1957 Ford Thunderbird Phase I D/F Flame Red Convertible Supercharged 312 V8 3 Sp

1 of 8 Phase-1 Thunderbird Factory Supercharged 312 V8 3-speed Award Winner ///
In late 1956 America was firing on all cylinders and, in many ways, those cylinders were getting ignited in Detroit. Chevrolet was busy perfecting its recently launched Corvette with Rochester mechanical fuel injection and had just announced that it was producing the first small block to feature one horsepower per cubic inch. Ford, not to be outdone by their crosstown rivals, decided to create a factory supercharger program that paired a select number of hand-built cars with innovative McCollough blowers. The idea was to produce enough units to meet NASCAR's homologation rules, and then head to Daytona to publicly whip Chevrolet. That's where this incredible Thunderbird comes into the picture. Purportedly the last of the 15 Phase 1 T-Birds created under McNamara's Executive Orders, and currently one of only eight still in existence, this exclusive classic features the perfect blend of performance, pedigree and provenance. In February of 1957, a Phase 1 roadster blistered Daytona Speed Weeks' Two-Way Flying Mile at 138.755 MPH - besting the previous year's record by a solid 6 MPH. And Ford would go on to sell roughly 212 regular production Thunderbirds, known as F-codes or F-Birds, that were specifically modeled around these racers. Hand-assembled on January 25th, 1957, this documented Thunderbird benefitted from a world class rotisserie restoration that made excellent use of many original components. Completed over 18 months in Melbourne, Australia, that ground-up rebuild was shepherded by Classic Thunderbird Club International authority Gil Baumgartner. The car's solid, jet-inspired profile wears rare Flame Red paint under black cloth and red fiberglass. And today, this concours Ford rolls as a first-class example of one of the rarest Thunderbirds ever created, having won multiple awards from Classic Thunderbird Club International. Call, click or visit