Ford Thunderbird 1956

The first generation Ford Thunderbirds was produced from 1955 to 1957. It was the first two-seat Ford since 1938 and the counterpart to the 1953 Corvette presented by Chevrolet. The 1956 Ford Thunderbird 2-door convertible had a base price of $3,150 and a total of 53,166 were made during the three-year production run. The Thunderbird, also called "personal luxury," was an entirely new car concept that combined sporting performance with luxury and comfort. For the 1956 model year, rectangular vents were added to the front fenders and the exhaust tips were moved to the ends of the bumper. A "Continental Kit" was added to house the spare tire and increase trunk space. An optional 312 cubic inch V8 engine was offered to maintain the car's performance despite the inevitable weight gain. To improve rear visibility when the hardtop was removable, portholes were available as a no-cost option.