George Walker team

Ford Thunderbird (first generation)

The first-generation Ford Thunderbird (1955–1957) is a two-seat convertible — Ford’s first since 1938 — developed in response to the 1953 Motorama Corvette display. Dubbed 'a personal car of distinction', it prioritised driver comfort over speed and established the personal luxury car segment in the US. Built on existing Ford components with body-on-frame construction, it sold 16,155 units in 1955 — vastly outpacing the Corvette. Its design inspired the German Auto Union 1000 Sp. It remained the only two-seat Thunderbird until 2002.