For Sale at Auction: 1957 Ford Thunderbird in Amelia Island, Florida

Chassis No. F7FH395552

In 1951, while visiting the glamourous Motor Show at the Grand Palais in Paris, Ford Motor Company's Louis D. Crusoe and George Walker paid close attention to Europe's sportier automobiles, as the US car market was ready for sports cars aimed towards a younger audience returning from World War II. General Motors was first with the Corvette in 1953, but Ford soon followed, introducing its Thunderbird in 1955. The sleek two-seater Roadster-like body displayed many contemporary Ford design cues, and power came from a range of potent V8 engines.

The first-generation and most iconic Ford Thunderbird model to date was phased out in 1957 with its head held high, thanks to refreshed styling and a host of new performance options available that year. The most impressive of these was the powerful "F-Code" supercharged engine option. "F-Birds"-as they affectionately have become known-sported the Thunderbird Special 312 cu-in OHV V8 engine fitted with a McCulloch/Paxton centrifugal supercharger, pressure-sealed Holley four-barrel carburetor, and reinforced cylinder heads. They were factory-rated at a staggering 300 horsepower, while period tests and even Paxton Products themselves put the figure closer to 400! With some extra tweaking, an F-Code Thunderbird outran the Corvettes at the 1957 Daytona Speed Week Trials, making a two-way 138.75 mph flying mile, and was later timed at 160 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats. But the horsepower race was waning; in June that year, the Automobile Manufacturers' Association chose to outlaw direct factory participation in racing, and as a result, the Thunderbird planned for 1958 was aimed strictly at the personal luxury market, in far less sporty disguise, which would be its forte for the rest of the model's run. Hence, the rare F-Code 1957 Thunderbirds remain as icons of their era.

The F-Code option added over 10 percent to the Thunderbird's base price and was thus reserved for only the most discerning, performance-minded customers. While 21,380 Thunderbirds were produced in 1957, only a small amount, approximately 197 of those were delivered with the F-Code supercharged engine package.

Offered here is not just one of these exceptionally rare and desirable factory supercharged F-Code Thunderbirds in its stunning, as factory delivered, Gunmetal Grey color, but a well-documented example, which has benefitted from a full nut-and-bolt restoration to absolutely exceptional standards by renowned Thunderbird expert Amos Minter and his award-winning restoration facility, Minter's Thunderbirds.

According to the original Ford factory invoice on file, this F-Code Thunderbird was completed at the Dearborn plant during the Fall of 1957, and invoiced to Klew Motor Sales of Los Angeles, California on November 23. The detailed original invoice further documents that the car was factory built with the supercharged F-Code 312 cu-in V8 engine, fitted with a factory hard top, and finished in the same striking Gunmetal Grey color as seen on the car today.

Correspondence and a letter on file from Amos Minter further tell the story of this incredible F-Bird. In his letter, Minter explains how he first heard about this Gunmetal Grey F-Code offered for sale in California many years ago. He hopped on a plane the next day to purchase the car but missed it by a few hours. By the early 2000s, the car reappeared for sale in the same unrestored yet solid condition, and this time Minter was successful. The car had been in California, and then in Phoenix, Arizona, with David Ivan through the 1970s and 1980s. Minter brought the car to his Dallas, Texas facility, and notes that although in need of a full restoration, it was a very solid car due to the mild climates of California and Arizona, and most importantly with the factory supercharger system intact.

Well known in the classic car community, Amos Minter and his renowned company Minter's Thunderbirds are at the very top when it comes to first generation, 1955-57 Ford Thunderbirds; their knowledge and restoration expertise is arguably unmatched when it comes these cars. Knowing just how rare the Gunmetal Grey F-Bird was, Mr. Minter would keep the car stored away in his personal collection for the next few decades, calling it a "Crown Jewel" from Ford Motor Company, until he would finally embark on superb, factory correct concours quality restoration. In 2021, the late Judge Joseph Cassini was looking for the finest F-Code Thunderbird he could find, and naturally contacted Amos Minter personally as an authority on these cars. Minter told him about the Gunmetal Grey F-Code which he had kept in his private collection for decades and had finally started restoring. Always on the hunt for best-in-class automobiles, Judge Cassini soon realized that this very F-Bird was "as good as it gets," and quickly struck a deal with Minter to buy the car, even though the car had not completed restoration yet. Minter finalized their painstaking restoration in 2022, and the Gunmetal Grey F-Code Thunderbird soon after joined the Cassini Collection.

Today, this Gunmetal Grey F-Bird presents exceptionally well, as would be expected from a full, nut-and-bolt Minter restored Thunderbird. The quality and correctness of the restoration is absolutely breathtaking; the exquisite paintwork in the factory-correct-to-the-car Gunmetal Grey fine metallic paint rivals that of what is shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance lawn, while the superb chrome and brightwork gleams to perfection. Inside, the correct fresh Flame Red interior perfectly accents the exterior, matched by correct red carpeting, while the dash is adorned by the classic Town and Country radio.?Firestone "Gum-Dipped" wide whitewall tires are fitted on striking chrome wire wheels with three-eared spinner hubs. The engine compartment is equally impressive with every last detail expertly restored, down to the correct clamps, hoses and tags. FoMoCo-style stampings are present, as?are factory-correct "tested" and final sign-off stamps neatly recreated by Minter. Power steering and brakes are fitted as well. The luggage compartment is restored to the same quality as the rest of the car, and equipped with factory jack, lug wrench and fully restored spare tire.?A classic "porthole" factory hard top is offered with the car, fully restored in Gunmetal Grey with tightly-trimmed headliner and immaculate brightwork, matching the quality of the rest of the car. This Gunmetal Grey F-Code is offered with the original Ford factory invoice, restoration photos, copies of old titles and registration cards and correspondence from Amos Minter, a custom car cover, and a hard top stand with individual hard top protective cover.

According to Minter, less than a 100 of these rare factory F-Code Thunderbirds remain in existence today, and finding one as well documented as this car, with its spectacular Minter's restoration in its exquisite factory color will be very difficult. Ready to debut on the concours lawn for scrutinized judging, this spectacular F-Bird deserves serious consideration.