Classic Cars and Trucks / Photos Specs Model History, Production Numbers

1955 to 1957 Ford Thunderbirds

The very popular Ford Thunderbird came about as an answer to the Chevrolet Corvette. The first Ford Thunderbird rolled off the Dearborn Michigan assembly line on September 9, 1954. The two seat Thunderbirds are very popular collector’s cars. The start of design work for the Thunderbird came right after Chevrolet introduced it’s Corvette at the 1953 Metrorama. It’s a well known fact that auto designers during the early 1950’s at Ford were well aware of the potential of a two seat sports car and when the assignment was handed to them they were quite ready. Everyone knew of the popularity of the British MG.

The 1955 to 1957 Thunderbirds were two seat vehicles just like the Corvette. The styling added a few more creature comforts than the Corvette. Interestingly enough, when the first Thunderbird rolled off the line for the 1954 model year, Ford Motor Company already had plans for a four seat version for the 1958 model year. This fact alone virtually guaranteed that the two seaters would become a collectors model. Relatively low total production figures of sporty cars eventually make that automobile valuable.

SantaFeCars 030 — Ford Thunderbird Two-Seater

Production Figures and Specs

Production figures for the two seat Ford Thunderbird were 16,155 cars in 1955, 15,631 in 1956 and 21,380 in 1957. Ford Thunderbird 1955-57 specs included a length of 173.3 inches for the 1955 model…185.2 inches for 1956 and 185.2 inches for the 1957 model year. The wheelbase was 102.0 inches for all three years and the weight for the three years the two seat Thunderbirds were built ranged between 2,980 to 3,145 lbs. Available engines were the 292 Overhead Valve V-8 for all three years and a 312 Overhead Valve V-8 for the 1956 and 1957 models.

You’ll also enjoy our article and photos on the 1955 Gull Wing Mercedes, a very unique and quite different high performance sports car. Also our article on the compact muscle car, the 1964 Ford Falcon Futura Convertible

SantaFeCars 029 — Two seat Ford Thunderbird front end with sporty hood air scoop

Thunderbird vs Corvette

Since the Ford Thunderbird and the Chevrolet Corvette were in direct competition with each other, the question that arises is what were their primary differences? The body material was different since the Corvette body was made of fiberglass. The Ford Thunderbird was made with stamped steel.

The Corvette was also modeled in many ways toward the European idea of a racing car. The Ford Thunderbird on the other hand presented a “California flavor” in auto design. The Thunderbird was really built more like a mid 1950’s convertible than a true sports car. Ford’s Thunderbird was in the “personal luxury” class. While the Corvette had such true sports car features of the time such as no exterior door handles, the Thunderbird had these as well as roll up windows and a fold down convertible top. Such cars had a sportier feel that sedans, but they were not all-out sports cars. Some contend that the design of the 1955 Thunderbird ushered in an era of a totally different class of car. It was a luxury personal car that a “banker could drive to work”. It wasn’t a luxury sedan but a luxury two seater.

Car handling went to the Corvette. The Thunderbird handled quite well but with about 800 lbs more weight that the Corvette, the Chevy product won the prize. The Ford Thunderbird delivered every bit the power of the Chevy Corvette. It’s V-8 outperformed the 1955 Corvette 6 cylinder engines and pretty much matched the power of the Corvette V-8. Corvette changed to V-8’s in 1956.

SantaFeCars 031 — The famous Ford Thunderbird logo on front of car

The Four Seaters

When the four seat Thunderbirds came out in 1958 they were very popular. Although they really didn’t offer the artistic design element of the two seats, their sales figures were very impressive.

As an example, during the first 1958 model year, sales figures totaled about 50,000, several times the sales figures of the two seaters. I would assume the four seat design simply added more potential buyers who either wanted of needed a four seat vehicle but weren’t big on standard luxury sedans. Since the 1958’s delivered that along with the Thunderbird sports flare, many more buyers were hitting the dealer showroom floors.

While the two seaters didn’t match the sales figures of the four seat Thunderbirds, the first Thunderbird model year of 1955 certainly did well against it’s perceived competitor Corvette. The 1955 two seat Thunderbirds, priced about $500 less than the Corvette, outsold the 1955 Corvettes at a ratio of about four to one. The year 1955 was not a good one for the Chevrolet Corvette although things improved a lot during the 1956 model year with it’s V-8 power and some restyling.

(Article and photos copyright AutoMuseumOnline)

1946 Ford / Woody Wagon

Who doesn’t like running across a magnificent old woody automobile? Especially one of those 1946 Ford Woodies. You may remember the tales of the woody and the surfers along the California beaches. Songs have been written about woody cars.

There was a time when a “woody” was actually made from wood. The more modern woodies used wood grain vinyl which, although look good, aren’t the real thing.

There were reasons for the conversion to simulated wood grain steel and they included cost and durability. Interestingly enough, when the Woodies were first built, the cost of wood was less than that of steel. At that time it was not only a stylish touch but cost saving as well. Most of the woodie cars seen are wagon type vehicles but some are also convertibles. The style became quite popular and local craftsmen and carpenters even offered to restyle cars using wood.

The car we are highlighting in this story is a 1946 Ford Woody Wagon and the wood is genuine. This car has had disc brakes, power steering and air conditioning added. As most know, the American automakers were banned from building and selling civilian cars during World War Two, in favor of military vehicles, and when the the war ended they dove back into civilian vehicle production in a strong way.

The “Woodies” and the great way they looked helped bring buyers back into automobile dealer showrooms after the war. Several car makers were building woodies. Chevrolet Woodies were a good example as well. It had been a long time since someone could purchase a newly designed car. The 1946 Ford Woody was a great answer to the pent up buyer demand in 1946. The design concept, comfort and safety features of the vehicle are fantastic.

The National Woodie Club, and there are “woody car clubs” all around the United States says that the “woodie is a special kind of car, which deserves special recognition“. This is the stated goal of the club and we couldn’t agree more. The National Woodie Club has chapters throughout the U.S.

ford woody paneling — Genuine wood paneling

Woodies were first offered in the U.S. during the 1930’s. The original idea of using wood on car bodies came to be in the early 1930’s. Plymouth came out with a woody station wagon in 1934. I believe this was the first woody car built.

Automobiles had been “restyled‘ in ways for many years and dating back to the 1920’s and 1930’s, cars would often, at least among owners who could afford to do it, be restyled. Curtains could be added and other interior and exterior decorative touches. Beginning in the mid 1930’s, the automakers took this step forward with their woody cars.

You may also be interested in our article and photos of Old Ford Trucks of the 1930’s and the 1948 Ford Super Deluxe Eight Convertible

Production of woody cars started to decline dramatically in the 1950’s but not entirely. Plymouth and Buick halted all woody production but both Ford and Mercury continued on. One of the things that people started to realize was that wood could catch fire, not to mention potential termite problems. Mostly for safety reasons, the woody cars that Ford continued to build after the competition stopped, used imitation wood grain. The wood look didn’t die out entirely after Ford stopped building the models. The Dodge Caravan series offered wood grain steel well into the 1990’s.

ford woody colors — 1946 Ford Woodie in original colors

The 1946 Ford Woody Wagon shown here is an exceptional vintage automobile. This car at one time was used in the Philippines at the U.S. embassy after World War II. The vehicle was new when it was shipped to the Philippines. The car was used by both General Eisenhower and General MacArthur after the war. The wood on this particular automobile was restored by local craftsmen. The car reportedly drives like new. The restored car features a 350 TPI engine. The TPI stands for “Tuned Port Injection“. Injectors are placed in each individual cylinder’s intake port giving the engine much better response and economy. Essentially, the torque is enhanced by a system of tuned runners.

The hot collector “woodies” today are the original vehicles like the one shown here built in the mid 1940’s and excellently restored. It’s not very often you see a vintage car like this 46 Ford Woody in this degree of excellent restoration.

Gullwing Mercedes

The Mercedes-Benz 300-SL series came out in 1954 and was sold as a two seat sports car. The car was most noted for it’s gullwing doors. The Gullwing Mercedes were quite unique in the 1950’s. Gullwing doors have the hinges on the roof and when the doors open they resemble a sea gulls wings. The 300 SL also was the very first fuel injected car sold to regular consumers outside of the racing world.

CalGorgeVancouverOregCity 393 — 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL

The car shown in this article is a 1955 300-SL Gullwing Coupe. The selling point for the powerful auto was “A race car for the streets“. In many ways it certainly was. The fuel injected 3.0 litre straight six cylinder engine was advertised as being capable of reaching 161 MPH. The car came straight from a racing heritage. The 300-SL was originally designed as a race car and at first there was really no idea of making it a production vehicle. In 1952, the car won many awards at the Bern Grand Prix and the 24 hours Le Mans and finished first at the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico. With these successes and after determining there was a market for series production the board of Daimler-Benz approved production. As it turned out, the 300-SL Gullwing Mercedes were built from 1954 to 1957.

CalGorgeVancouverOregCity 394 — 1955 Mercedes Gullwing interior

The gullwing doors of the 1955 Mercedes 350 SL might remind some of the DeLorean DMC-12 that was built in 1980. Prior to forming an auto company, John DeLorean had been an executive with General Motors. The DeLorean car was the vehicle used in the movie “Back Into the Future“. The car had a fiberglass underbody and stainless steel panels. Gullwing doors were also designed into the Bricklin SV-1 built in the 1970’s.

The 300SL Mercedes Gullwing was built directly off of the 300SL Racer. The car features an aluminum alloy body with stiffer and shorter springs that lowered the car and provided peak performance. Many refer to this car as the Sean Connery “James Bond” car although I haven’t found an old James Bond movie where the actor actually drove the vehicle. Some however point to the movie “Goldfinger“. Nevertheless, the car with it’s gullwing doors certainly seems to fit the early Bond movies. Designed around a tubular frame and covered with steel and aluminum plus it’s fuel-injected four stroke straight-6 engine providing 215 HP, it’s thought to be the greatest Mercedes ever built and the greatest sports car of the 1950s.

CalGorgeVancouverOregCity 395 — Mercedes-Benz 350 SL Gullwing

Specifications for the 1954 to 1957 Gullwing 300 SL’s include a length of 178 inches, a width of 70.5 inches, a height of 51.2 inches and a dry weight of 2,900 lbs. Front suspension was a double wishbone with coil springs and a stabilizing bar. The rear suspension included a high pivot swing axle, coil springs and radius arms. Mileage for the 300 SL Gullwing was calculated to be 16.6 MPG.

In contrast to many other automakers, Mercedes-Benz vehicles retained the same body shape for a longer periods. During this time however, Mercedes made continuous minor technical improvements.

You’ll also be interested in our articles and photos of two other rare vehicles. See the Lotus Elise and the Tucker Automobile of which under 60 were ever produced.

The Mercedes Benz Roadster 350 SL replaced the Gullwing in 1957. At the same time, Mercedes-Benz was also selling the smaller 190 SL and had been since 1955. The 190 SL prototype had first been displayed in 1954 at the New York Auto Show and the production model came out about a year later. Total Mercedes-Benz production for the year 1955 total 63,683 units. The 300 SL’s while being assembled in production series also had a lot of handwork performed on them before they were ready to go out. Prices initially for the 300 SL were about $7,500 and for the 190 SL about $4,000. As of this writing, the 300 SL’s that were originally purchased at around $7,500 are now getting at auction prices between $400,000 and $600,000. The 300 SL Gullwing Mercedes are obviously highly collectable cars if you’re fortunate enough to obtain one.

(Photos are from author’s private collection)