As with so many great cars, the original two-seater Thunderbird reached its apex in its 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 a safety-oriented “Lifeguard Design,” 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, which is a feat that few automobiles can claim.

Originally delivered by King Motor Company, of Huntington Park, California, the “Little Bird” offered here was built with the 245-horsepower “D-Code” Thunderbird Special V-8, and it is also equipped with the engine dress-up kit, a two-speed Ford-O-Matic transmission, power windows, a power seat, power steering and brakes, a signal-seeking radio, a heater/defroster, rear fender shields, and a “porthole delete” hardtop with no soft top underneath. It benefits from some of the best provenance any post-war Ford can claim.

This was one of many wonderful cars owned by the late Benny Bootle, who built a well-deserved reputation as “Mr. Ford” during decades as an AACA judge, and he eventually became the president of AACA in 1995. Today, the AACA bestows the Benny T. Bootle Memorial Award to an outstanding V-8 Ford automobile that has completed an AACA National Tour. Mr. Bootle was exceptionally knowledgeable of Blue Oval products, and his personal collection reflected that, with numerous examples restored with exacting attention to authenticity. The awards that they won, particularly in AACA national competition, reflect those high standards.

While the restoration of this car was completed in the early 1980s, and it won its AACA Senior First in 1984 and its Grand National First in 1986. This restoration was done to such high standards that the car is still show-worthy today, as it requires only touch-ups to a couple minor chips on the leading edge of the hood. The body panels are flawlessly smooth, with glass-like Coral Sand paint and perfect panel fit, and the chrome is still of concours quality. The interior is as-new, with even the trunk fully restored with correct matting and a proper spare and jack. The engine bay and undercarriage appear very clean and are well-detailed with the proper hoses, clamps, and wiring everywhere that one would wish to see them.

The car is well maintained and has covered only 50 miles since its Bootle restoration. It is accompanied by its original build sheet, confirming all of its options as original equipment, as well as Classic Thunderbird Club International concours judging sheets, which consistently reflect perfect or near-perfect scores and attest to the authenticity of all components.

It is still ready to enter into AACA competition today, which is a testament to one man’s very high standards of quality, and to Mr. Jim Miller’s ability to recognize that quality when he saw it.