The two-seater Thunderbird went out in 1957 with its head held high, thanks to refreshed styling and a host of new engine options. Most desirable of the new mills was the magical “F-Code” V-8.

An F-Bird, as they are lovingly known by enthusiasts, came with a Thunderbird Special 312-cubic inch V-8, to which was added a McCulloch/Paxton VR57 supercharger, a hot cam, a Holley four-barrel carburetor, and unique cylinder heads, to keep the compression ratio at a reasonably sound 8.5:1. Either a manual or automatic transmission was available. All of this was a $340 factory option package on top of the ’57 Thunderbird’s $2,944 base price, but to the lead-footed T-Bird owner, it was worth its weight in gold. The 300 horsepower of the F-Code engine turned the Thunderbird from a reasonably quick cruiser into a dedicated quarter-mile contender, which was just the thing for trouncing confident Corvette owners.

This exhilarating F-Bird was originally delivered to Kott and Smolar, Ltd. In Wilmington, California and has been restored by a prior owner to high standards. This previous owner also showed the car, and at an unspecified T-Bird event, the Thunderbird won a senior award. Though the present vendor has not shown the car in competition it has been expertly serviced and maintained, yet it has been driven very little. It is finished in Raven Black, with a red interior. The car has a removable hardtop roof with “porthole” and along with the factory supercharged engine it features the rare three-speed manual floor-shift transmission with overdrive. In addition, this F-Code has a tinted glass, heater and defroster, radio, factory painted steel wheels with center hubcaps, period-correct tires, period-correct battery and fender skirts. This F-Bird also comes with its original dealer invoice.

While 21,380 Thunderbirds were produced in 1957, only 208 of those were delivered with the F-Code engine package. The following year, the Thunderbird became a four-passenger “personal luxury car,” and the supercharged engine faded into memory after only one season. Today, the token number of F-Birds built is deeply desired by Thunderbird collectors who want only the very best.