Ford introduced its 1957 models on October 1, 1956. In addition to the new-for-1957 styling, the big news that really caught buyers’ attention was a choice of four powerplants. Among them was the optional 312-ci E-code variant, producing 270 horsepower through a modified Holley dual 4-barrel setup borrowed from the 1956 Lincoln. 21,380 examples rolled off the production line that year, and just 977 were produced with the vaunted E-code option.
This Thunderbird is the recipient of a high-quality two-year restoration in the late 1990s. Attesting to the quality of the restoration, it received an AACA National Senior First Prize and a Grand National First Prize in 2000.