An Insurance-Totaled 1955 Ford Thunderbird is Finally Transformed Into a Showstopper

It’s often suggested that the parallels between airplanes and automobiles go well-beyond styling cues adapted by the latter. This was especially so during the 1950s, to which Shari Burger can attest, courtesy of her father, Richard Daniell, and the connection that both father and daughter have to our feature 1955 Ford Thunderbird. 

This tale begins after young Richard—having graduated Stanton High School and completed three-years of higher education at Doane College in Crete (both in his home state of Nebraska)—enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and began flight training in July 1952. Flash forward to October ’54 when Richard finished his initial training at Williams Air Force Base as a 2^nd Lieutenant and married Jannie Dittrich the same day. A few more months of advanced flight training followed at bases in Nevada and Texas, and Richard was soon assigned as an instrument flight instructor in the new T-33, the Air Force’s first jet-powered two-seat trainer. He also “gained currency” (military challenge coins) in the cockpits of the F-80 Shooting Star and RF-84 Thunder Flash. 

Suffice it to say, Richard was a qualified “jet-jockey,” and he was eager to reward himself with a new car just as the 1955 models were hitting the market. Not just any car, but one which would emulate the styling and performance of the jets he flew. The perfect candidate would then be a sporty two-seater, but the field of domestically produced subjects that matched Richard’s criteria was narrow. Aside from several, limited production “fiberglass specials” that often required a donor chassis, and the rather expensive Cunningham, only the Chevy Corvette and Ford Thunderbird were more readily attainable at a relatively affordable price. 

The Corvette had already been on the market two years, boasting a low, open-cabin profile with curvaceous body contours that set the car apart from its division peers. But the Corvette’s parts-bin build, particularly the Blue-Flame six-cylinder engine, was the car’s Achilles heel—a sporty-looking car should behave like one. Despite welcoming Chevy’s new V-8 engine for ’55, the 102-inch wheelbase roadster had an underpowered stigma to overcome. In fact, if it hadn’t been for the Thunderbird, the Corvette probably would not have lived to see 1956. 

Meanwhile, Ford seemed to nail the all-new Thunderbird’s styling and engineering right from the start. The full-framed, open-cabin cruiser also boasted a 102-inch wheelbase, but it’s low-profile jet-age design was both crisp and racy, the suspension was smooth and nimble, and best of all, the Thunderbird was equipped with an equally new 193-hp, 292-cu.in. V-8 engine paired with a durable three-speed manual transmission—both as standard equipment.  

The new Ford was both sporty and, as factory literature touted, “a personal car of distinction.” Therein lay the difference between the Thunderbird and Corvette; the former was never promoted as a true sports car, but rather as a personal car equipped with luxury trapping and ample performance. It was so well received in its first year that production hit 16,155 units, outselling Corvette’s 700 units at an eye-opening 23-to-1 ratio. 

As built, the new Thunderbird offered everything Richard wanted and more. After a test drive of the two-seater at a Ford dealership, Richard was so smitten he didn’t hesitate to purchase one. In addition to the standard equipment, Richard’s car was delivered wearing Torch Red paint over a red and white vinyl interior, complemented by a black vinyl powered folding top. The car was also optioned with the three-speed manual with overdrive, power steering, four-way power seats, power windows, pushbutton radio, heater-defroster, and a cigarette lighter.  

For the next three years Richard instructed new recruits in Houston, Texas, until a base closure forced a transfer to the Air National Guard base in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he would serve as a full-time safety officer. The Air Force covered the relocation costs, but he still had to get his young family, and the Thunderbird, to his new assignment. 

“I can still remember when mom, dad, my sister Jan, and me piled into that T-Bird to make the long drive from Houston to Lincoln that hot summer. We made the trip with the standard hardtop on, and wow was it cramped inside with the four of us. It was our family car while my sister and I grew up in Lincoln and it doubled as dad’s commuter; he drove it back and forth to the base every day year-round,” Shari says, now a resident of Lenox, Iowa. 

Shari was still young when family fun with the Ford turned sour. According to her, “Dad came home furious one day because someone had T-boned the T-Bird due to no fault of his own. The insurance company eventually totaled the car, but dad later bought it back intending to save it. He was able to find another 1955 T-Bird in California identical to his first one, and immediately planned a one-way training flight to California so he could drive it home.” 

Having been able to accomplish that mission, more Thunderbird memories resumed. 

“We used to pile friends in the car, and I do mean pile them in. In the summer we had to avoid getting the tops of our legs sunburnt during open-top outings, and we loved the sounds it made going over Lincoln’s brick streets on Sunday afternoon drives. Best of all was the challenges of learning to drive a three-speed stick when I was 16 years old,” Shari recalls. 

Richard eventually started the body-off restoration of his first Thunderbird, but the project stalled and was never completed. Unfortunately, a few years later the second Thunderbird was also totaled in a freak accident. “I can’t recall the details, but dad decided to keep that one as well,” Shari says. “Both cars were tucked away for several years; dad was planning to restore them both. How cool would that have been—a pair of matching T-Birds?”  

In 1982 Richard retired from the Air National Guard after amassing 6,000 flight hours during a distinguished 30-year career. In that time, he had flown some of the Air Force’s fastest and most famous aircraft including the F-86 Sabre, F-102 Delta Dagger, and the RF-4 Phantom. Life continued, which meant the twin Thunderbirds continued to sit silently. 

“In 1990, Dad decided to give Jan and I our very own ‘totaled’ 1955 Thunderbirds,” says Shari. “We both knew that it would happen sooner or later but had hoped that the cars would have been done by then.” 

Shari’s Thunderbird, the second one, then sat in an enclosed trailer for years—there wasn’t a budget in place to restore the car, or a garage in which to properly store the Ford.  

“In 1998 I had finally set aside enough money to take the car to Roberts Auto Body in Mount Ayr, Iowa, and have them do some rust and body repair, as well as repaint the Ford in its original color. However, once the car was painted, I was out of money and unable to finish it, and it went back into the trailer. At some point, the trailer’s roof leaked, and the interior was damaged.” Shari recalls. 

“Dad passed away in April 2021, but prior to his death he gave each of us a nice inheritance to help cover the costs of restoration on each of the T-Birds,” Shari laments. “I decided to get mine finished as soon as possible, while my sister Jan used her inheritance for other purposes. I hope she’s able to get hers done someday.” 

In June of 2021, Shari’s Thunderbird was finally transported to Hill’s Classic Car Restorations, a 1955-’57 Thunderbird specialist located in Racine, Ohio. Under the guidance of Marvin Hill, a comprehensive restoration began. Both the numbers-matching 292-cu.in. engine and three-speed overdrive transmission were rebuilt, as was the rear differential that held a cruising-friendly 3.25:1 final drive ratio; the chassis was restored to factory specifications; and while the body had already been repainted prior, it was decided that subtle bodywork and new paint would elevate the exterior presentation to pure perfection. Similarly, the interior, and even the removable hardtop, were restored to better-than-new condition. The only significant alterations were the swap from a 6- to 12-volt electrical system and the installation of an electric fan against the radiator.  

The Thunderbird was finished in December of 2021 and delivered to an overjoyed Shari. “The car turned out much better than I could have ever imagined. I couldn’t wait to take it out for a drive and to some of the area car shows but had to wait until spring.” Shari says. 

As soon as winter’s icy grip relented, Shari spent the summer months driving and displaying her Thunderbird at area events. She also planned to display it at the International Thunderbird Convention in San Antonio in October of 2022. “Dad had been a member of the National Thunderbird Club for many years,” Shari explains. “I thought it would be a great way to honor his memory if both Jan and I went with the car.” 

Shari and Jan drove the Ford to the meet where the Thunderbird took top honors on the final night of the convention. It was both a proud and emotional moment. 

“Both ’55 Thunderbirds carry great memories of growing up in Lincoln and a strong connection with my father. I am so happy that I was finally able to get one of them restored and continue to build those memories today. I’m sure dad would be pleased,” Shari says. 

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