March 16, 2023 Update – While the high bid of $20,100 at the end of the auction did not meet the reserve price of $30,000, we successfully negotiated an after-auction deal for $27,500 between the high bidder and the private seller. Congratulations to both on what is a great Baby Bird at a market-correct price.

GuysWithRides.com is proud to offer Lot 186, a restored Raven Black 1955 Ford Thunderbird featuring two tops and tonneau, a Fordomatic transmission, and aftermarket, under-dash air conditioning.  The current caretaker requested that we offer their Baby Bird in a reserve-style online auction.

Bidding opened Wednesday, March 1, 2023, and continues for fourteen (14) consecutive days ending at 4:00 PM Eastern time Wednesday, March 15, 2023.

This 1955 Ford Thunderbird currently resides in Daytona Beach, Florida.

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The Deets

Sold After the auction ended to the high bidder MACADO for $27,500

In 1955 Ford called Chevrolet’s six-cylinder Corvette sports car and raised it with their new V8-powered luxury-themed Thunderbird. While similar in concept to Corvette’s two-seat, open-top concept, Ford marketers positioned the original “Baby Bird” as an upscale, luxury-focused model.  The original Ford Thunderbird gets credit for helping create the personal luxury car segment that dominated consumer’s tastes through the 1960s and 1970s.

Ford’s engineers and stylists found ways to develop the Thunderbird rapidly in less than one year and unveiled it to the public at the 1954 Detroit Auto Show. In addition to its two-seat design, Ford offered a detachable fiberglass hardtop standard and a folding fabric top as optional equipment.  While it shared some of the design language of Ford’s full-size cars of the period, Thunderbird featured a much sleeker profile, faux hood scoop, and a 150 mph speedometer not available on other Fords.  In the typical automotive practice of the time, the Thunderbird relied heavily on parts used on other Ford products of the time.  Even the Baby Bird’s frame was a shortened version in other Fords. Powering the original 1955 Thunderbird was the 292 cubic inch Y-block V8 sourced from Ford’s Mercury division.

This 1955 Ford Thunderbird currently available for auction here received a restoration Between 1989 and 1992.  The restoration included a repaint in black, recovering the black and white vinyl seats, replating the chrome trim, and replacing the black convertible top. This 1955 “Baby Bird” features a 292 cubic inch V8 and a rebuilt three-speed automatic transmission.  Additional equipment a body-color hardtop, chrome wire wheels, whitewall tires, air conditioning, a fire extinguisher, and an aftermarket Thunderbird stereo. This Thunderbird is now offered with manufacturer’s literature, service records, refurbishment invoices, and a clean Florida title in the seller’s name.

Chrome wire wheels wear simulated knockoffs and are mounted with whitewall tires. Stopping power is provided by four-wheel drum brakes, which the seller notes were serviced approximately two years ago.  The cabin features a reupholstered bench seat in black vinyl with white pleated inserts, an engine-turned dashboard, and door panel accents. Equipment includes an aftermarket, under-dash-installed air conditioning unit, an analog clock, and an aftermarket Thunderbird stereo. A fire extinguisher is mounted in the trunk.

The two-spoke steering wheel frames a 150-mph speedometer, a 5k-rpm tachometer, and gauges for fuel level and coolant temperature. The five-digit odometer shows just over 17k miles. Total mileage is unknown on this restored example.  The 292ci Y-block V8 features Thunderbird-branded valve covers and was factory rated at 193 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque. Service in April 2021 reportedly included servicing the carburetor replacing the fuel tank, and performing a service on the car’s four drum brakes.

The current caretaker was the winning bidder in this BaT auction in November 2021 when the car’s odometer read 16,954.  After fifteen months and just under seven hundred miles of ownership, the seller found that he is not using the car as much as he hoped and consequently has decided to list it for auction here on GuysWithRides.  The current caretaker notes that the aftermarket cassette stereo works intermittently during his ownership.  Additionally, the seller notes the spinners on all wheels are brand new, and the fender skirts have been adjusted to prevent rubbing when turning the car.

In the spirit of full transparency, in addition to the video above, taken at the end of February 2023, here are the links for three walk-around videos from November 2021 that convinced the seller to bid on his 1955 Ford Thunderbird:

To help you make informed bids, we’re providing access to Classic.com, the analytics and search engine for the Classic Car market, that provides an interactive graph of recent comparable sales year-to-date. By clicking on the green dots, you can navigate to each comparable car sold as a way to help you make an educated bid on the car we are featuring for auction here:

Exterior Gallery

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Interior Gallery

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Underhood And Undercarriage Gallery

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Tires And Wheels Gallery

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Windows & Mirror Gallery

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If you have any questions about this Raven Black 1955 Ford Thunderbird, please comment below or call Rudy directly at 877-468-6497.  Thank you for looking, and happy bidding!