I recently noticed a few WMCE bersions of this car in the 500 to 600 range. I have researched the 1:1 history and found conflicting reports. Ford made 12 color cars this is one, car was created after 1955 after market. Creator admits this was his work at a Lincoln rally event.
The wood appliqués on the 1:1 car is not to the factory look standards. The WMCE looks even more amateurish with the thickness of the material. Also, in my option, the car is interesting except for the wood on the trunk lid.
Personally, I feel this is one of those cars that you either love it or hate it. I'm of the latter school. I wouldn't waste my time trying to replicate it.
A definite attention grabber but, for me, not in a good way. It's a beautiful car before any wood applique. So to make it a woody makes it incumbent on the craftsman to add appeal, elegance or interest that was not there before hand. I think it falls far short in a couple of areas.
Most woody's do not have wood so far rearward OR forward on the body sides. It detracts from the aforementioned good looks of the automobile. And yes, I totally agree, the trunk adds nothing.
The model, at first glance, seems to capture the overall look of the 1:1 but then that wood's thickness would equate to, what, 4 or 5 inches? Too extreme.
It's an interesting oddity in both 1:1 and 1:43. I've seen a few for sale in the $400-500 range but have yet to see one sell at that price. I think someone has high hopes!
As a former member of the LCOC and owner of two 1:1 1954 Lincoln Capris... this yellow 1955 "Sportsman" does indeed have an interesting but incredulous past.
The story is that FoMoCo had 12 '55's built to gage public opinion, however, this has NEVER been confirmed. Furthermore, this particular example was restored, by the man who purchased it, many decades ago after being discovered in a back yard, rotting away, serving as a big chicken coop.
IMO, the 1/43 replica is very nice, but I don't own it.
This 1:1 yellow 1955 Lincoln woody along with that blue 1947 Tucker convertible are considered by almost all collectors, aficionados, and car enthusiast to be "frauds." Their documentation, back-stories, and factory specs. cannot be corroborated.
