Lot 508: 1957 Ford Thunderbird

One could honestly say that Chevrolet was partly responsible for Ford’s Thunderbird. When the folks in Dearborn caught wind of the new Corvette, the production of the Thunderbird shortly followed. Developed quickly under designer Franklin Q. Hershey, the 1955 Thunderbird was a stylish two-seater that was far more closely related to the existing Ford line than the Corvette was to the Chevys previously available.

Both the Corvette and the Thunderbird used modified chassis, existing engines and seated only two. But that’s where the similarities ended. While the Corvette attempted to be a sports car in the European style, the Thunderbird was much more of a personal luxury car, with features such as roll-up windows, optional hardtop and it started out with a V-8.

Those fundamental differences allowed Thunderbird to achieve strong first year sales of 16,155. Unlike the Corvette, it offered a choice of either manual or automatic transmissions. The Thunderbird was sporty and the public loved it for what it was—a stylish two-seater with plenty of get up and go.

For 1956, the T-Bird was fundamentally unchanged. However, to increase trunk capacity, the spare tire was moved to the rear bumper as part of a standard “Continental kit.” The basic package of independent front suspension and live rear axle was unchanged, while the four-wheel drum brakes were also carried over. Some trim was changed, and the optional hardtop received a porthole to improve rear quarter visibility.

The big changes for 1957 were all about the back end of the Thunderbird. That spare tire was back in the trunk, and those rear quarter panels had sprouted fins that actually started at the door handles with a crisp crease. For its best year yet, sales of the T-Bird topped 21,000 units. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to save the two-seat Thunderbird, which was dropped in favor of a bigger car capable of seating four.

Standard power came from the Thunderbird 292 cid, overhead-valve V-8 producing 200 horsepower. The bigger Thunderbird Special 312 cid V-8 was available in versions ranging from 245 to 300 horsepower.

During 1979, this 1957 Thunderbird was acquired by current owner, director Francis Ford Coppola just after he finished filming Apocalypse Now in 1979. The following year, he sent the ’57 to T-Bird 1955-57 Inc. in Culver City, California for a complete restoration.

Nicely-optioned, this T-Bird is fitted with the desirable 312cid engine which pumps out 270 horsepower thanks to the big four-barrel carburetor. Another desirable box checked by the first owner was the one for the Ford-O-Matic transmission. Finished in turquoise with a white hardtop and white interior, this T-Bird was fitted with a new convertible top in 2000. Since the restoration, it has also received a complete exhaust system, new oil pump and rear engine seals.

An attractive car, this T-Bird rolls on wide whitewall tires and has an excellent history with a Hollywood personality renowned for his interest in automobiles.