With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, here’s a nice green-themed beauty for your eyes to feast on. No, it’s not the shade of green that the Emerald Isle is known for, but it’s an attractive green and really pops on the grass and blooming bushes in the photo above. When introduced in 1955, Thunderbirds could be ordered in five colors, but for 1956, the color chart doubled to ten paint options. This one is Code Z and you’ll see it called both Thunderbird Green and Sage Green. I did some research but couldn’t find production numbers based on paint color for the ’56 Thunderbird. Reading several T-Bird Forums though, it’s guesstimated that only between four and nine percent of the 15, 631 Thunderbirds produced for model year 1956 left the factory with the Code Z paint option. (I’ve only seen one in person in all my years of attending car shows.)
You see a number of these Green ‘Birds with the fiberglass hardtop painted Colonial White for contrast, but this one’s hardtop matches the car’s green body (the seller shares that the ‘Bird has a soft top as well). The paint quality looks very good and I’m not seeing any rust or flaws in this beautiful ‘Bird that has always been garaged and called California home. It’s sporting the gorgeous Kelsey Hayes Wire Wheels and a matching green tonneau cover. (Tonneau covers were an option on the ’56 Bird, but I don’t know if they were color coordinated or not.) Two other options I spot that many think were standard equipment on Thunderbirds are the fender skirts and backup lights.
For 1956, Thunderbird added a new interior color (Code XF) to compliment the new Thunderbird Green exterior color. There’s only one photo supplied of the interior which was taken in a home garage so it’s hard to see all the details, but it looks to be in good shape. Thunderbird Green can be a tricky color to accurately photograph, so I’m not sure if the mint green color on the bottom of the instrument panel is accurate or not. An aftermarket air conditioner and under-the-dash gauges have been added and the ‘Bird has optional power windows. Power steering and brakes were also ordered from the factory.
This Green ‘Bird has the optional (and popular) Thunderbird Special 312-cubic inch V8 engine that generated 225 horsepower when paired with a Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission. There’s 26,900 showing on the odometer and I’m assuming there’s a “1” in front of it. The seller, Bob, describes the “Bird as “good running and dependable” and he’s been the car’s second owner for the past 25 years. This attractive Thunderbird is still calling California home and is located in Valencia and is for sale here on eBay for an asking price of $27,500. Based on Hagerty’s estimates, that places it between a #2 and #3 condition ’56 ‘Bird (which have decreased over 14% in value the past nine months). If you’ve always wanted a solid, West Coast Baby Bird in very good shape – and in a rare color – this could be the one for you. A special thanks to Shemp H. for the nice bird watching and sending this tip our way.
Eeep, I don’t know, I’m trying to picture Suzane Somers in this car, and it’s not happening. What is amazing and a salespersons drive, is ANY car, ANY color might appeal to someone. A pea green ’56 T-Bird,,,I can’t imagine had the zing of a white one. It really is a beautiful example regardless.
So Howard, is that a ‘thumbs up’ or a ‘thumbs down’? I’m green with envy.
Great post, Howard, I especially enjoyed the polite spelling of “pee green”…:)
As a youngster I loved the ‘continental kit’ for the spare tire! Back then I thought it was a really cool looking option, and handy too since it made extra room for your golf clubs in the trunk. Nowadays, maybe it’s not quite so stylish and cool looking. Usually it now strikes me as being somewhat garish, and over the top style-wise, but I actually don’t mind it on this car with the hard top installed. I do think this unusual colour also helps it adapt to the extra-large rear bumper strapped onto this small 2-seater vehicle.
That is not a Sage Green, at least from looking at the first picture. The last picture might be a more accurate representation. I hope so because the top picture blechhh. Now aqua is what I expect the two seat Tbirds to get painted. Otherwise a nice Thunderbird. I would wait around if the prices are coming down.
I must say, in that first picture, this T Bird sure matches the lawn and shrubs very nicely…..
That being said…..
Either Red ,or like Fox Owner said above, Aqua rates very high, really at the top of my personal list, and of course, there is white like American Graffiti had Suzanne Somers driving as Howard said. And, then, you can’t go wrong with Black with a red interior. That’s classy, but anyways, that being said, my guess is that this shade of Green was specially ordered for sure. If I were the selling dealer and the buyer backed out, I would have been pretty miffed.
Absolute perfection. Certainly easy to find in the parking lot.
If only the garage held more cars!
I want mine in black…and, supercharged….and, 4-on-the-floor.
That color is terrible. To me it looks like Apple green. It doesn’t do a thing for the Thunderbird.
I’m with you on that one, Dave Brown: That ain’t the original factory green, which was, well, a true medium green. This ‘Bird is gorgeous, but the paint is more apple than green: It’s definitely “Apple Green” on all of the paint stores’ charts. Of course, if you like Apple Green, well, diff’rent strokes fer diff’rent folks… ;-)
This is the Parrot color code for the Bird family of Fords competition for the Corvette.
Imagine having to drive this to work with a hangover.
It’s wearing Lawn Camo
It’s a Beauty!
great car/condition.
Was 1 of my father’s choices (born in ’25).
Just too bad for the non-OE color, ruined in some eyes…
Only choice worse is the dayglow or florescent yellow, never
paint any vehicle (boat, bike, car, plane, etc) Any yellow (is my chant)~
Chrisful, I thought Ron said it is the original factory Z code paint color.
Ya’know this little Bird is really well equipped and appears to be in pretty nice shape.
I would be a player, until I were to drive down and have a old dude dressed like Bob Hope come out and tell me that he is color blind.
I’d have to buy it.
There’s one of these in my area (SW Florida) and the color looks better in person than in these photos.
I must admit that condition wise this car appears to be very nice indeed and my only negative comments would be that I am not a fan of the color, (although it is certainly an attention grabber) and I believe that given the current market, it is pretty optimistically priced Still, it looks like a very well-respected automobile.
Dog of a color. Any takers?
I thought the 312 didn’t come out until 1957.
I searched the internet for 1956 Ford paint chart cards and found one that showed a code Z. The color is what I would call pea soup green. It looks very much like the color of this car. It would be hard to say it is an exact match due to variances in color reproduction
John,
Go to the ebay listing. You will see the original paint color in natural light. It’s really not that bad of shade or green.
The car is really not a bad example.
To everyone, The Thunderbird Green paint code M -2J-613 Enamel # S-7820 Lacquer # 3642 manufactured by Arco Paints. Later the paint name was changed to Sage Green.
This was a unique color Ford used in 1956 and the only time. BTW how many Red, Black, and White Thunderbirds are out there too many. As stated only a 9 percent were made. I happen to have one, It’s survivor. When I enter her at a car show. I wish I had a dollar for every picture the crowd took of my car.Oh and my trophy case is full.
In a sea of black, white and red T- birds ,this one really pops – As a long time owner of a Mist Green code F1 73 Duster 340 , I am very familiar with odd green cars , and have no problems with this color !
Unique color Ford had chosen, Not many left to find.