1957 Ford F-Code Supercharged Thunderbird Convertible Chassis no. F7FH363673
1957 Ford F-Code Supercharged Thunderbird Convertible
Chassis no. F7FH363673
312ci OHV Supercharged V8 Engine
Single 4-Barrel Downdraft Carburetor
300bhp at 4,800rpm
2-Speed Ford-O-Matic Automatic Transmission
Independent Ball Joint with Coil Springs front and Parallel Leaf Rear Suspension
4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes
* One of only 212, 56 of which were Raven Black, F-Code Thunderbirds
* Frame-off restoration performed by marque experts Amos and Justin Minter
* Previously owned by racing legend Jack Roush
* Only 1,000 miles covered since completion
THE CAR OFFERED
The rare combination of refined design and exceptional supercharged performance in this 1957 Thunderbird F-Bird is reason enough to warrant its inclusion in Bernard Fornas's curated and select collection. Its impeccable and correct restoration by Amos and Justin Minter in Dallas, Texas is icing on a delectable cake.
Ford's introduction in 1956 of the Lincoln Continental Mark II set a new standard in American car design. Instead of chrome spears, bulky bumpers and convoluted panels the Continental was refined with unadorned sides, subtle chrome and pleasing long hood proportions that opened the eyes of American car buyers to a new paradigm.
The process, under George Walker's leadership of the Ford Design Department, instigated new designs for the 1957 Fords, and none benefited more from the new language than the 1957 Thunderbird. It is the most shapely and gratifying of all the 2-seat Thunderbirds with design details that please upon even detail consideration. It also is the most powerful of all the 2-seat Thunderbirds with the Thunderbird Special Supercharged V-8.
While supercharging had a long history in purpose-built racing cars, and in the 1930's marques like Cord, Auburn, Duesenberg and Graham had with some success offered supercharged models – supercharging was relatively unknown in production cars. The first postwar cataloged supercharged production cars were, in fact, the 212 1957 Ford F-Birds (so-called because its chassis number included the code "F" as the third character in the sequence – the dual 4-barrel naturally aspirated Thunderbird was designated by an "E").
The F-Bird made an advertised (and probably understated) 300hp with some versions offered in so-called NASCAR tune claiming 340hp. Meeting production requirements for NASCAR eligibility may have been among Ford's motivations for the F-Bird, aside from claiming a 17bhp superiority to Chevrolet's 1957 fuel injected 283 cubic inch 283bhp V-8. NASCAR quickly ended that conceit for both marques by banning both supercharging and fuel injection and making 1957's F-Bird's engine a one-hit wonder,. But what a wonder it is.
While most supercharged engines pull the air/fuel mixture through the carburetor and into the supercharger Ford opted for pushing the supercharged air through a Holley 4-barrel carburetor. That arrangement usually causes the carburetor to leak pressure, a shortcoming that Ford chose to meet by enclosing the entire carburetor in a cast aluminum housing, pressurizing the entire intake system and equalizing pressure. The supercharger itself was a McCulloch/Paxton VR57 centrifugal blower similar to those used on Offenhauser/Meyer/Drake Indy cars and the prewar Auburns, Cords, Duesenbergs and Grahams, not the lobe-type positive displacement superchargers used on modern supercharged American cars. The effective boost was 5-7 pounds per square inch, a little less than half of atmospheric pressure which yielded a horsepower increase of about 22% over the D-Code single 4-barrel 312 V-8.
Most F-Birds were specified with Ford's superior Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission although a 3-speed manual with automatic overdrive that engaged on the driver's actuation at speeds over 27mph and automatically disengaged at speeds under 21mph was available. The chassis, suspension and brakes were essentially the same as prior T-Birds but Ford's decision to move all its 1957 models to 14" wheels with wider 7.50 profile tires lowered the T-Bird even further, accentuating its slim profile and, not so incidentally, improving its handling. The mostly new 1957 Thunderbird body is where the real difference becomes apparent and where Bernard Fornas, a design- and detail-oriented collector, recognized the distinction.
Following the lead established by the 1956 Continental Mark II designed by Herbert Tod, Bill Schmidt and Rulo Conrad and despite being based on the same mechanical specifications as the 1955 and '56 Thunderbirds with a 102 inch wheelbase the '57 was a different animal. Refined from the earlier T-Birds by Rhys Miller under the influence of Ford Design chief George Walker it was lower, longer and now, because of a 6.1 inch longer rear deck, with a large enough trunk to be useful, it saw the end of the one-year only Continental rear-mounted spare wheel of 1956.
The grille and front bumper were cleaned up along with other '57 Fords. Parking lights moved to the bumper ends and the bullet-shaped grille guards disappeared leaving a pure, clean eggcrate grille marred only by a front license plate when required. Thunderbird never got the distended and widened front fender headlight openings of full-size Fords in 1957 predicting the quad headlights that appeared in 1958 Fords, retaining a pleasing and consistent peaked shape that complemented the round headlights.
The rear fenders along with being lengthened to match the extended rear deck and larger trunk adopted Ford's 1957 signature "high-canted" finely shaped, even delicate, fins with reflectors moved to the large, round signature taillight cluster. The exhaust pipe tips were enclosed in oval rear bumper ends to clean up the bumper below the taillights and fins and echoed the front bumper design. Coming, going or viewed from the side the 1957 Thunderbird was a refined, understated and sophisticated example of Ford's new design language.
As if the rarity, beauty and performance of the '57 Ford F-Bird wasn't enough, it is the superb restoration this example has received from the two-seat Thunderbird experts, Amos and Justin Minter in Dallas, Texas, that commends it to the themed and curated collection of Bernard Fornas.
Another element that defines a great collector car is its ownership history, its provenance, and this F-Bird was originally bought from the Minters by Jack Roush, the proprietor of Roush Performance and impresario of many Ford racing wins and championships. It had been traded by Roush back to the Minters before being refreshed and acquired by Bernard Fornas.
The Minters have made '55-'57 Thunderbirds their two generations life's work. It is all they do and they know every detail of their subject. A quick look at the photographs of this F-Bird shows the attention to detail, quality of finish and panel and chrome fit and alignment. Bernard Fornas acquired this F-Bird directly from Minter's and it has covered minimal miles since its acquisition leaving it still in highly detailed and pristine condition.
In addition to its 300hp supercharged Thunderbird Special V-8 engine it has the Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission, power steering and power brakes. It is finished in Raven Black with a bright red interior. The exterior is beautifully accented by chrome wire wheels with tri-lobe spinner center caps mounting wide whitewall Firestone Deluxe Champion tires. It comes with both the charismatic Thunderbird porthole hardtop and a black canvas soft top that appears never to have been erected. A Town and Country signal-seeking radio livens up the dashboard and there is a heater for chilly mornings.
The engine compartment is complete, accurately finished and beautifully maintained.
It is without doubt a high point of the '55-'57 Thunderbird legacy, as expected from the collection of Bernard Fornas, and exceptionally promising to its next owner.
Sale price
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
1957 Ford F-Code Supercharged Thunderbird Convertible
Chassis no. F7FH363673
312ci OHV Supercharged V8 Engine
Single 4-Barrel Downdraft Carburetor
300bhp at 4,800rpm
2-Speed Ford-O-Matic Automatic Transmission
Independent Ball Joint with Coil Springs front and Parallel Leaf Rear Suspension
4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes
* One of only 212, 56 of which were Raven Black, F-Code Thunderbirds
* Frame-off restoration performed by marque experts Amos and Justin Minter
* Previously owned by racing legend Jack Roush
* Only 1,000 miles covered since completion
THE CAR OFFERED
The rare combination of refined design and exceptional supercharged performance in this 1957 Thunderbird F-Bird is reason enough to warrant its inclusion in Bernard Fornas's curated and select collection. Its impeccable and correct restoration by Amos and Justin Minter in Dallas, Texas is icing on a delectable cake.
Ford's introduction in 1956 of the Lincoln Continental Mark II set a new standard in American car design. Instead of chrome spears, bulky bumpers and convoluted panels the Continental was refined with unadorned sides, subtle chrome and pleasing long hood proportions that opened the eyes of American car buyers to a new paradigm.
The process, under George Walker's leadership of the Ford Design Department, instigated new designs for the 1957 Fords, and none benefited more from the new language than the 1957 Thunderbird. It is the most shapely and gratifying of all the 2-seat Thunderbirds with design details that please upon even detail consideration. It also is the most powerful of all the 2-seat Thunderbirds with the Thunderbird Special Supercharged V-8.
While supercharging had a long history in purpose-built racing cars, and in the 1930's marques like Cord, Auburn, Duesenberg and Graham had with some success offered supercharged models – supercharging was relatively unknown in production cars. The first postwar cataloged supercharged production cars were, in fact, the 212 1957 Ford F-Birds (so-called because its chassis number included the code "F" as the third character in the sequence – the dual 4-barrel naturally aspirated Thunderbird was designated by an "E").
The F-Bird made an advertised (and probably understated) 300hp with some versions offered in so-called NASCAR tune claiming 340hp. Meeting production requirements for NASCAR eligibility may have been among Ford's motivations for the F-Bird, aside from claiming a 17bhp superiority to Chevrolet's 1957 fuel injected 283 cubic inch 283bhp V-8. NASCAR quickly ended that conceit for both marques by banning both supercharging and fuel injection and making 1957's F-Bird's engine a one-hit wonder,. But what a wonder it is.
While most supercharged engines pull the air/fuel mixture through the carburetor and into the supercharger Ford opted for pushing the supercharged air through a Holley 4-barrel carburetor. That arrangement usually causes the carburetor to leak pressure, a shortcoming that Ford chose to meet by enclosing the entire carburetor in a cast aluminum housing, pressurizing the entire intake system and equalizing pressure. The supercharger itself was a McCulloch/Paxton VR57 centrifugal blower similar to those used on Offenhauser/Meyer/Drake Indy cars and the prewar Auburns, Cords, Duesenbergs and Grahams, not the lobe-type positive displacement superchargers used on modern supercharged American cars. The effective boost was 5-7 pounds per square inch, a little less than half of atmospheric pressure which yielded a horsepower increase of about 22% over the D-Code single 4-barrel 312 V-8.
Most F-Birds were specified with Ford's superior Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission although a 3-speed manual with automatic overdrive that engaged on the driver's actuation at speeds over 27mph and automatically disengaged at speeds under 21mph was available. The chassis, suspension and brakes were essentially the same as prior T-Birds but Ford's decision to move all its 1957 models to 14" wheels with wider 7.50 profile tires lowered the T-Bird even further, accentuating its slim profile and, not so incidentally, improving its handling. The mostly new 1957 Thunderbird body is where the real difference becomes apparent and where Bernard Fornas, a design- and detail-oriented collector, recognized the distinction.
Following the lead established by the 1956 Continental Mark II designed by Herbert Tod, Bill Schmidt and Rulo Conrad and despite being based on the same mechanical specifications as the 1955 and '56 Thunderbirds with a 102 inch wheelbase the '57 was a different animal. Refined from the earlier T-Birds by Rhys Miller under the influence of Ford Design chief George Walker it was lower, longer and now, because of a 6.1 inch longer rear deck, with a large enough trunk to be useful, it saw the end of the one-year only Continental rear-mounted spare wheel of 1956.
The grille and front bumper were cleaned up along with other '57 Fords. Parking lights moved to the bumper ends and the bullet-shaped grille guards disappeared leaving a pure, clean eggcrate grille marred only by a front license plate when required. Thunderbird never got the distended and widened front fender headlight openings of full-size Fords in 1957 predicting the quad headlights that appeared in 1958 Fords, retaining a pleasing and consistent peaked shape that complemented the round headlights.
The rear fenders along with being lengthened to match the extended rear deck and larger trunk adopted Ford's 1957 signature "high-canted" finely shaped, even delicate, fins with reflectors moved to the large, round signature taillight cluster. The exhaust pipe tips were enclosed in oval rear bumper ends to clean up the bumper below the taillights and fins and echoed the front bumper design. Coming, going or viewed from the side the 1957 Thunderbird was a refined, understated and sophisticated example of Ford's new design language.
As if the rarity, beauty and performance of the '57 Ford F-Bird wasn't enough, it is the superb restoration this example has received from the two-seat Thunderbird experts, Amos and Justin Minter in Dallas, Texas, that commends it to the themed and curated collection of Bernard Fornas.
Another element that defines a great collector car is its ownership history, its provenance, and this F-Bird was originally bought from the Minters by Jack Roush, the proprietor of Roush Performance and impresario of many Ford racing wins and championships. It had been traded by Roush back to the Minters before being refreshed and acquired by Bernard Fornas.
The Minters have made '55-'57 Thunderbirds their two generations life's work. It is all they do and they know every detail of their subject. A quick look at the photographs of this F-Bird shows the attention to detail, quality of finish and panel and chrome fit and alignment. Bernard Fornas acquired this F-Bird directly from Minter's and it has covered minimal miles since its acquisition leaving it still in highly detailed and pristine condition.
In addition to its 300hp supercharged Thunderbird Special V-8 engine it has the Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission, power steering and power brakes. It is finished in Raven Black with a bright red interior. The exterior is beautifully accented by chrome wire wheels with tri-lobe spinner center caps mounting wide whitewall Firestone Deluxe Champion tires. It comes with both the charismatic Thunderbird porthole hardtop and a black canvas soft top that appears never to have been erected. A Town and Country signal-seeking radio livens up the dashboard and there is a heater for chilly mornings.
The engine compartment is complete, accurately finished and beautifully maintained.
It is without doubt a high point of the '55-'57 Thunderbird legacy, as expected from the collection of Bernard Fornas, and exceptionally promising to its next owner.
Sale price
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
