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THIS REBPLICA WAS RETIRED AS OF 12/31/1997.
When Chevy introduced its entry in the "American Sports Car" sweepstakes with the 1953 Corvette, Ford, keeping up its long-term competition with Chevrolet, made its own bid in 1955 with the Thunderbird. Deciding against a ground-up approach, Ford put their car together from essentially off-the-shelf components. They refined it in 1956, making minor styling changes, adding a Continental kit on the rear bumper, and tweaking the engine horsepower.
Another of DM's "plain Janes," the car is nevertheless well presented. Interior, engine compartment, and undercarriage detailing is up there with the best of 'em. A removable, die cast hardtop is included, which leaves no unsightly positioning holes when removed. Unfortunately, due to the Continental kit, the trunk doesn't open. Perhaps it's an optical illusion due to the reduced size, but it looks like the overall scale is a tad off. It doesn't detract from the general appearance though. The model looks great when displayed. The issue price was $100 not inc. S&H.
The Thunderbird must have hit a nerve with the driving public, for its first model year outsold the Corvette 23 to 1! If you, like me, think the Thunderbird was at its best when it was small and nimble, the 1956 is a must-have 1:24 scale model of the '55 to '57 two-seater "T-birds." (08/13/1998)
(08/13/1998)
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