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?
The variety of bright, eye-catching, unique colors on 50’s cars is noteworthy given that most (over 70%) of new cars today are just four colors. This coral color is a great example.
Have you ever done this? At a car show, try to get on a nearby hill where you can see the entire show field. And just look at the variety of colors. Or, do it at an inside show where there are bright lights on the cars. Striking.
Nice car.
Absolutely gorgeous.
Am I wrong in assuming the pink and black pillows that are embroidered with the Thunderbird name are not from the Ford factory as part of the personal luxury vehicle experience? With or without the pillows it is a beautiful automobile.
There is a term, The Pink and Black Days, related with 50’s music.
Yes, Colors galore.
And today, plastic crap for fuel mileage.
Talk about colors today, but so few have any colors.
Miss two tones.
Fortunately for you Joe, two tones are available from Rolls Royce, call you dealer for details.
I respectfully submit that the mileage on this car has been turned back. The odometer numbers should be perfectly even if the mileage is truly that low. They are not.
Terrry, I disagree. Look again at the odometer. Those are plastic mechanical rollers that are driven from the tenths wheel. Notice that the farther from the tenths wheel they are they get progressively slightly farther behind the driven wheel. They all have some slop in them and as they age and any lubrication they might have come with dries up they might become as mis-aligned as these are.
Also check out the old outboard motors on the driveway. The blue one is an early 50s Evinrude ‘Lightwin’ 3 horse. I have a 1953 I bought for $40 bucks at a garage sale and use it all the time on my little lake. Runs like new. They were built to last….The Johnson is a mid 60s 3 horse also……..same design made for years………..T-Bird is awesome BTW……….
Here I thought the coral color was a re-spray of Ford’s `54 shade used on passenger cars! This is the first `56 I’ve seen in this shade, and it is stunning! Probably one of THE best original `56 models around. I can’t fault this car one iota. I’d buy it right now if I had the money.
Years ago when I lived in LA, I went out looking for a cool car and came within minutes of buying a mint T – Bird like this in Black and White. I was just about to tell the salesman ‘yes’ when one of the Beach Boys walked in. He wanted it to but acknowledged it was only fair to give me first tibs. I was so start-struck I told him it was his and I ended up buying a Mercedes 450 SEL. I loved that car and it had both an alarm and a steering wheel lock on it. One afternoon I went to a movie in the middle of Sherman Oaks, and when I came out the car was gone. The cops told me later that theater parking lots were a favorite for theives because they knew the owners would be inside the theater for at least an hour. That night the cops found the car in Coldwater Canyon. Whoever stole it had striped it including the other and then pushed the carcass into the middle of the road and someone came around the corner in the dark, hit it and cut it right in half. I had to go to the impound yard to identify it and from then on in I never let myself get that attached to any car :(
checked e-bay add original bill of sale on ebay lists bill heath as original owner. yes he was a film producer
Who cares who bought it first?
Awesome since most 50s Ford’s rotted yo the windows by the early 60s. I love this car.
Terrry, my thoughts exactly. But so what?
IMO this is one of the few cars that coral paint looks good on. Even the continental kit looks good on this one.
SOLD for $35,716.