Written by independent automotive journalist Roger C. Johnson

This award-winning classic-turned-futuristic 1955 Ford Thunderbird Custom Convertible (Lot #1417) is ready to roll across the block at the 2018 Scottsdale Auction at No Reserve on Saturday, January 20.

The 1955 through 1957 Thunderbirds helped start a new trend in the American car culture. They were sleek, low slung sports-touring cars designed to challenge their European counterparts. Granted they didn’t handle as well as those MGs, Healeys or Triumphs. But T-Birds weren’t made for those tight little European roads, either. They were designed for our highways and turnpikes. And there, they performed quite well, thank you very much.

Even though a pure, original Thunderbird is held in the highest esteem by countless collectors, these mid-50s T-Birds just begged to be modified. Back in the early ’60s many of us remember the kid down the street who had the ’55 or ’57 with a 430ci Lincoln engine that was the terror of the town. The engine bay was big enough for just about anything, and the car’s great style made it all come together beautifully. It seemed like the hot-rodders loved these two models best and left the ’56 with its requisite rear-mounted Continental kit to those straight-laced purists. Over six decades later, the ’55 Bird is still tantalizing car lovers as much as ever. If you’re one of them, you’d better hold on.

The one you’re looking at here, which will be crossing the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction block on Saturday, January 20, at No Reserve as Lot #1417, at has taken the Resto-Mod concept to the stratosphere. Like any great car, this creation starts with a one-of-a-kind custom handmade chassis with the ultimate in strength, safety and efficiency in mind, compliments of specialists Torq’d Design and Sparc Design.

The gem in this setting is a Gale Banks Engineering twin-turbocharged aluminum V8 engine producing 1,150 horsepower and 900 ft/lbs of torque. It is housed in an engine bay completely unique to this car. Naturally, the exhaust system on the T-Bird must be as specialized as the one-and-only chassis in order to weave its way through and around an intricate path to the back of the car. Borla components were used for the job. All is encased in an imaginative under-belly pan creation.

A Ron Davis-supplied aluminum radiator and twin intercoolers keep everything cool, even when the wick is turned up. The power plant is backed by a Bowler-prepared 4L80 4-speed automatic overdrive transmission. This company’s been upgrading gearboxes for ultra, high-performance applications since 1963. Out back sets a Moser-built Ford 9-inch rear end to complete this Thunderbird’s virtually indestructible driveline.

Arresting all the forward motion the Thunderbird can generated are 14-inch rotors on all corners each with a 4-piston caliper. They are housed in three-piece Concave wheels measuring 19×9 inches up front with 20x12s out back. RideTech coilovers all around control the suspension action, while P-Zero Pirellis make the final connection to the pavement. Such substantial contact patches help the ’Bird on its way up to the highest speeds you care to select, and back to a standstill at the drop of either foot.

This Thunderbird’s interior is simply exquisite. A double-walled custom floor and handmade steel dash housing Classic Instrument gauges, including a Movado clock, set the stage. The seats, door panels, kick panels – even its exclusive steering wheel – are wrapped in European leather with accented stitching, all by Paul Atkins Interiors. CNC billet aluminum trim are the crowning touches to this outstanding creation.

The Thunderbird’s exterior hue is actually called Brilliant Red by Glasurit, while the drivetrain is finished in Matte Charcoal Gray thanks to Green Auto Company, also the source for the car’s electro- luminescence lighting.

Every panel on this fantastic all-steel machine has been hand-formed or dramatically reshaped to create this work of art and science. A hidden internal roll cage and subframe further enhance the T-Bird’s structure and safety factors. The bumpers were sectioned, flipped and then properly tucked in closer to the bodywork, and also contoured specifically for the exhaust tips.

The body is further massaged with relocated front wheel-well openings and reengineered rear quarter-panels. Even the windshield was recreated to blend in more precisely with the countless, yet subtle, freshly styled body lines. This 1955 T-Bird custom has earned numerous prestigious awards since its debut – including the prestigious Detroit Autorama Ridler Award and Goodguys Custom Rod of the Year, both in 2012 – and has also been featured in Street Rodder and Autoweek magazines.

If you are one of those enthusiasts who thinks it makes perfect sense to turn a classic ’50s collectible into a futuristic machine capable of rousing all your senses – and those of everyone else – then this is your Thunderbird. Of course, we’re not suggesting you use this car as an excuse to spend all your time embarrassing Bugatti and McLaren drivers. First of all, it won’t take that long. And, secondly, too many people will be watching you already.

For up-to-date information on this vehicle, click HERE.