Based on the provided photos and current condition of this two owner, two-seater 1956 Ford Thunderbird, it hasn’t led a pampered life and will need restoring (which will take a lot of green). But, on the plus side, the next owner will have themselves a running project car, all the parts are supposedly there to fully restore it, it has both tops, and the data plate reveals that it originally left the Dearborn factory in a rare color: Thunderbird Green. Being a Baby ‘Bird nut, I spotted this for sale locally on Facebook Marketplace. It’s currently nesting in Lincolnton, North Carolina, with an asking price of $13,500.

Ford doubled the exterior paint color options from five in ’55 to ten for the ’56 model year. I’ve always found three of the new colors a bit odd: Buckskin Tan, Navajo Gray, and Thunderbird Green (sometimes called Sage Green or Pea Green). A photo of the data plate confirms that it left the factory with Code Z green paint and some is even visible underneath the peeling black paint surrounding the plate. Photos are limited, so it’s hard to determine its true condition and how solid this Thunderbird is (it comes with complete new floor pans). The current white paint looks okay with several chips visible, and a complete rear bumper is also included in the sale. The Thunderbird’s limited trim pieces and badging are missing and the holes filled in, so one of its two owners may have been going for a mild custom look.

The ‘Bird sports both tops: a white fiberglass hardtop with no porthole windows and a raggedy-looking ragtop convertible that will need replacing. The seller lists the interior as “black,” and the seat may be, but the data plate reveals it originally had the Code XF green/white interior. You get a glimpse of a green dash and instrument panel in a brief :12 video showing the car driving away from an outdoor canopy. There are no photos of the interior and it appears to have an aftermarket sports steering wheel.

The “M” on the data plate shows that the car left the factory with the standard 292-cubic-inch V8. There are no photos of the engine bay, but I’m assuming the photo of an engine sitting on the garage floor is what’s back in the T-Bird and powering it these days (add that to the long list of questions for the seller). The ad says it’s been “Driven 70,000 miles” and has an automatic transmission.

So, what do you think of this project ‘Bird? I’d want to check it out in person since basic photos and information are lacking. Color breakdowns aren’t available, but it’s estimated that perhaps only four percent of the 15,631 Thunderbirds produced for 1956 left the factory in this unique color. That’s less than 700. Have you ever seen a ’56 T-Bird painted Thunderbird Green with a matching green and white interior?