1955 Ford Thunderbird: Built to a Plan That Sold Out in Ten Days

This record's own overview states directly that Ford showed the Thunderbird at the Detroit auto show on February 20, 1954, and began production at Dearborn that September; Old Cars Weekly dates the first car to September 9, 1954, serial P5FH100005, and the last to September 16, 1955, while the Classic Thunderbird Club dates public introduction to October 22, 1954, a separate milestone this record's own text does not reconcile against the September production start.^1,2,3

This record's own production section credits Ford with a planned volume of 10,000 Thunderbirds against 16,155 actually built, a figure four separate sources agree on according to this record's own citations: Old Cars Weekly, the Classic Thunderbird Club, Wikipedia's own citation of Hemmings Motor News, and the Over-Drive Magazine compilation. This record's own overview adds that Old Cars Weekly reports more than 3,500 orders in the first ten days, well above the planned volume before the model year was even underway.^2,3,4,5

This record's own engines section lists the 292 V-8 as the only engine offered, its rating set by the transmission: 193 horsepower at 4,400 rpm and 280 pound-feet at 2,600 rpm with 8.1:1 compression paired with the manual or overdrive gearbox, and 198 horsepower and 286 pound-feet at 2,500 rpm with 8.5:1 compression paired with Ford-O-Matic, both figures given as period advertised gross ratings, the 292's own bore and stroke listed in this record's own specifications as 3.75 by 3.30 inches.^2,3

This record's own key facts section gives Old Cars Weekly's $2,944 base price and $2,695 introductory price before federal taxes and delivery, against the club's own $2,695 base and $2,765 convertible figures; the same section lists five colors from the club, Thunderbird Blue, Raven Black, Snowshoe White, Goldenrod Yellow and Torch Red, all five repeated in this record's own paint table with their factory paint codes: T for Thunderbird Blue, A for Raven Black, E for Snowshoe White, V for Goldenrod Yellow and R for Torch Red.^2,3

This record's own conflicts section carries two unresolved disagreements: Old Cars Weekly's own dimensions give a 70.3-inch width, 50.2-inch height and 2,980-pound weight against the club's own 72-inch width, 52-inch height and 2,833-pound curb weight, with neither source stating its measurement basis or the vehicle configuration measured; and on option prices, Old Cars Weekly gives $215 for Ford-O-Matic and $85 for the heater against the Over-Drive Magazine compilation's $178.20 and $71.43, this record's own treatment note observing that the two lists otherwise agree within rounding on overdrive, power steering, brakes, radio and whitewalls, with the differences possibly reflecting different price dates.^2,3,5

This record's own specifications section gives a 102-inch wheelbase, a 175.3-inch overall length, 56.0-inch front and rear track, and 6.70x15 four-ply tubeless tires; a separate weight row sourced to the Over-Drive Magazine compilation gives 2,980 pounds shipping weight, matching Old Cars Weekly's own figure rather than the club's lower curb-weight figure. This record's own unpublished-leads section flags period road tests reporting 0-60 times of 8.8 to 11 seconds and quarter-miles of 16.9 to 17.75 seconds at 83 mph, left unpublished because Old Cars Weekly's own summary does not name the tests or their configurations.^5,2