1956 Ford Thunderbird
You still see two-seat 1956 Ford Thunderbirds on the boulevards of Beverly Hills, which is only fitting. Ford might have been inspired by European sports cars, but the Thunderbird ended up an all-American boulevardier convertible designed for comfort and smooth, powerful straightline performance. That the "Little Birds" were also uncommonly handsome only hastened their climb to "instant classic" status, one reason so many survive today.
Classic Cars Image Gallery
The 1956 Ford Thunderbird was an instant classic, and remains so to this day.
See more pictures of classic cars.
A sturdy steel body and amenities like roll-up windows were other appealing T-Bird virtues. As proof, the debut '55 outpolled Chevrolet's fiberglass Corvette by 23 to 1 at 16,155 units. The '56 slipped to 15,631, but that was hardly bad for a specialty car in a "fall-back" sales year.
The 1956 Ford Thunderbird offered up to 225 horsepower with its V-8 engine.
The '56 T-Bird was much like the '55, but a standard "continental" spare tire opened up needed trunk space, front-fender ventilator doors enhanced cockpit comfort, and the available lift-off hardtop gained distinctive "porthole" windows that helped visibility. Typical of the time, the '56 also offered more power, courtesy of a new 312-cubic-inch V-8 packing 215 horsepower with optional stick-overdrive or 225 with self-shift Fordomatic. The previous year's 292 continued with the standard three-speed manual, but was upped to 202 bhp. Handling took a step backward, as springs and shocks were softened, but buyers loved the resulting smoother ride.
The 1956 Ford Thunderbird's sleek styling has kept it popular even to this day.
For more classic convertibles of the 1950s, see:
1950 Oldsmobile 88
1955 Cadillac Series 62
1957 Lincoln Premiere
1951 Chrysler New Yorker
1955 Chevrolet Bel Air
1957 Oldsmobile Super 88
1951 Lincoln Cosmopolitan
1955 Mercury Montclair
1958 Continental Mark III
1951 Rambler Custom Landau
1956 Lincoln Premiere
1958 Edsel Citation
1953 Oldsmobile Fiesta
1956 Packard Caribbean
1959 Cadillac Series 62
1954 Hudson Hornet Brougham
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
1959 Dodge Custom Royal
1954 Packard Caribbean
1957 Chrysler New Yorker
1959 Ford Thunderbird
1955 Buick Century
1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner
1959 Pontiac Bonneville
For more information on all kinds of cars, try these:
- Classic Convertible Cars: See profiles on more than 70 classic convertibles.
- Muscle Cars: Get information on more than 100 tough-guy rides.
- Consumer Guide New Car Reviews: Looking for a new car? Get the Consumer Guide rating.
- Consumer Guide Used Car Reviews: Considering a used car purchase? You'll want to check the Consumer Guide used car rating.