[Closed] PICs: Prototype or Production?

Good one! Here's part of the story: (pic)

Z. Taylor Vinson explained its acquisition and signifigcance in his unpublished "Auto-biography":

"When Ford announced its sensational Thunderbird in '54, the prototypes bore a chrome spear on its sides which began at the headlamp, swooped down through the front fender, started upwards, and continued horizontally through the door and fender to the rear. This motif was repeated on the '55 Ford passenger cars but was dropped from the T'bird when it went into production.
Somewhere along the way I heard a rumor that there was literature showing the car with the spear, but I never saw any. One Sunday in the early '80s, I was at home when a local friend with no interest in cars, John Rison Jones, telephoned to say that he'd returned from an antiques show at the D.C. Armory where he'd come across a man who was selling what he claimed to be a rare Thunderbird catalogue. There could only be one piece that deserved the term, so I immediately went over to check it out. But it was true. What's more, there were two of them, and two or three page proofs. The man knew what he had, because he wanted $100 each for them.

"According to him, Ford had ordered all copies destroyed, and these were the only ones saved. I bought both, and he threw in the page proofs, gratis. I was awed to own the world's supply of something. Once home, I phoned [well known automobile literature collector and Vinson colleague] Bob Tuthill who'd never seen the piece. As I was negotiating with him for a $1,200 1934 Packard Custom Cars catalogue, he agreed to credit me $400 towards it for the second catalogue (I never really considered destroying it so that I would have the "only" one in captivity).

"Later, I sold the page proofs to [collector] John Robinson for $50. He said he'd heard that there were as many as 8 catalogues that were saved, but Bob Tuthill, Jim Petrik, and I seem to be the only collectors who have them."

photo no longer available

(For more information, see
https://www.hagley.org/research/digital-exhibits/vinsons-treasures)

(later) I know of only one 1:43 model of this prototype Thunderbird, and a fine one. The small Canadian firm of Durham Classics made it several years ago in low numbers.
photo no longer available

Love the story David......thanks for sharing.

John, I just added another bit of information. Now I have to start hunting!

I enjoy your posts. Thanks a lot!

PROTO .... Easy selection

XCLNT info ... Good Stuff

Great historical story. Seems like the price is pretty cheap considering the rarity. Hang on to it

I like the production model best.

I like the production version best.

Great story, John! I like the production version for the cleaner lines.

Love the color combo on the 1:43 prototype.

Very interesting David. The 1:43 version by Durham Classics has an interesting history too...

A good number of years ago here in the UK, David Angel who was a Thunderbird enthusiast at the time asked me to make him some special T Birds based on Brooklin's 1955 and '56 versions. I made him a few of the prototypes as well as his later Bird's Nest version, the Schlitz Beer car which he also owned for a while and one or two others. He took one of the prototype models to Brooklin and asked them to make him some but Brooklin couldn't help. However, Brooklin let Durham Classics have the brass master and DC then made the prototype models for David as well as releasing them in the regular line. The black and yellow version is just one of several colours that were done.

Love'em both, but wish they had offered the Fairlane trim as an option

+1

Thanks for the additional information, John. I see a couple of the Durham "adorned" Thunderbirds for sale, but both are higher than I would pay. I like my BRK version.

Proto with the trim.