"Few American motor cars are as iconic as the Ford Thunderbird. Its release in 1955 was in direct response to another American icon, the Chevrolet Corvette. Like the Corvette, the Thunderbird was a two-seater coupé also available as a convertible. Although the new T-Bird was in competition with the Corvette, it was billed as a ‘personal luxury’ car. Ford placed greater emphasis on the car’s comfort and convenience features rather than its inherent sportiness, and it succeeded. With the release of the second generation Thunderbird in 1957, the two seat layout was replaced in favour of including a second row of seats.
Although there is no history for this car prior to 1996 it has certainly made up for that since. Mr. Messier of California purchased the car in 1996 and spent the next five years and $17,500 on a restoration. Due to ill health the project stalled in 2001 until 2006 when the car was sold to a neighbour who continued the good work. The works included replacing all the chrome work, a new windscreen, new light fittings and in February 2008 a new engine. The car changed hands a few times and finally moved to the U.K in 2015, when it was purchased by a film hire company. The current vendor has all the invoices for works carried out between 1996 and the present day, these total nearly $27,500. There is also photographic evidence of the original 1996 purchase and the works completed. This stunning car has a great story to tell and is presented with a V5C registration document and an MoT certificate valid until October 2018."