23 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,January 2,2020 insidehalton.com Written and photographed by Clive Branson "And she'll have fun, fun, fun, till her daddy takes her T-Bird away." The Beach Boy's verse mirrors a certain youthful non- chalance of the '50s and early '60s. It was equally re� ected in the � rst-generation Ford Thunderbird (1955-1957) heralded by Ford as their � rst sports car, when in fact, it was a supped up two-seater, luxury sedan that Ford coined as a "personal car" since this would appeal to a wider and larger market. It didn't have the lines, lightness or handling of a traditional sports car, but the introduction of the '55 Thunderbird sud- denly provoked a new perception that its contemporary au- tomobile was about as exciting as a West- inghouse blender. Not only did it compete against the Corvette, but massively outsold it 24 to 1. Even Ford was taken aback by its success, selling almost double the expect- ed number anticipated. Yet, had it not been for Corvette's debut, there is little doubt that the Thunderbird would have existed, particularly since sports cars accounted for a tiny percentage of the U.S. market. In contrast to Corvette's � berglass frame, the Thunderbird had a neat, ath- letic-looking steel body emphasizing its centrespread-like long hood, simulated air scoop and short-deck proportions to give an edgier, sexier appearance. Buried be- neath the metal was a powerful V8 waiting to be unleashed opposed to Corvette's im- potent Straight-Six. Ford relished in high- lighting the T-Bird's potency with a glaring dashboard that advertised the capability of climaxing at 150 mph on its speedometer. It was apparent that the T-Bird was not your family sedan and more like Mad Men's executive car. And though it had the same dimensions as a Jaguar XK-140, to keep the costs down, Ford made sure the parts were interchange- able with other Ford models. Other options included power steering, brakes, windows, and even a power front bench seat designed to look like bucket seats. It also featured a removable hardtop or optional softop. The weight alone (nearly 3,500 lb) clearly demonstrated that it was not a sports car, though it had good speed for its time, rivaling any competitor in a straight line, but was essentially a stylish, luxurious, upper-middle-class cruiser. This was embarrassingly obvious when a couple of Jaguar XK-120s blew the T-Birds o� a circuit track in competition. Motor Trend's Detroit editor, Don McDonald wrote: "Perhaps the most outstanding feature of the new Ford Thunderbird is the clever wedding of sports car functionalism with American standards of comfort." There were still � aws, such as a blind side when the roof was secured and negligible trunk space, but these were recti- � ed with the emergence of the '56 model, designed with the "Continental Kit" to house the spare wheel at the rear exterior above the newly extended bumper and circular 'portholes' dis- tinguishing the sides of the hardtop to improve driver visibility. The engine was upgraded from a 292 V8 (from Ford's Mercury division) to the larger 312-cubic-inch V8 enabling it to produce 215 horsepower with a three-speed manual gearbox and 225 with the automatic transmission. Ford also incorporated a slew of safety features, such as energy-absorbing panel padding, concave steering wheel, safety door latches and a shatter-resistant mirror. Seatbelts? Well, they were optional, and regardless, there was a greater selection in colours, including two-tone paint schemes. Ford assumed the line- up of options were more important than precise road handling and steering, which may account why this car never appealed to European enthusiasts. It is hardly surprising when I admire John Landreville's stun- ning '56 T-Bird, how thrilled he is with it. "I always wanted an early T-Bird," declares John. "I decided on New Year's Day 2005, while present at the Barrett-Jackson Auction, that it was time to get one." John got to meet T-Bird a� cionado, Amos Minter in Dallas. Amos has been restoring and selling early Birds for 40 years and has a wide selection of the early models. "When I saw Amos in late January 2005, we short-listed four cars," continues John. "I wanted a nice driver and that is the range I picked from. The selection was quite amazing. You only ever see one or two T-Birds at any car show, but to see 30 plus - all for sale - was quite a treat. I returned in two weeks the next month with my friend, Brian Donagan, and we spent two days at the dealership test driving and examining cars. This car met all my needs and wishes," nods John con� dently. "We made a deal and Amos took us to his house where he has a 25-car garage and showed us his personal collection, which includes Eisen- hower's inauguration Caddie. Quite a bonus for us!" With only 25,000 miles registered, the car still had some wear n' tear, but could claim that most of it was original based on matching numbers, including the engine. "It had been well maintained and Amos gave me a list of things his shop did prior to the sale. Since my purchase, I've replaced the tires with Firestone Bias Belts. They were the original make of tire when the car was new with the wide white walls. Sixty-two years ago, this T-Bird � rst graced the dealership's � oor at Bev Smith Ford in West Palm Beach, Florida for $3,304.49. Gasoline was $0.23 per U.S. gallon. It seems surreal. "I have a copy of the original invoice," a� rms John. "Bev Smith was a car dealer who had originally met Henry Ford Sr. in a Detroit Ford factory where he worked. Appar- ently Henry Ford frequently walked through the plants, conversing with em- ployees and struck up a friendship with Bev. After World War II, Henry Ford set Bev up with a Michigan Ford dealership. Bev's wife became ill and they moved to Florida for her health and opened a dealership in West Palm Beach. It is still operated by Bev's son, Nick, who has written his father's bi- ography. I visited Nick in 2007 to reminisce about his dad. Unfortunately, with the privacy laws, it is di� cult to track owner- ship and history, so I have no history from 1956 to 1970, but my research of the car's previous owners lead me back to the late 1970s when the car was purchased in California by Bill Mitchell, a movie-set builder. He had worked on the � lm classic, Bonnie and Clyde and was a personal friend of Amos, who displayed an actual gas pump in his Recreational Room that was in the � lm. Mitchell owned three early T-Birds and Amos purchased this car from Bill's estate in 2004. Bill was divorced and his ex- wife married the disc jockey and recording artist, Groovey Joe Poovey." John raises the proverbial eyebrow. "In Amos' house there is a wall displaying photos of famous people who have purchased cars from him, including Frank Sinatra (2), Dean Martin, Reba MacIntire, John Melencamp, Dave Thomas (of Wendy's fame), Elvis' dad, and many others. I don't think my photograph is up there," John says with a laugh. T-Bird brings fun, fun, fun graced the dealership's � oor at Bev Smith Ford in West Palm Beach, Florida for $3,304.49. Gasoline was $0.23 per U.S. gallon. It seems surreal. "I have a copy of the original invoice," a� rms John. originally met Henry Ford Sr. in a Detroit Ford factory where he worked. Appar- ently Henry Ford frequently walked through the plants, conversing with em- ployees and struck up a friendship with Bev. After World War II, Henry Ford set Bev up with a Michigan Ford dealership. they moved to Florida for her health and opened a dealership in West Palm Beach. It is still operated by Bev's son, Nick, who has written his father's bi- ography. I visited Nick in 2007 to reminisce about his dad. Unfortunately, with the privacy laws, it is di� cult to track owner- ship and history, so I have no history from 1956 to 1970, but my research of 1956 FORD THUNDERBIRD Owner: John Landreville Almanac