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'55-'57 Mexican Tbird Production History

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  • YellowRose
    Super-Experienced


    • Jan 21 2008
    • 17191

    '55-'57 Mexican Tbird Production History

    The following is a result of an email that I sent out regarding the 1957 Mexican assembled E-Code Thunderbird that was recently offered for sale at the San Antonio Don Kruse Auction March 28th, 2015. High bid was $46,000 but it did not reach the Reserve price and did not sell. This caused some comments back regarding this email, as some people do not know that 197 1955-1957 Thunderbirds were assembled in Mexico City for Ford in their La Villa plant. I have known about these Tbirds for some years now.

    The following information regarding 1955-1957 Thunderbird assembly in the Mexico City plant was originally sourced from CTCI's "Early Bird" and noted as well in the VTCI's 1955-1957 Original Factory Specifications manual, which Alan Tast was a co-author of. In addition, Alan, who provided me with the following information, also covered this subject in his book, "Thunderbird 1955-1966" published in 1996.

    The topic of 1955-1957 Thunderbird Mexican assembly was covered as follows on page F7-1 of the 1955-1957 VTCI OFS, dated 12/3/2002:

    1955 Additional Information: No breakdown of engine/transmission combinations has been found by VTCI Export: Of the 16,155 cars produced at the Dearborn Assembly Plant, 619 were exported as assembled units, and 48 were shipped “knocked down” for assembly at a Ford facility overseas. An additional 47 cars were shipped to Ford’s assembly plant in Mexico City, where they were given serial numbers which included ‘MEX’ in place of the Dearborn Assembly Plant's “F” code. Of these 47, 6 have Fordomatic, 29 have overdrive, and 12 are three-speed versions. One car was imported fully built, probably to provide an example for assembly at the La Villa plant in Mexico City (Sources: Early Bird, Sep-Oct ’93, p. 25)

    1956 Additional Information: No breakdown of engine/transmission combinations has been found by VTCI Nine out of every ten hardtops sold were with the portholes installed. No cars were delivered from the factory with the 260 hp dual carburetor package- this was a dealer-installed accessory. Export: Of the 15,631 cars produced at the Dearborn Assembly Plant, 694 were exported as assembled units, and 90 were shipped “knocked down” for assembly at a Ford facility overseas. An additional 91 cars were shipped to Ford’s assembly plant in Mexico City, where they were given serial numbers which included ‘MEX’ in place of the Dearborn Assembly Plant's “F” code. Of these 91, 9 were built with 292/3speed, 33 with 312/Ford-O-Matic, and 49 with 312/Overdrive (Sources: Early Bird, Sep-Oct ’93, p. 25)

    1957 Additional Information: Export: Of the 21,380, 580 were exported, and an additional 72 were KD (“Knock-Down”) Mexican production figures for knocked down cars sent to La Villa plant are (engines unknown): Fordomatic 25 Overdrive 34 Total 59 Final production for 1957 is adjusted to 21,439 units to include Mexican cars. (Sources: Early Bird, Sep-Oct ’93, p. 25)

    It's very rare to run into one of the Mexican-assembled 'Birds. That one was found in the San Antonio area doesn't surprise me. With that being stated, the question of Mexican-built '55-'57s has not come to my attention in the 12+ years that the current OFS for '55-'57s has been in use. I'm not aware of any differences between the Mexican-assembled cars versus Dearborn-assembled export cars or others knocked-down for export and assembled at Ford plants overseas with exception of the unique VIN. Export cars typically had heavy-duty components, kilometer-gradiated speedometers where required, etc., and I'm not aware that any non-standard color combinations were offered unless the car was special-ordered or shipped in primer or a non-standard or non-Ford-offered color. The Concours Rules and the OFS do cover instances where a special-ordered color or trim can be verified by the data plate and other documentation to avoid a modification point deduction.

    Part of the reason why we ask for people to submit their VIN and data plate information with their registrations to VTCI Regional and International conventions is so that unique or unusual cars can be documented and identified by the Chief Judge, so that they can prepare for questions from the judging team. We also ask owners/registrants to have information available during the judging process to help document such unique conditions and educate judges to help them understand features that otherwise have not been documented. It is the responsibility of both judges and owners to thoroughly read the OFS and know where information is in preparation for judging. And should something fall through the cracks, an appeal process is in place to amend show-field tallies if it can be proven that an item that was scored incorrectly in terms of authenticity or use of factory-installed/designed components.

    If you have additional questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

    Alan H. Tast, AIA, LEED AP Technical Director, Vintage Thunderbird Club Int'l. http://www.vintagethunderbirdclub.net Author, "Thunderbird 1955-1966" & "Thunderbird 50 Years"

    Note: The actual count of 1955-1957 "Knock Down" Tbirds that were assembled in the La Villa plant in Mexico has been cited as 197. However, if you add up the count for 1955, 1956 and 1957, the figure comes up as 210. Look at the statement regarding the number of Tbirds that were sent to the La Villa plant for 1957's. It states that an "additional 72 were KD ("Knock Down" Mexican production figures for knocked down cars sent to La Villa plant". Then later states "Fordomatic 25 Overdrive 34 Total 59 Final production for 1957". That difference between 59 and 72 raises the number to 210, IF 72 is the correct number. Most publications regarding the total number of Tbirds assembled in Mexico cite that as being 197.
    Last edited by YellowRose; May 10, 2022, 11:11 AM.

    Ray Clark - Squarebirds Administrator
    The Terminator..... VTCI #11178 ITC #6000 Yellow Mustang Registry (YMR) #12188
    Contact me via Private Message for my email address, or Call (Cell) 210-875-1411

    https://www.squarebirds.org/picture_gallery/TechnicalResourceLibrary/trl.htm
    Faye's Ovarian Cancer Memorial Website.
    https://faye.rayclark.info/index.html
  • Guest

    #2
    Very interesting article Ray, I had read about these cars in the Early Bird Magazine but the article in VTCI is more complete and detailed.

    Comment

    • YellowRose
      Super-Experienced


      • Jan 21 2008
      • 17191

      #3
      '55-'57 Mexican Tbird Production History

      Federico owns two Babybirds assembled in Mexico and one from the US. Here is what he has said. I am leaving out the full serial number of them. I can tell you that all three of them are registered in John Rotella's Tbird Registry.

      "My '55 (owned since 1981) is P5MEXH1***** and my '56 (owned since 1979) is P6MEXH1*****, '57 (owned since 2000) is an Export model D7FH1***** that was shipped to Mexico since the '57. I have not seen '57 TBirds with P7MEX?, but I have not seen more than mine, I am sure there are."

      We know there were 197 Babybirds, '55-'57 assembled in the La Villa plant in Mexico City. Only 2 '55 Tbirds with the MEXH indicator have been registered in the Tbird Registry so far. Three that I know of for 1956, and only 5 for 1957. Hopefully, Babybird owners who do have Mexican assembled Tbirds will come forward and register them. We do not know how many out of those 197 are still with us.

      Federico, if you know of any other Babybirds in Mexico that were manufactured there, please see if you can get the owners to provide you with the VIN#'s so we can get them into the Tbird Registry for the historical record. Thanks!
      Last edited by YellowRose; July 8, 2015, 08:43 PM. Reason: Additional Comment

      Ray Clark - Squarebirds Administrator
      The Terminator..... VTCI #11178 ITC #6000 Yellow Mustang Registry (YMR) #12188
      Contact me via Private Message for my email address, or Call (Cell) 210-875-1411

      https://www.squarebirds.org/picture_gallery/TechnicalResourceLibrary/trl.htm
      Faye's Ovarian Cancer Memorial Website.
      https://faye.rayclark.info/index.html

      Comment

      • YellowRose
        Super-Experienced


        • Jan 21 2008
        • 17191

        #4
        As a result of helping Todd ~ toddtutt search for a 1957 D Code 3spd OD Willow Green Babybird, I have come across additional information regarding the 197 1955-1957 Babybirds that were assembled in the La Villa Ford Plant in Mexico. Thanks to Dave Tulowitzky, of the 1955-1957 Babybird Registry, he provided me with this additional history. One of the things that he said was that ALL these 1957 Tbirds left their factory with the E7MEXH coding even though they did NOT have the "E" code engine in them... Here is a copy of the article he sent me. You can click on the picture and click again and it should bring it up in a more readable size...
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        Last edited by YellowRose; April 13, 2019, 10:47 AM.

        Ray Clark - Squarebirds Administrator
        The Terminator..... VTCI #11178 ITC #6000 Yellow Mustang Registry (YMR) #12188
        Contact me via Private Message for my email address, or Call (Cell) 210-875-1411

        https://www.squarebirds.org/picture_gallery/TechnicalResourceLibrary/trl.htm
        Faye's Ovarian Cancer Memorial Website.
        https://faye.rayclark.info/index.html

        Comment

        • YellowRose
          Super-Experienced


          • Jan 21 2008
          • 17191

          #5
          Dave Tulowitzky just sent me this correction regarding ALL 1957 Babybirds having been designated as E7MEXH Birds. Here is what he had to say and the graphic to back it up.

          "Ray, I stand corrected on all `57's being E7MEXH. We know that the last two built in Mexico had the "D" prefix. We do not know why and may never know.
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          Last edited by YellowRose; April 12, 2019, 08:33 PM.

          Ray Clark - Squarebirds Administrator
          The Terminator..... VTCI #11178 ITC #6000 Yellow Mustang Registry (YMR) #12188
          Contact me via Private Message for my email address, or Call (Cell) 210-875-1411

          https://www.squarebirds.org/picture_gallery/TechnicalResourceLibrary/trl.htm
          Faye's Ovarian Cancer Memorial Website.
          https://faye.rayclark.info/index.html

          Comment

          • YellowRose
            Super-Experienced


            • Jan 21 2008
            • 17191

            #6
            Here are three more interesting stories that Dave Tulowitzky sent me. They will give you a further insight into Mexican assembly of the 1955-1957 Babybirds!

            "Ray, here are three articles from the 1990's. Two were written by Ramon Rodriguez from Mexico City. Ramon attended the CTCI National Convention in Memphis with his car. He trailered it to the border in an enclosed trailer, then drove it from Texas to Memphis. Dave."

            Once you have clicked on a graphic to bring it up, if you need to read it better, click on it again. Thanks to Alan Tast, here on our Forum, Dave Tulowitzky, Joe Johnston here on our Forum, and Lance Herrington, (also a member of this Forum, but not to active here), of Thunderbirds Southwest for the information they provided...
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            Last edited by YellowRose; April 12, 2019, 08:38 PM.

            Ray Clark - Squarebirds Administrator
            The Terminator..... VTCI #11178 ITC #6000 Yellow Mustang Registry (YMR) #12188
            Contact me via Private Message for my email address, or Call (Cell) 210-875-1411

            https://www.squarebirds.org/picture_gallery/TechnicalResourceLibrary/trl.htm
            Faye's Ovarian Cancer Memorial Website.
            https://faye.rayclark.info/index.html

            Comment

            • YellowRose
              Super-Experienced


              • Jan 21 2008
              • 17191

              #7
              In previous posts, I have commented about seeing a White 1957 Babybird that was assembled in the La Villa Ford Plant in Mexico City. This was in early 2015, while our local Tbird Club was providing staff for a local car auction. This was my first time to actually see a Mexican assembled Babybird, which are quite rare. So I took a number of pix of it including one of the VIN # and commentary on the car. This started me digging into the History of those 1955-1957 Mexican assembled Babybirds. I just found a picture that I took that day of the print out on the windshield of that car, and the car itself. That Tbird did not sell that day.
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              Ray Clark - Squarebirds Administrator
              The Terminator..... VTCI #11178 ITC #6000 Yellow Mustang Registry (YMR) #12188
              Contact me via Private Message for my email address, or Call (Cell) 210-875-1411

              https://www.squarebirds.org/picture_gallery/TechnicalResourceLibrary/trl.htm
              Faye's Ovarian Cancer Memorial Website.
              https://faye.rayclark.info/index.html

              Comment

              • YellowRose
                Super-Experienced


                • Jan 21 2008
                • 17191

                #8
                Recently, I have been back into researching 1955-1957 Mexican Assembled Tbirds in the La Villa assembly plant in Mexico. I have received a bit more information from the only Mexican Tbird owner now on the Forum. That is Raul Rojas Elias ~ roer52 who owns a 1955 Torch Red Mexican assembled Tbird. He sent me several pix of one of his friends '56 & '57 Tbirds that were assembled in the La Villa assembly plant. You may find them interesting. You will see like in our USA plants who sometimes had typo problems on Data Plates, the La Villa plant or the Mexican version of our DMV had typo problems with their Registration process. Here is what he sent me and I took the time to translate the 1957 Invoice to English. The 1956 is too hard to read, but is similar in description to the 1957 one.

                Here is that translation.

                Automoviles de Camiones
                Truck Cars

                por la siguiente que ha comprado y recibido a su entera sdatisfaction pagadero esta ciudad al Contado Riguroso en Nonada National

                for the following one that you have bought and received to your entire satisfaction payable to this city in strict cash in Nonada National

                1 (UNO) 102 Thunderbird, marca "Ford" modelo 1957, color blanco Colonial y Thunderbird Bronze, con 5 lintas nationales "Good Year Oxo de Nylon 750 x 14, Equipado con:-elavadores eleotricos de Ventanilles; Control Electrico de A-siento en 4 posiciones; Cristals ca color; A-mortiguadorea del. y tras. reforgados "Extreme Duty"; Calentador; Radio c/Selector Automatico y Antenna de Lujo; Lavador Automatico de Para-brisa; Pantaletas; Lucea de Revrsea; Tapones - de Rueda tipo Turbina; Transmision Ford-O-Matic Franos de Fortencia; Acabado de Lujo de Motor;-Capacete de Lona en adicion al de Plasitico; - Filtro de Aceite; Cubierta de Lona; Juego Lian tas Blancas y Motor V-8 de 275 C. de F. Numero.

                1 (ONE) 102 Thunderbird, brand "Ford" model 1957, Colonial white and Thunderbird Bronze, with 5 national lines "Good Year Oxo" Nylon 750 x 14, Equipped with:-Electric Window Lifters; Electric Seat Control in 4 positions; Colored glass; Front and rear shock absorbers reinforced "Extreme Duty"; Heater; Radio w/ Automatic Selector and Luxury Antenna; Automatic Windshield Washer; Panes; Reverse light; Plugs - of Turbine-type wheel; Ford-O-Matic Transmission; Strength Brakes; Luxury Engine Finish;-Canvas Bonnet in addition to the Plastic Cap; - Oil Filter; Canvas Cover; White Lian Set and 275 V-8 Engine C. de F. Number.

                E-SIETE-M-E-X - H - UNC-CERO-CERO-SEIS-SEIS-NEUVE.
                E 7 M E X - H - 1 0 0 6 6 9

                En la cantidad de: -
                Impuasto sobre Ingresos Merchantiles
                Impuasto alEstado

                In the amount of: -
                Business Income Tax
                State Tax
                T O T A L : -

                (OCEENTA Y CUATRO NIL QUINIENTO CATORCE PESAS 30/100 MON. NAC.)

                (EIGHTY-FOUR THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN PESOS 30/100 NAC. MON.)

                R e c i b i m c a : -
                AUTOMOVILES DE LAPORLAN, S.A.
                Tomas Harrell Treiffico
                Gerante.-

                R e c i b i m q a : -
                AUTOMOBILES DE ZLAPORLA N, S.A.
                Thomas Harrell Treiffico
                Manager.-



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                Ray Clark - Squarebirds Administrator
                The Terminator..... VTCI #11178 ITC #6000 Yellow Mustang Registry (YMR) #12188
                Contact me via Private Message for my email address, or Call (Cell) 210-875-1411

                https://www.squarebirds.org/picture_gallery/TechnicalResourceLibrary/trl.htm
                Faye's Ovarian Cancer Memorial Website.
                https://faye.rayclark.info/index.html

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