1956 Ford Thunderbird Roadster

Inspired by the success of the Corvette, Ford took a different track with its two-seater and billed the 1955 Thunderbird as a personal luxury car, putting a greater emphasis on the car's comfort and convenience features rather than any inherent sportiness.

This nicely restored '56 T-bird has been in a museum collection in Tucson, AZ for the past 10 years. The underbody was refinished during the restoration process and shows quite well. A front disc brake conversion was also done which is a vast improvement over the stock driven drum brakes. The engine was separated to dual cabs during the restoration process as well.

Designations aside, the Thunderbird achieved its goal and more, outselling the Corvette by an amazing 23:1 ratio for 1955 with 16,155 Thunderbirds compared to just 700 Corvettes. Ford pressed on with their corporate foot on the gas and made plans to continue that success for 1956.

With the 1955 T-Bird considered a financial success, few changes were made to the car for 1956. The most notable ones were moving the spare tire to a Continental rear bumper-style to create more space in the trunk, switching to a 12-volt electrical system and adding functional vents in the front fenders.

The 312-cubic-inch engine, featured in this car, was an option over the standard 292-cubic-inch V-8 in 1956, as was the new porthole hardtop.

The bodywork on this Thunderbird remains excellent, with fine panel gaps and fit and Colonial White paint is also in very nice condition, with only very minor imperfections. Likewise, the matching white hardtop looks great, with no scratches to be found, no soft top. The front and rear chrome bumpers retain a great shine with no major scratches or corrosion and the trim looks good with only a few spots showing some early signs of pitting.

The incredible T-Bird dashboard still looks amazing and all gauges are in good working order except for the original clock. The headlights and taillights, turn signals, two-speed vacuum wipers and horn all work well.

The previous owner installed an aftermarket AM/FM radio that retains the classic look of the rest of the dash and sounds great. The data plate indicates this is an original 312-cubic-inch V-8 car with four-barrel carburetor and three-speed automatic transmission. During the restoration process the engine was upgraded to dual carburetors. he engine runs strong and sounds great through the dual exhaust system that exits through the rear bumper.

This car runs on a 12-volt system and the engine bay is in clean overall condition, with no visible rust to be found. It was undercoated some years ago and can easily be described as clean and lightly used fuel gauge and tach are inop.. On the road, the car has plenty of power for modern highway speeds and shifts smoothly. Adding to its drivability and comfort, this example is equipped with power steering, disc front brakes, power windows, power seat and aftermarket gauges. The Michelin P215/75 R15 whitewall tires have good tread life left, and they look great with the 15-inch wheels and wire hubcaps.

Inside, the red bench seats with white trim, matching inner door panels, red metal dashboard, white three-spoke steering wheel and red carpet all look clean, with some typical minor wear but no flaws. It is obviously a Thunderbird that has lived a good life and been well-cared for, with only honest wear showing from its careful usse Ffoor-mounted shifter and two aftermarket gauges mounted below the dash round out the interior.

Thunderbirds continue to sell well, show well and drive well, so this 1956 Thunderbird is ready to enjoy, whether it is at local car shows, Thunderbird tours, car club outings or simply taking a nice long country cruise. Stop by MotoeXotica Classic Cars today to check out this T-Bird.

VIN: P6FH285595

This car is currently located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows 66,917 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt title. GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!

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