The Ford Design Studio, led by Bill Boyer, began working on a four-seater Thunderbird in mid-1955. What eventually became the “Squarebird,” as enthusiasts call it, featured a wheelbase five inches shorter and a height four inches lower than the contemporary full-sized Ford, but lost only a quarter-inch of ground clearance and rear seat headroom, as engineers sat the passengers low between the high door sills and a large drivetrain tunnel. Cleverly, Boyer hid the tunnel within an aircraft-style console, which was a fresh idea in 1958 and welcomed by the jet-wild public—and also pioneered the “bucket seat-and-console” interior trim that would be a benchmark of the “personal luxury” concept.

This would be the first Thunderbird offered as a coupe, but the convertible had its own appeal, including a convertible top, based upon the engineering of the famous Ford Skyliner, which was swallowed by the reverse-hinged rear deck, leaving no bulky top stack when it was lowered.

Offered here is one of the 2,134 Thunderbird convertibles produced for 1958. Restored from the ground up by W.W. Motor Cars & Parts of Broadway, Virginia between 1998 and 1999, it is finished in Colonial White over a dashing turquoise and white interior, with the correct 300-horsepower, 352-cubic-inch Interceptor V-8, three-speed automatic transmission, and power brakes, steering, and convertible top, as well as AM radio and power driver’s seat. The restoration is understood to have used the best components from two cars, supplemented by correct parts as needed. Attesting to the quality of the workmanship, the car was a consistent award-winner wherever it was shown, including an AACA Grand National First Prize in 2001.

Acquired by the late Terence E. Adderley here at Hershey in 2014, the Thunderbird has since remained one of several 1950s Fords in his distinguished collection—a marque and era for which he had a distinct appreciation, thanks to a longtime business relationship with the Ford Motor Company. Its restoration exhibits light age and would benefit from recommissioning, but is still highly attractive, with visible attention to detail and correctness throughout. Overall, it is a splendid example of the “Squarebird,” one of the most memorable Fords of its era, and both a comfortable, powerful cruiser and a real looker!