The Ford Thunderbird was conceived in 1955 as a response to a large postwar demand. 1955 Thunderbird Ford Thunderbird 50 year history includes the classic two seat that started it all and a variety of models ever since then that have become so popular with collectors. With the 1955 T-bird, however, Ford introduced the notion of a sporty personal luxury car a close coupled two seater with V8 power, a cushy ride and elegant styling. The 57 was thus the last two seat T-Bird and arguably the best. Ford also built 208 supercharged Ford T-Birds with 300/340 courtesy of Paxton McCullough blowers, mainly for racing. The raven black 1965 Ford Thunderbird with special order red interior is bound to draw attention at this weekend’s Friends of Coal Auto Fair.
1955 Ford Thunderbird
1955 ford T-bird, classic two seat, paxton mcCulloch blowers, red interior, supercharged ford t-birds
The 1956 Ford Thunderbird was an instant classic, and remains so to this day. And it offered up to 225 horsepower with its V8 engine. The sleek styling has kept it popular even to this day. In 1956 was the first year Ford introduced a 12-volt electrical system on the T-bird. From 1962 through 1964 a T-bird Sports Roadster package was available which included a fiberglass tonneau cover to be used to cover the rear seats, converting the car into a two seater. The 390 cubic inch engine was standard, able to propel the Thunderbird from zero to sixty in just eleven seconds while top speed was achieved at 110 mph. Ford produced 15,631 T-birds for 1956, down slightly from the 16,155 produced in 1955. The 1956, rarest of Classic Thunderbird with a production total of 15,631, incorporated Fords new safety concepts. The 1956 Thunderbird also saw an increase in price with the hardtop now selling for $2,944 and the convertible selling for $3,019.
1956 Ford Thunderbird
12-volt electrical system, 1956 Ford Thunderbird, 225 horsepower, 390 cubic inch engine, T-bird Sports Roadster