Lot #1355.1 - The first retail Thunderbird ever sold, VIN 005 was produced at the Michigan factory on September 9, 1954. This car came equipped with the 292ci Y-block engine, Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission, and power steering, windows and seats. It has a wheelbase is 102 inches, BHP rating of 193 and weighs 3,250 pounds. One of the first performance road tests of the newly created Thunderbird car done by a national magazine was tested on this same car. Sports Illustrated did an article October 4, 1954, entitled "Testing the Thunderbird," and this T-Bird was used as the test vehicle. This car has been featured in magazines, books, promotions, blogs and television shows. It has also made many special appearances at various museums, car shows and special events, like the 1984 Olympics. The Ford Motor Company commissioned the car, usually in its private trailer, to various events such as their national conferences and car shows including Ford headquarters in Dearborn, MI. It has been pictured with generations of Ford executives and celebrities such as Carroll Shelby, Barbara Streisand and Jay Leno, to name a few. The history of the Thunderbird dates back to the early 1950s, when a few individuals at the top of Ford's organizational chart conceived the idea of a sports car. Designer Frank Hershey fathered the idea of the sports car program that became the Thunderbird. The real history of this car dates back to 1965, when a well-admired gentleman and car buff by the name George Watts came across what he called "a needle in a haystack." After Ford officially verified the status of his car as the first retail production Thunderbird, he meticulously restored the "original" to original. After documenting every step with photos, it appeared three years later — as if it just rolled off the assembly line. The rest is history. A select offering from a private collection. **TITLE IN TRANSIT**