As with so many great cars, the original two-seater Thunderbird reached its apex in the final year of production, 1957. A mild facelift up front and stylish rear fins with sharp, creased edges added greatly to the car’s appearance, as did a new instrument panel with safety-oriented “Lifeguard Design,” including a padded dashboard and a dished steering wheel. Six engine options were offered, along with a host of power refinements and wide whitewall tires. An added leaf to the rear springs, 14-inch wheels, and larger front brakes were among numerous engineering changes.

Buyers responded by continuing to make the Thunderbird fly out of showrooms, with some 21,000 examples sold in 1957, and reportedly, continued requests for many more could not be answered by the factory. Today, the 1957 Thunderbird is seen as the most desirable of the first generation of T-Birds, and it has been considered a collectible for nearly its entire life—a feat few automobiles can claim.

Of those six engines offered this particular example is fitted with the highly desirable 312 cubic inch 245 horsepower V-8 engine. That potent unit is mated to the Ford C4 three-speed automatic transmission. It is fitted with both a hardtop, with the highly distinguishable porthole windows, as well as a soft-top that is in excellent condition. This car was the recipient of a full restoration that has held up very well and it nearly shows like new.