1956 Ford Thunderbird

Model History

The actual beginnings of the Ford Thunderbird are a little varied depending on which history books you reference. Some claim it started with Ford division general manager Lewis Crusoe admiring two-seater European cars at the 1951 Paris auto show. He says to then Ford designer George Walker, “Why can’t we have something like these?” Walker says, “we do” and then quickly, and discretely, phones the Michigan office to get them working on something. Heh…probably not exactly how it happened but as my old friend Alan Walker would say, “don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story”. Most likely the catalyst was much closer to home. The Thunderbird first appeared in 1954 as a ’55 model as Ford’s answer to the Chevrolet Corvette. The Corvette was all sports car though, and the T-bird was to play both sides of the sports car/personal luxury car coin. And it did it quite well…over 16,000 were produced in the first year and nearly 30,000 by the end of the first gen cars in 1957.

Photo Credits: From the cover of the 1955 Ford Thunrderbird catalog

Car History

Second Daily is proud to present this immaculately well-kept 1956 Ford Thunderbird convertible with continental kit. This T-bird is powered by the 312 V8 which is mated to a 2 speed Ford-O-Matic transmission. The current owner has retained possession for 20 years and has decided it is time for someone else to enjoy this show winning car. Taking home the trophy two years in a row from the San Diego Good Guys Show in Del Mar, CA, she comes with two tops, a hard top and soft top, and the hard top does have a rolling stand. It ships from CA with a clean clear title in the owner’s name (being represented by a broker currently).

Exterior

The Fiesta Red paint is a high quality repaint of the original color. The matching hardtop with factory porthole delete is a rare option typically not seen on these. This car also comes with a white vinyl soft top. We see no evidence of rust throughout and the seller reports this to be true. She retains the period correct wide whitewall tires with wire spoke wheel caps including the spare.

Interior

Inside, you are graced with matching Fiesta Red / Ivory accents. We can find no imperfections in this two seater. It is comfortably equipped with power windows, power seats, power steering, power brakes and added air conditioning. A matching padded armrest with cubby and cupholders has also been added for a slight modern amenity touch.

Maintenance

The transmission was rebuilt approximately 2000 miles ago. Over-sized radiators have been added, as has the air conditioning. The original radiators are included in the sale if desired. Other than a reported very small oil leak, all is said to be near flawless and in working order.

Final Thoughts

As spring and summer weather approach, how better to spend those days than in convertible classic T-bird?  Ford produced 15,631 of these in 1956…we might argue less than 1% present as well as this one. These are seeing great responses in the classic car market. Hagerty values range from mid $30k’s for “good” examples up to nearly $80,000 for concours level. Prices are stable currently which could indicate a good time to buy.

Bidding at Second Daily

Second Daily is an online curated auction house for specialty vehicles like you see here. Auctions run 24/7 and are 100% online. A reserve price has been set, so you must meet the reserve price with your bid in order to win the auction. If your bid is below the reserve, you may continue to bid until you hit the reserve price. The estimated value of the vehicle will give you an estimated indication of where the reserve price sits.

Disclaimer: We do our best to represent the vehicle from the information provided but this should not be implied as an inspection. Second Daily is not the owner of the vehicle and therefore we recommend as with any online vehicle purchase, as a potential buyer you should either arrange to visit it in person for a personal inspection, or hire a professional service to conduct a pre-purchase inspection. The full VIN number is available upon request, as potential buyers, you can perform your due diligence to determine if this vehicle meets your standards. Second Daily is not liable for the condition or contents of the vehicle. Please see our Terms and Conditions for more information.