Just a few days ago one of the first major auctions of the year in the automotive field concluded. Organized by American specialists Barrett-Jackson and held in Scottsdale, Arizona, it will be remembered for the particularly high prices paid for some of the cars on offer.
To give you an idea of the surprising numbers that were handled there, just the sum of the ten cars for which the most was paid amounted to 18.5 million euros. Among them were models such as Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, Bugatti Chiron, Porsche Carrera GT and even a 1997 Lamborghini Diablo that was once owned by Donald Trump.
The auction also featured a multitude of striking customized vehicles, such as an imposing six-wheeled Humvee that sold for no less than 765,000 euros. But there were also other specimens that, although they did not place in the first places in the bidding, they did also occupy a relevant place for their beauty, their history, their conservation and their "rejuvenation treatment."
One of them was, without a doubt, the first-generation Ford Thunderbird convertible that stars in this article. Manufactured in 1956, it has perfectly withstood the passing of the years and, almost seven decades later, it is still in top shape. The Californian preparation specialists at RMD Garage were in charge of giving it a new “life” with a restoration to which various modifications were added.
This Thunderbird retains the general lines of the series model and accentuates them through the Galaxy Gray Pearl tone of its body. Its Schott wheels (19-inch front and 20-inch rear), accompanied by its Toyo tires, give it a touch of modernity. The scarlet red interior does not go unnoticed, which contrasts perfectly with the gray exterior.
Mechanically, the Thunderbird has also evolved compared to its stock state. The car is based on a chassis optimized to offer greater ride comfort and is powered by a 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine. This provides a huge power of 650 HP and is associated with a six-speed transmission.
The vehicle incorporates a Wilwood braking system that is as strong as the performance capabilities that the engine is capable of offering. Everything reviewed above led to the bidding in the auction rising to a figure that, without reaching close to a million euros as in other examples, was not exactly low either.
And the new owner of this Ford Thunderbird paid an amount close to 357,000 euros. If we take the North American brand as a reference, with that same sum of money you could buy, for example, 15 current Ford Pumas. If the photos of the 1956 classic are not enough for you and you want to continue delighting yourself with a Thunderbird from the same year and generation, you can do so in the video that accompanies this article.
