Vehicle Description
Gateway Classic Cars of San Antonio/Austin is proud to present this
Colonial White 1956 Ford Thunderbird. Originally dubbed a "a
personal car of distinction" by Ford, this title was also used by
the motoring press at the time as the slogan for the 1st generation
of Thunderbirds. The car built upon the heritage of the custom-made
roadsters of the 1930s, yet was constructed of existing components,
marking the first step toward the evolution of the personal luxury
car as a mass market segment in the United States. While light
weight for its era and fitted with either the 292CID or the
optional 312CID V8 engines, the Thunderbird focused more on driver
comfort than speed, and was not a direct performance rival to
either the Corvette or the European sports cars. The Thunderbird
proved more suited to the American market than the Corvette, with
sales of 16,155, versus 674 Corvettes in 1955. Engine-turned
aluminum trim lines the dashboard face and door panels, and
equipment includes a floor-mounted shifter, air conditioning,
manually operated windows, lap belts, floor mats, and a
vintage-look push-button AM/FM/Bluetooth radio. Ford's 312CID V-8
engine pushed output 225hp and 324lb-ft of torque through a
Ford-O-Matic 3 speed transmission. This '56 TBird is looking really
good with the stunning 2-tone "Tuxedo" interior, and is also fitted
with a classy looking set of super-wide whitewalls framing the fat
spoked steel rims & knockoff style center caps, the iconic looking
"Continental Kit" and also has the driver luxuries such as power
brakes, power steering, and cold blowing air conditioning! The
three-spoke steering wheel features a chrome horn ring and fronts a
140-mph speedometer, a 5k-rpm tachometer, an analog clock, and
gauges for fuel level and coolant temperature. With strong parts
support, and unmistakable late-'50s styling, the first-generation
Ford Thunderbird is appealing as both a starting point for
beginning collectors as well as a valuable addition to a classic
car fans existing collection!
