Ostensibly Ford’s answer to the Chevrolet Corvette, the two-seat Thunderbird was actually in the works before the ’Vette hit the show circuit. As the story goes, Ford vice president Lewis Crusoe and chief stylist George Walker were walking down a street in Paris in 1951 when Crusoe pointed to a sports car at the curb. “Why can’t we have something like that?” Crusoe asked Walker. Walker got on the phone to Dearborn and set designer Frank Hershey to work on a two-seat car built around Ford mechanicals. A clay model was completed by May 1953, and Crusoe gave the go-ahead for production in September. The first cars were completed in September 1954.

Previously in the Wayne Davis collection, this tidy two-seat Thunderbird was restored in the 1990s by Texas Thunderbird expert Amos Minter. It was acquired by the Pond Collection in 1999. Painted in the original color Skyhaze Green, it has excellent contours and exceptional paint. The interior is beige vinyl, with matching padded dashboard and tan carpets. The convertible top is black canvas. Equipment includes Fordomatic transmission, power windows, power steering, power brakes, windshield washers and heater. A modern stereo with a Thunderbird faceplate has been fitted in the original dashboard location. The car rides on chrome wire wheels. The odometer shows barely 800 miles, understood to be the mileage since restoration.

The engine compartment is nicely detailed, the 292-cid Thunderbird V-8 painted red with aluminum Thunderbird valve covers. Underneath the car is exceptionally clean. Amos Minter is known for his authentic and high-quality restorations. This car is a superb example.