9/6/2023 0 Comments 55 57 t birds for sale![]() ![]() ![]() “Dad bought it new in 1957, and then in the 1980s he had it restored. He selected the no-porthole option for the top, which Leyhe has since learned was not a good economic decision. It’s a V8 with Ford-o-Matic transmission, but no power steering or brakes. His father bought it new for $4,485, or about $41,760 in today’s dollars from a Ford dealer in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Piedmont resident Ted Leyhe says his family has owned this issue’s beautiful black 1957 Ford Thunderbird twice. Performance packages were offered and a clever “Dial-o-Matic” four-way power seat that moved the seat backward when the ignition was turned off for easier exit and entry was an option. The spare tire was moved back into the trunk. The grille was larger, with the front bumper altered. This model had a longer deck and tasteful tail fins. For the 1957 model, there were some noticeable but minor styling changes, and it was the best sales year, selling 21,380 Thunderbirds. ![]() Sales were good, but not quite as good as in 1955. Not many changes were made for the 1956 model, except for more trunk space due to the use of a “Continental Kit” for the spare tire and a “port hole” side window in the fiberglass top. Ford planned on selling 10,000 Thunderbirds that first year, but the car was a hot seller and 16,155 customers visited their local Ford dealer for the car of their dreams. It was a metal car with a removable fiberglass top as standard and a fabric top as a popular option. It used Ford’s existing 292-cubic-inch V8 engine with either Ford-o-Matic automatic transmission or manual overdrive transmissions. Ford didn’t copy the European sports car design or style but instead built “a personal car of distinction.” The first public showing was at the Detroit Auto Show in February 1954 as a 1955 model that went on sale the following October. Naturally, Ford wasn’t going to let Chevrolet have this new market segment to themselves, so they came up with the Thunderbird two years later. Me & My Car: Replica ’34 Ford roadster a joy ride for its Bay Area owner ![]()
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