Official planning to build the Thunderbird started in February 1953 when Ford Division’s Product Planning committee approved preliminary work toward developing their version of a mid-1950s sports car. While the two-seat Thunderbird was born as Ford’s answer to the Corvette, the two cars were actually quite different. While Corvette was trying to be America’s sports car, Thunderbird instead chose to forge a new path with a “personal luxury car.” With more power and a more comfortable ride, the Thunderbird seemed to many to be more sophisticated. The car had been fast-tracked; management ordering a full-size clay model completed in eleven weeks. The car was nearly finished within the year, and its first public outing was a wooden mockup at the February 1954 Detroit Auto Show.

The third and final year for the classic two-seat Thunderbird, many believe 1957 to be the best. Styling was freshened with a bold grille/bumper, as well as modest blade tailfins astride a longer rear deck with the spare tire returning to the trunk. Overall, the Ford design team thought the 1957 version to be more highly styled and was in keeping with a family resemblance to that year’s all-new Ford passenger car line. Production would run longer than usual, due to delays with the all-new 1958 model being planned. This resulted in the 1957 version being the most numerous of this three-year era from 1955 to 1957 with 21,380 built.

Finished in a beautiful rose color with a white interior and convertible top, this 1957 Ford Thunderbird is a California car from Marina Del Rey. The body is deemed by its owner to be “flawless” with excellent chrome and a “like new” frame and floorpans. This Thunderbird is powered by the 312-cid, 245-hp V-8 engine that was known in-house as a D-Code unit; this is paired with an automatic transmission. This particular car has the detail of the engine dress-up kit. Other features are seen in the Kelsey-Hayed chromed wire wheels, new Coker whitewall radial tires, a “like new” soft-top, fender skirts, original factory gauges, radio, power steering and power brakes.