One of the joys of writing for Barn Finds is having the privilege to review some truly amazing cars. Some of these classics can be beautifully restored vehicles that look as good today as they did the day that they rolled off the production line. Others, like this 1956 Ford Thunderbird, are stunning survivors that are capable of taking your breath away. It has an interesting back story, and the seller has placed it on the market to settle his late father’s estate. Located in Thurmont, Maryland, you will find this beautiful T-Bird listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached $26,500 off the back of some strong interest, but this is still short of the reserve.

The seller states that his father purchased the Thunderbird in 1988. The story goes that it was purchased new by a Hollywood Film Producer. The seller doesn’t indicate who this person was, so that might be a mystery for the buyer to investigate further. It seems that the gentleman in question made it a practice to purchase a new Thunderbird, along with a new Corvette and one other car every year, and he would then squirrel them away in a warehouse. It sounds like he was treating them as some form of long-term investment in case his Hollywood career turned sour. When the seller’s father chanced upon this car in 1988, the odometer showed 10,594 original miles. He added a further 5,000 miles to this tally before he recently passed away. It is finished in Sunset Coral, which was a shade introduced to the ’56 Thunderbird line in April of that year. This is nicely contrasted by its original hardtop which is finished in its correct shade of Raven Black. The seller makes no mention of any respray or touch-up work, and I can’t find any evidence of this in the supplied photos. If that is right, that makes the paint 65-years-old. It still presents beautifully, with a deep shine that can’t help but impress. There is no evidence of significant flaws, and the panels are as straight as you could ever hope to find. Given how long it spent hidden away in a California warehouse, it is no surprise to discover that the vehicle has managed to remain rust-free. The tinted glass is in excellent condition, while the trim and chrome, including the original hubcaps, appear to be flawless. The wide whitewall tires add the perfect finishing touch to this stunning classic.

While many people will draw an instant comparison between cars like this Thunderbird and the Corvette of the era, the truth is that the two companies were attacking their offerings with a different design philosophy, and a different target market in mind. While both were two-seat convertibles, Chevrolet’s aim with the Corvette was to produce a more hard-edged traditional sports car. Ford conceived the T-Bird as a personal luxury car, so they had less of a focus on outright performance. However, this didn’t mean that the Ford offering could be considered a performance slug. This car comes equipped with a numbers-matching 312ci V8 and a Ford-O-Matic transmission. That configuration allowed the Thunderbird to cover the ¼ mile in 16.5 seconds, and when you consider that the best that you could hope for from an automatic Corvette was 17.2 seconds for the same journey, the T-Bird could hold its head high. The original owner also ordered this car with power steering and power brakes, meaning that this was a classic that was both fairly fast and effortless to drive. The seller says that the vehicle has a small coolant leak from somewhere near the intake, but otherwise, it runs and drives perfectly. He has the original Dealer Invoice to include in the sale. While he claims that the car has a genuine 15,197 miles on the clock, he doesn’t indicate whether he holds evidence to verify this. That is a further question for potential buyers to ask.

Turning our attention to the interior reveals another aspect of this vehicle that presents beautifully. It is trimmed in the Code XA combination of Black and White, which makes a bold statement when combined with the exterior colors. There is some wrinkling on the driver’s seat, but there’s not much else to be critical of. The upholstered surfaces are free from any wear and damage, while the same is true of the carpet and the wheel. The bright trim pieces shine beautifully, and the dash is spotless. Most impressively, the gauge lenses have avoided developing a cloudy appearance, and the markings look crisp and clear. As far as comfort and convenience features are concerned, the T-Bird comes equipped with power windows, a 4-way power seat, and a pushbutton radio.

This 1956 Thunderbird is a stunning survivor that might motivate its next owner to become an amateur sleuth. It would be wonderful to be able to confirm its backstory and to be able to verify who the Hollywood Producer was who is claimed to be this classic’s original owner. For me, that would be interesting, but not something that I would class as essential. What I would be placing a higher priority on would be to confirm that the odometer reading is genuine. If it is, that makes this an amazing survivor. However, I would still love somebody to uncover this car’s complete story and be willing to share it with us. Could that person be you?