Photo: Barrett-Jackson
Last weekend marked the end of the first major car auction of the year. Organized by Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale, Arizona, it will probably forever be remembered as one where cars sold for a lot of money: just the top ten best-sellers managed to snatch, combined, close to 20 million dollars.
The cars in the top ten were the usual suspects in this industry, things like the Mercedes-Benz Gullwing, Bugatti Chiron, a Porsche Carrera GT, and, not to forget, a 1997 Lamborghini Diablo once owned by Donald Trump.
The auction was filled with custom rides as well, and they, too, have their own stars. For instance, the imposing six-wheeled Humvee made by Danton Arts Kustoms, fetched no less than $825,000 which is not that far from the $1.1 million paid for Trump’s Lambo.
Significantly further, price-wise, from the leaders of the pack, but not in the slightest less impressive, is the 1956 Ford Thunderbird we have here. We talked about it at length back in January, and promised we'll come back to it if it managed to make a splash during the sale. And guess what?
The project is based on an example of the model's first generation, but given another life and appearance at the hands of a California-based crew called RMD Garage. It stands out first and foremost through the absence of a roof and the presence of two individual steel cowls right behind each of the seats.
The Thunderbird retains the general lines of the base model, and accentuates them through the Galaxy Gray Pearl that dresses its exterior. A certain modern, custom feel comes off the Schott wheels (19-inch front and 20-inch rear) wrapped in Toyo tires. The gray exterior is perfectly contrasted by a Scarlet Red interior.
Mechanically the Thunderbird is far from its former self. The car rests on a custom chassis fitted with 4-link adjustable coilover suspension and a Ford 9-inch rear-end, and moves under the power of a Coyote engine of the second generation. The powerplant has an output of 650 horsepower, which is harnessed through a six-speed transmission and kept in check by a Wilwood braking system.
All of the above convinced someone to pay a lot of money for the Thunderbird during the auction. When the hammer fell for the last time, the winner claimed the custom in exchange for $385,000.
To give you an idea of what that means, consider that's how much Fisker is asking for the Ronin Super GT. That's an electric sports car that, at least as far as capabilities go, really trumps the Thunderbird: 1,000 horsepower from an all-electric setup.
Ok, maybe that's not the best example, because a Ronin Super GT is not something we all can afford. How about this, then: for $385,000 you can buy yourself no less than 11 Dodge Chargers in the SXT trim.
The auction was filled with custom rides as well, and they, too, have their own stars. For instance, the imposing six-wheeled Humvee made by Danton Arts Kustoms, fetched no less than $825,000 which is not that far from the $1.1 million paid for Trump’s Lambo.
Significantly further, price-wise, from the leaders of the pack, but not in the slightest less impressive, is the 1956 Ford Thunderbird we have here. We talked about it at length back in January, and promised we'll come back to it if it managed to make a splash during the sale. And guess what?
The project is based on an example of the model's first generation, but given another life and appearance at the hands of a California-based crew called RMD Garage. It stands out first and foremost through the absence of a roof and the presence of two individual steel cowls right behind each of the seats.
The Thunderbird retains the general lines of the base model, and accentuates them through the Galaxy Gray Pearl that dresses its exterior. A certain modern, custom feel comes off the Schott wheels (19-inch front and 20-inch rear) wrapped in Toyo tires. The gray exterior is perfectly contrasted by a Scarlet Red interior.
Mechanically the Thunderbird is far from its former self. The car rests on a custom chassis fitted with 4-link adjustable coilover suspension and a Ford 9-inch rear-end, and moves under the power of a Coyote engine of the second generation. The powerplant has an output of 650 horsepower, which is harnessed through a six-speed transmission and kept in check by a Wilwood braking system.
All of the above convinced someone to pay a lot of money for the Thunderbird during the auction. When the hammer fell for the last time, the winner claimed the custom in exchange for $385,000.
To give you an idea of what that means, consider that's how much Fisker is asking for the Ronin Super GT. That's an electric sports car that, at least as far as capabilities go, really trumps the Thunderbird: 1,000 horsepower from an all-electric setup.
Ok, maybe that's not the best example, because a Ronin Super GT is not something we all can afford. How about this, then: for $385,000 you can buy yourself no less than 11 Dodge Chargers in the SXT trim.
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