1955 Ford Thunderbird – London Classic Car Show

When we walked around the London Classic Car Show at lot of cars grabbed our attention, but the one which caught my eye the most from a value for money, and I was tempted to buy was a beautiful 1955 Ford Thunderbird finished in an iconic and obviously eye-catching red. The car looked new, it was mint.

The Thunderbird was released in 1955, being Ford’s answer to the Chevrolet Corvette, launched to appeal to the growing market of rich young Americans who wanted a sleek sporting car. Largely inspired by the vehicles of the 1930s the Thunderbird was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in February 1954. The T-Bird marked the first step toward the evolution of the personal luxury car as a mass market segment in the United States.

When admiring the beautiful 1955 T-Bird at the LCCS I began calculating the numbers in my head trying to establish if I worked 100 hours a week, sold a kidney and looked under the sofa for spare coins I may just be able to buy this car. The seller wanted £50,000, which yes is a lot of money, but compared to the £1.65 million Joe Macari wanted for a Ferrari Enzo or £5 million Aston Martin wanted for the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato Continuation, the T-Bird was excellent value.

Alas after careful consideration and factoring in I have a deposit in on an AC Cobra, and fearing the wrath of my wife if I bought two cars, I decided better to dream than to purchase.

I wonder if the car sold? I’m sure it must have. The car stood out to me because of a variety of reasons:

1. You don’t see American cars on UK roads much, or at car shows.
2. The car was stunning. It looked new.
3. Mileage was ridiculously low for a 65 years old. Mileage read 4,016.

The car was displayed at the London Classic Car Show by The Classic Car Company on behalf of their client. This 1955 first generation Ford Thunderbird was fitted with every factory option available. It has had a recent nut and bolt restoration to a very high standard, and therefore presents and drives in great condition. It is our understanding that there are only 23 first generation models in the UK, and many of these are off the road.

So not only is this car shockingly low on miles, in immaculate condition considering its 65 years old (better condition than I’ll look at 65!), this car is also very rare. All of this added together you’d expect the car to be worth double than what its going for! This car can be yours for only £50k! Whoever buy’s this car is going to be very lucky and extremely envied by a lot of people, especially me. Another time, another result from my perspective. What a car.

What do you think of this car? Would this be in your top 10 cars of all time?