I have often lamented the lack of imagination displayed by modern car makers. Their engineers and design department can produce ground-breaking vehicles dripping with technology. However, those cars are often let down by uninspiring names. That wasn’t the case with Plymouth in the 1950s when they elected to attach “Fury” badges to one of their models. It is a name that conjures up images of raw power and a sense of attitude, making it little wonder that Stephen King selected that model as the subject of his iconic novel, Christine. Our feature car is a 1956 Fury, and while it isn’t perfect, it has no immediate needs beyond a new owner. The seller located it as part of an estate and feels that it needs to go to someone who will appreciate what it offers. If you feel sorely tempted, you will find the Plymouth listed for sale here on eBay. Its location is unclear, but bidding has already raced to $15,665, although that figure is short of the reserve. The seller may also entertain a trade for the right vehicle.
While Henry Ford has often been erroneously quoted as saying that buyers could purchase his iconic Model T in any color as long as it was black, if a prospective 1956 Fury buyer wasn’t partial to Eggshell White, they needed to look elsewhere. It was the sole color that Plymouth offered buyers in that model year. However, with manufacturers proving so accommodating during that era, they may have considered a Special Order shade for the right buyer. There is no evidence that this occurred, but it is interesting to contemplate when you consider the company’s color palette for that year. The seller has little information about this classic’s history, but it presents nicely for its age. The paint holds a decent shine, with no significant visible problems. The panels are pretty straight, but there is a crease at the bottom of the passenger door that the buyer will probably address. The bright trim pieces are in good order, with the full wheel covers and whitewall tires adding a classy touch. With spotless glass, it seems this Fury has no pressing needs.
The Fury’s interior presents as nicely as its exterior, with nothing beyond some mild stretching and marks on the cloth seat upholstery. The headliner also has visible marks, although the buyer could consult a professional to ascertain whether they could address these. The carpet looks nice, while the painted surfaces are virtually perfect. The factory AM radio is intact, and the dash houses the original push-buttons for the automatic transmission. This is historically significant, as the 1956 model year was the first when an American manufacturer offered this feature. As with the exterior, this Fury’s interior has no immediate needs, with its overall condition consistent with what buyers might expect from a survivor-grade classic.
The seller is slightly unsure about the V8 powering this Fury but believes it is a 303ci that produces 240hp. The power feeds from the motor to the rear wheels via a two-speed PowerFlite automatic transmission. The combination allows the Plymouth to cover the ¼ mile in 17.5 seconds before winding its way to 113mph. The listing indicates an odometer reading of 91,000 miles, but there is no mention of evidence confirming the originality. The previous owner replaced the battery, generator, and regulator, which function as they should. The seller supplies no specific information on how the Fury runs or drives but gives the impression that it is in sound mechanical health. If the appearance is an accurate guide, the news should be positive.
I have resisted the urge to suggest that someone buy this 1956 Plymouth Fury and transform it into a Christine clone for two reasons. The first is that this car is from the wrong production year. The other is that such vehicles have become pretty common, and I believe that this car deserves better. It’s also worth remembering that Plymouth only produced 4,485 examples of the Fury in 1956. This figure represents a drop in the ocean when you consider that 571,634 vehicles rolled off their production line in that year. That makes this classic a car worthy of preservation and helps explain why it has attracted thirty bids. Are you tempted to submit the thirty-first? If you do, I can hardly blame you.
I’d rather have one of these than a tri-five Ford or Chevy. Seems funny that seller didn’t say how it runs or if the pushbutton shift works as intended.
Not a fan of push-button shifting, but this is a nice car.
typerwrighter slush pumper (pushbutton auto)
The location in the eBay link says Spring Texas, which is 25 miles from Houston.
4.485 Furys were built for `56.
Beautiful period driver.Don’t change a thing.
Adam – usually don’t bash up the writers so much as the commenters but I’m taking an issue with this write up.
As mentioned by a reader the car is located in Texas – which is right there on the Ebay ad. Also no mention of the factory Tach – which no other manufacture o a four seat american car offered – except Studebaker in 1956 and pretty much beyond.
Saw this car at the Pate Swap meet after some buddies had said it was there – so I went and looked for it – being an owner of one.
Nice car but – it might be a $25,000 car tops if you had a had one for it. He was asking I thing about $35,000.
Lots of really good things about and Fury specific trim is about at 98%. Small easy chrome trim parts you could get off a Belvedere hardtop were messed up or broken so I just made a pass at it. Did talk to the owner who had bought it like it is and was needed to sell to put the money in something else.
The motor looked right but I didn’t look to close at the top engine pad to see the serial # – the first Plymouth based V/8 in 1956 was the 277 which I also own in a Plaza I have. The 1956 Fury got a little more cubes at that 303 cubic inch and then that block became the famous 318 poly we all know and love in 1957.
Did I mention the Factory tach ? These also came out mid-year in January just in time to run the Daytona Speed Weeks on the sand down in Florida.
stillrunners: Are you sure the 300B didn’t have a tach?
Todd Fitch: Being a Ford guy, it would be a tough choice between this and a ’56 Victoria hardtop (no, not the Crown).
Will Fox: I was thinking the same as you about the interior. There are better (and more) pics in the e-Bay ad.
Adam Clarke: Packard had a push button trans in ’56, too; Edsel followed in ’58.
Too bad the original air cleaner is missing – that was a cool piece IIRC.
Yes the 300 – 300B and up to about the bucket seat years with a consol – I think 1961 up – the tach was an option starting about 1961 or so up. What the early and all 300’s had was that 150 speedo which the Fury got in 1957.
Thanks for the info. I have one and thought only Fury in 56 offered the Tack. I didnt know Studebacker did also. Selling mine. Asking $29. Tells all about it on Hemmings if you can find it with a nice video on the bottom.
This is an awesome alternative for a 57 Chevy, on the cheap.
Nice find, Adam! Plymouth was ahead of the curve putting these fins on the ’56, a year before Chrysler corporate went “all in” on fins with the Exner lineup for ’57. I saw a pair in Seattle, a ’56 and a ’57 both in this color scheme with the gold trim, parked together at a show, making a wonderful comparison. To my eye the ’57s are gorgeous, my first choice, but the Fury is top of the heap in ’56. Good luck to the seller and buyer!
There were great cars and a mistake was made by dropping them for the 1957 which had huge problems. My family had one and my parents were married in it. I have wonderful memories of my Dads stories of how fast and powerful they were. I am going to bid on this, but would expect it in the 35-40k range which is a bit over my price. They rarely come up for sale and this is a very nice example. I love it.
Perhaps I’m not seeing enough of the interior, but it appears as though the seats and door panels are black? At least that’s how it looks in the one photo. If so, they aren’t correct at all. the `56 Furys had tan/tweed-style fabric much like the `57-`58 models did, and it carried over onto the door panels. Again, I’m not seeing enough of it to be sure, but perhaps ‘stillrunners’ who saw this same Fury at the TX. Pate swap meet can confirm this?
The interior is entirely an owner’s choice. Nothing correct about seats or DPs. Any knowledgeable prospect would pick up on that immediately. A shame to put a junk interior in a valuable vehicle, but that seems to be the place where some people scrimp. Perhaps they think no one will notice. Be prepared to spend a few grand to do it right.
Yep Will – you could go over to the Ebay ad for more inside pics but the interior is for the most part wrong. They do offer the 1957/58 fabric which is really close if not the same BUT it is expensive ! Lucky they just covered over mine but it’s still 65 years old !
I had got pretty upset at my stomach as the trim parts that where damaged could have been easy corrected and the owner was there trying to make the sale. I didn’t say any negative words to him – just mentioned I owned one and came to look at his.
Buyer’s remorse when the owner saw the 1957s.
Nice piece for an old man’s dream. Trades? My current project is a 2007 H2SUT. It’s up and running and is a sweet ride? Interested?
MY oldest brother (RIP) bought a Belvedere 4 door new. It was a real shiny green, At the time I remember thinking it was the most beautiful car I had ever seen. I could stare at it for hours on end looking at the lines and curves and contrast design, and those little fins just topped it all off. He told me the rear gear ratio was 4:11 so with the v8 and push button automatic it got poor mileage. I sure do like this Fury, what a beautiful car. Like others I hope it finds a good home.
God Bless America
This is so nice it belongs in a museum. So us hot rodders can’t stuff a Hemi into it.
Nobody would EVER consider doing a Christine clone on this car ! On top of being the wrong year and body style for a Christine clone which you mention , the movie Christine’s weren’t even Furys (though they were supposed to be) , They were Belvederes or Savoys with Belvedere trim and the Furys wouldn’t have been red from the factory either .
What is that finned tank above the master cylinder, it appears to be hooked up to the vacuum, perhaps an additional tank ? I do like these though and saw one recently in very nice order on Bring a Trailer and from memory was cheaper than this one but a lot better example.
It’s the vacuum assisted power brakes unit.
Power-brake booster. “Treadle-Vac.”
Car is in great shape for a driver. And I always know a Chrysler under the hood – play “Where’s Waldo?” to find the ballast resistor.
Thanks for that information, I had never seen anything like that before.
Indeed the PB Booster but it’s the Kelsey Hayes-built MoPar bellows-type assy, not the Bendix-built Treadle-Vac used on lot of other makes.
A trip to watch them working, that bellows visually collapses and expands there under the hood as someone works the Brake Pedal with the engine running.
Master Cylinder fluid check-n-fill activity is a real bear though since that assist bellows makes it difficult to even see the the MC just below, let alone get its top Lid off for a check. Collapsed assist bellows makes that a bit easier, so have someone start the engine and step on the Brakes to improve MC Lid access!
In late 1963 a high school friend showed me his brother’s 1956 fury, this exact car. It had experienced massive front end damage when his brother fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a parked car. His passenger, no seat belts in those days, was sent hurling into the dashboard and caused a deep dent where his teeth embedded into the steel dash. I still remember with what revulsion I felt when I saw that. Began appreciating strict seat belt rules long before they became mandatory in California.