There are a lot of early Thunderbirds for sale, we know that. But if you’re looking at this particular Raven Black ’57 ‘Bird, then you’re someone special. There are plenty of soft, fluffy Thunderbirds out there, cars with fender skirts, whitewalls, chrome wheels, and all the dress-up parts, and if that’s what you want, well, you should probably move on. But if you want a Thunderbird with some attitude, a car that isn’t a debutante but rather a bare-knuckles street brawler, well, maybe this car will talk to you. It’s had a comprehensive frame-off restoration and has been driven very little since, so it’s in fantastic condition, and it isn’t modified, so don’t let that worry you. We just got tired of looking at the same old Thunderbirds day-in and day-out, so we decided to take this one in a slightly different direction and we love the results.

The car came to us from a widow whose husband restored it for her, but after his passing, she had too many strong emotions about it. Instead of just letting it sit, she made the wise choice to pass it along to another owner. To be honest, I don’t know if she ever drove it, because it showed up at our facility wearing a set of wheels that sure looked like the roll-around wheels a body shop would use. It was a little dusty, but it started easily, idled well, and once we cleaned it up, we discovered that there was an extremely high quality ‘Bird underneath. Raven Black is this car’s original color and the sheetmetal on this roadster is extremely straight, so obviously there’s a ton of time invested in getting it right. Black is unforgiving in that regard, and it’s good to see someone was willing to go the extra mile. Panel fit is quite good for a Thunderbird, although in typical Thunderbird fashion, the door bottoms protrude a little bit. And you wouldn’t know it by looking at all the other ‘Birds, but fender skirts were optional, so seeing this car without them gives it a very unique profile. Despite the aggressive look, this Thunderbird remains quite stock.

All the chrome and trim appears to have been restored at the same time, and nothing has been shaved, deleted, or modified. The lovely grille, bumpers, hood scoop, and louvers on the front fenders are all crisply rendered. The Thunderbird emblems have turquoise-looking inlays that are meant to recall the car’s Native American inspiration, and, of course, Ford’s jet-age taillights. The ’57 T-Bird got a longer trunk to answer complaints about not enough storage space, and with that longest trunk come a set of modest tail fins that make the ‘57s some of the most highly prized 2-seater ‘Birds of all.

The red interior is also entirely new and nicely fitted. The bench seat remains comfortable and supportive and your backside will instantly tell you that there’s new foam underneath. Correct door panels with engine-turned inserts and armrests that sweep into the dashboard are just beautifully done and it carries correct red carpets with black specks. The steering wheel was surely restored, as it’s just too nice and too perfectly matched to be original, but the gauges and instrument panel may very well be nice 1957-vintage equipment. All the dials work except the clock, which is typical. A modern digital AM/FM radio was fitted into the original radio’s slot, an acceptable upgrade for a car whose mission is to be driven, and the heater puts out enough warmth to keep you toasty on a cool autumn night’s drive with the top down. And speaking of the top, the car has a very nicely fitted black canvas convertible top that stows behind the seats and out of sight behind a red vinyl “curtain.” The trunk is trimmed with a correct gray plaid mat set and just a spare tire away from being ready to show.

We have every reason to believe that the 312 cubic inch D-code V8 under the hood is the car’s original engine. It was fully rebuilt and detailed at the time of the restoration and runs quite well today. It wears a dealer-installed dress-up kit that includes the chrome air cleaner and lovely finned valve covers, which really pop against the Ford Red paint on the block. Correct Ford script hoses were used, there’s a yellow-top coil for the ignition, and the factory SeeClear solvent bag still hangs on the inner fender. New wiring, a fresh radiator, and—finally!—a Holley 4-barrel carburetor all make this a car that’s ready to drive and enjoy.

In the past, I’ve complained about Thunderbirds’ road manners. They always feel primitive and sloppy, and I was concerned that this car would be the same. Boy was I wrong! This car is tight, solid, smooth, and well-assembled without a single squeak or rattle in the structure and a suspension that feels like it’s glued to the pavement. There’s no slop in the steering, the brakes are as powerful as 1957 drums can be, and it goes down the road better than any other Thunderbird I’ve ever driven. This is not hyperbole, because after my first test drive, I didn’t want to get out of the car. It’s that good. The Ford-O-Matic 3-speed automatic transmission shifts so cleanly that when you’re running hard it’ll bark the tires on the 2-3 shift, but it settles right down with 3.00 gears out back, making it a great car for long-distance cruising. The undercarriage is very nicely detailed and we can see no evidence of patch panels or rust repair, suggesting that this car has always been clean—that’s probably why it feels so solid. There’s a new dual exhaust system, new gas tank, new shocks, new lines and hoses, and even the body mounts are fresh. It’s pretty correct, with red oxide primer on the center section of the rear end and exhaust tips that still run through the rear bumper. You’ll note that the spare tire well is completely solid, the inner quarters are spotless, and, well, this is one heck of a nice car. We did take off those goofy body shop wheels and install black steel wheels with a set of original dog dish hubcaps, a look that was inspired by a quarter-million-dollar 1957 F-Bird I spotted at auction a few years ago. It looks absolutely killer!

This car includes a detailed photo album of the restoration from start to finish, as well as some catalogs and manuals.

This is the only early Thunderbird we’ve ever featured that I’ve fallen in love with. It’s one that I would consider keeping for my own collection, and that’s the highest praise I can possibly offer. I love the blacked-out, no-nonsense look and the way this car drives will make you a believer. Try a few others, then come test drive this one—you’ll leave knowing there’s a difference between a great Thunderbird and an ordinary one. This is truly a great one. Call today!