No. one 1955 T-Bird on BJ

[Leroy]

This evening I've been watching the Barrett-Jackson Auction in Scotsdale,AZ. on the Spped Channel and they showed the No. 1 T-Bird that they said will be put on the block Saturday, lot#1295. They showed the car tonight with a Black hard top on it. The top isn't shown in the other pictures or the discription. I think it will go for $500K. Leroy

[islandtime]

Re: No. one 1955 T-Bird on BJ

It's gorgeous. Lot #1295 - here's the list that will take you to the photos and specs:http://www.barrett-jackson.com/appli...y#ListVehicles

[ScottyNeutron]

Re: No. one 1955 T-Bird on BJ

Here's a picture I took of George Watts and his Thunderbird at the 1987 CTCI Regional Meet in Newport Beach, CA. Or maybe it was 1986. Long time ago, regardless.......
Interesting that the CA license plate, 001 BRD was not a personalized plate, as CA did not have personalized plates when this plate was issued. It was a normally sequenced plate that Mr. Watts requested, once the DMV got around to stamping out that plate. Or at least that's how the story goes......

[5bird7]

Re: No. one 1955 T-Bird on BJ

Scotty! I was there! at that show and yes, it was in 1987. Our 57 was "'69 LeMans" blue at the time.

[ScottyNeutron]

Re: No. one 1955 T-Bird on BJ

Well Dot, how about that? I was young and aspiring to be a Little Bird owner at the time. I drove down from Los Angeles to the Newporter Resort with my girlfriend that day with my Nikon in tow. I had never seen so many nice T-Birds in one spot!

[5bird7]

Re: No. one 1955 T-Bird on BJ

Scott, I went looking for the photo album my pictures were in but alas, it still must be packed away - couldn't find it. Drove down (WA state) with our 16 year old son and George flew down. We all came back in the 57...

[FEsTbird]

Re: No. one 1955 T-Bird on BJ

This car was the show star of the 2005 "Fabulous Fords Forever" show that several of us went to in Buena Park. It truly is a beautiful car; clearly lovingly restored.

The show honored 50 years of Thunderbirds. There was a story about the car and its restoration in the September 12, 2005 LA Times. By the time of the show George Watts, who found and restored the car, had died and ownership had passed to his daughter. At that time the car was insured for $500K. It is also featured in the "Thunderbird Fifty Years" book by Tast and Newhardt. One of the photos of the brochure is from that book, page 14.

[Carmino]

Re: No. one 1955 T-Bird on BJ

LotNumber 1295
Hammer Price Not Sold, As of 1-15-09
Year 1955
CarMake FORD
CarModel THUNDERBIRD
CarStyle CONVERTIBLE "PRODUCTION #1"
ExteriorColor RAVEN BLACK
Interiorcolor BLACK/WHITE
Cylinders 8
Engine 292
Transmission AUTOMATIC
Summary Verified by Ford as the first production Ford Thunderbird. The rarest of all "Birds". Meticulously restored to original specifications and is equipped with the 292 "Y" block, Fordomatic transmission, power steering, windows and seats.
Description The rarest of all "Birds". If your one of the millions of avid Thunderbird owners, restorers or fans, you may have wondered about the very first Thunderbird ever produced. What became of it? Where is it now? How did it look originally? Ford Motor Company and Barrett Jackson are pleased to bring you up to date on the rarest and most valuable T-Bird built by Ford Motor Company. As you can see, the black beauty is very much alive. It was produced at the Michigan factory on September 9, 1954. This car came equipped with the 292 "Y" block. Fordomatic transmission, power steering, windows and seats. The wheelbase is 102". The BMP rating is 198 and the weight of the vehicle is 3250 lbs. One of the first performance road test of the newly-created Thunderbird car was by a national magazine was tested on this same car. "Sports Illustrated" did an article October 4, 1954 entitled "Testing the Thunderbird", and the first T-Bird was used as the test vehicle. Ford verified the status of this car in 1966, designated as the most valuable T-Bird in existence. This car has captured the attention of writers, collectors and car buffs throughout the United States and globally. This car has been featured in magazines, books, promotions, internet blogs, television shows and more. It has also made many special appearances at various museums, car shows and special events like the 1984 Olympics. The Ford Motor Company has and continues to commission the car, usually in its private trailer to various events such as their national conferences and car shows including Ford headquarters in Dearborn, MI. It has been pictured with generations of Ford executives and celebrities such as Carroll Shelby, Barbara Streisand and Jay Leno to name a few. The history of the Thunderbird dates back to the early 1950's when a few individuals at the top of Ford's organizational chart conceived the idea of a sports car. Designer Frank Hershey fathered the idea of the sports car program that became the Thunderbird. The real history of this car dates back to 1965 when a well admired gentleman and car buff by the name George Watts came across what he called "A needle in a haystack". After Ford officially verified the status of his car as the first production Thunderbird, he meticulously restored the "original" to original. After documenting every step with photos, it appeared three years later - as if it just rolled off the assembly line. The rest is history.

Go take a Look http://www.barrett-jackson.com/appli...LotNumber=1295