I have been sitting on these pictures for, oh boy, probably close to two years. Thunderbird Week, however, finally prompted me to share my favorite model of my favorite year of the two-seat T-Birds: The Ertl Precision 100 1957 Thunderbird in Dusk Rose.
This model, along with a 1965 Mustang convertible and other models, were released by Ertl in 2003 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Ford Motor Company. These were much more detailed than the usual Ertl American Muscle fare, and comparable to Highway 61 diecasts in their level of accuracy and detail. Such as the photo-etched grille seen here.
The doors, hood and trunk all open, the driveshaft turns with the rear wheels, and factory colors are used, and a miniature 1957 Thunderbird sales brochure was also included. In addition to Dusk Rose, Starmist Blue was also offered. I have one of those too.
A removable hardtop was also included, for top-up or top-down display, at your pleasure. Note the “Lifeguard Design” decal on the door.
The inside was just as full of detail, with a bench seat that slides fore and aft, folding backrest, and moveable lever for the floor-mounted automatic.
There’s even tiny keys in the ignition!
While I’d never drive a pink car, on this car, and in this shade, this T-Bird just looks perfect. The ’50s, when color ruled: Blues, greens, reds, pinks and yellows!
The engine compartment is equally well done, with its reverse-opening hood and mini 312 CID V8 engine.
Even the fresh air vent opens! Cool, huh?
I got both of mine at the local hobby shop, which sadly closed its doors in summer 2011 when the owner retired. Ertl itself is gone, having crazily sold off its diecast and plastic model lines to focus on car seats and strollers, of all things. Auto World bought a lot of their 1/18 tooling, however, and currently offer this casting in Inca Gold, if you so desire. But I like my rose and blue ones better!
Love the colour and love its name. Dusk Rose. Very evocative.
Beautiful, love the car and the color. The ’57 is my favorite also of the 2-seat models.
Ertl’s American Muscle line may be long gone, but I can attest that the company itself is alive and well, having made thousands, possibly millions of farm toys over the past 65+ years.
Right, I forgot the farm toys! They have a whole aisle of them at Farm & Fleet during Christmas.
Very nicely done.Rivals die cast that cost much more. Though the “dusty rose” color is a little too femme for my tastes, you have to remember that these colors and pastel shades were common in the 50s.Another one that looked like the real deal at first glance.
A very pretty car, my sister has the real thing, which she got when my father died. He bought it back in the 70s from a gentleman in SoCal, if I recall correctly, for $2100. I remember going to look at the car with him, gorgeous house, and a 6 car garage. The T Bird sat in the last bay, with a Ferrari, Porsches, Jaguar and his wife’s car in the others. He was selling it because he needed the space. My father drove the car back to the midwest, and used it sparingly. Mostly it sat in the garage. In the early 80s someone ran a stop sign in front of him, and the front end was destroyed. The insurance company wanted to total it as a ‘1957 Ford’. Surprisingly enough, all the sheet metal was available from Ford, it seems that Budd Steel made the bodies, and never destroyed the dies. When the 55-57 Birds rose in value in the 70s/80s, they started remanufacturing the hoods, fenders, doors, etc. I haven’t talked to her lately, but I’m sure my sister still has the car, Dusk Rose with a white interior.
Nice model and highly detailed, just the way I like them.
In the early eighties I built some of Ertl’s 1:25 plastic model kits: the IH Transtar 4300 Eagle, a dump semi-trailer, the Smokey and the Bandit semi-trailer and two Macks DM600. One of them was supposed to be the Convoy Mack. Wrong, Ertl !! That was a Mack RS712LST !
I’ve always liked these T-birds but am not as sharp on them as I am on Priuses, Sevilles, and Mustang IIs.
The colors are one weak area. This Dusk Rose to me looks pink. There’s a similar color but with a little more orange. I think that color is called Coral and was on the ’57 T-bird in those ads Paul posted. Anyway I really like that color whatever it’s called.
Compared to the typical Chinese-built die casts that are starting to flood the market, these look like they were detailed enough to fool the casual observer…I sure thought this might be a real/full-sized car in some of the photos.
Ahh, the 50s/early 60s were great years for car colors. I remember my family poring over the huge book the dealer provided my Dad so he could custom order a new 1960 Ford, it was as big and heavy as a loose-leaf binder. We went back and forth for days on which color we would get. We didn’t even consider the 2 tones which were available for our soon to be next car…but some of the choices: like YELLOW, though not a taxi cab yellow. We settled on Belmont Blue, a color that looked purple at night in some conditions.
What a nice , detailed model .
When Rose was offered on actual cars it was not usually quite this bright a shade of pink .
I like Salmon colored vehicles and have owned several .
Desert Rose is really nice , it’s beige with *just* of rose in it , very subtle .
-Nate
As I mentioned, my father had one, in original Dusk Rose, and no matter what you call it, that car was *Pink*. I would say they got the color dead on with this model, my sister had the model, to go with the real car, and the color was a perfect match, or so she said. From the front fenders back the car still has it’s original paint. That was the one T-Bird my father had I could never bring myself to ask to drive. In the early 70s he would buy clean 55/56/57 T-Birds in SoCal, and take them to the midwest, so we always had one or two around. I could cope with any of them, I had a black 55, but PINK??? no way, lol.
Looks like a very nice casting. I wasn’t aware Ertl exited the diecast business other than their farm series though–I guess that explains how the Auto World 1:18 appeared out of nowhere with designs that look suspicously similar to the last American Muscle offerings!
I wonder if the Precision 100 series was the forerunner of the “American Muscle Authentics” series? I have the ’85 Monte Carlo SS from the Authentics series and it’s beautifully executed–*almost* as good as the one AutoART 1:18 I have, which cost twice as much.
Would you consider selling this model. I have this exact “real” car. Would love the model also. Will post a photo if you like.
Hi Rebecca, I have this 56 Tin Model 1:18 Pink for Sale if your interested. Thx,Miles
is the pink 1957 model for sale? how much?