTATIVE, OR VIA ON-LINE SIMULCAST OFFERED BY PROXIBID.
Beautifuly Restored with attention to detail This 1955 T-Bird has
the right looks and feel sure to impress and delight 292ci
Thunderbird V8 Rebuilt in 1996 and only 3880 miles have been driven
since New Clutch and Pressure Plate as well as Hardened Valve Seats
for Everyday Gasoline Use. New Holley Carburetor with Manual Choke
New Suspension, Front and Rear 12 Volt Conversion Electronic
Ignition Radial Tires Wire Spoke Wheels New Radiator New Power
Brakes Old Look but New Modern Radio by Custom Sound White Wall
Radial Tires New Soft Top This Bird Runs Every Bit As Good As It
Looks! At GLCC now! Ah, the mid-fifties. Mid-century. A great time
in America's history. The war was over and people were putting it
behind them, looking forward to the 1960's, a decade of hope. 1955
was a time of sleek, modern, contemporary houses and furnishings.
People were shedding the stuffy, busy decor of the past and
embracing sleekness, more minimalist designs. Cars were getting
bigger and more advanced. They were more comfortable, easier to
drive, required less maintenance, and were more dependable. And in
the midst of all this, one car stood apart from all others. It
could immediately be identified as a Ford, but it was unlike any
other Ford ever made. It was a personal car, sporty in appearance
but with most of the luxuries people had come to expect in fine
automobiles. The Thunderbird was named after the mythical bird
known as a good luck omen to the American Indians. Displayed with
outstretched wings, the Thunderbird is seen frequently in
Southwestern Indian art, and is believed to have the power to bring
thunder, lightening, and rain to the parched desert in the
Southwest by flapping its wings. The Thunderbird was said to be
invisible to man, except in flashes of lightening as it soared
through the skies with lightening bolts tucked under its wings. The
closest thing to the Thunderbird in 1955 was the Chevrolet
Corvette, which was taking steps to improve its car, perhaps
because it knew Ford's T-bird would be a worthy competitor. A new
small block V-8 engine debuted in the Corvette this year, rated at
195 horsepower. Most Corvette's produced had the V-8, but the six
cylinder engine was still standard and seven cars were thus
equipped. A 12-volt electrical system was provided on the V-8 cars
and the old 6-volt system came on six cylinder cars. New paint
colors dressed up the Corvette, and 700 were sold in 1955. Of
course, this was a poor showing considering the Thunderbird sold
over 16,000 cars that year, and it's likely that the introduction
of the T-bird saved the Corvette from extinction. Chevrolet did not
want to concede failure in the two seater market to Ford, so it
poured money and resources into the Corvette to make it more
competitive. Had the little Bird not come along when it did, it's
possible Chevrolet might have cut its losses and abandoned the
Corvette. Ford's marketing department determined that there was a
market for a two passenger personal car, and that Ford could expect
to sell around 10,000 of them per year. Plus, the new sporty car
would draw more people into dealer showrooms and some of them would
buy another Ford model, so there were additional benefits to having
such a car in the line, even if they weren't actually selling in
big numbers. First year production exceeded the forecasts, but
there were those within Ford who wanted to see a profit from the
Thunderbird, and even as the very first little Birds were hitting
the streets, changes were underway to
