1956 Ford Thunderbird was bought for granddaughter
Decades before Mike Shepherd’s granddaughter Shelby was born, the Ford Motor Company introduced a “personal car” for the 1955 model year. The two-seat sporty car was named Thunderbird.
A few improvements were made to enhance the T-Bird in the 1956 model year. The most visible changes were the addition of round porthole windows in order to improve visibility.
Cargo space in the 1955 Thunderbird was extremely limited because the dual exhaust pipes were routed through the trunk. In 1956, to increase cargo capacity, Ford rerouted the exhaust pipes through elliptical slots in the ends of the rear bumpers. Additional space was created in the trunk by moving the spare tire to the outside of the trunk in a Continental kit addition.
The 1956 Thunderbird proved to be so popular that 15,831 were manufactured. One of them ended up in Texas, where it was eventually restored for the owner’s daughter. She evidently considered the two-tone Sunset-Coral-and-white car too nice to drive, so it sat unused in a garage. Finally the owner advertised the Thunderbird for sale.
That’s when Mike Shepherd first saw pictures of the Ford. He had been shopping for such a car anticipating the day when his granddaughter could drive. Shepherd decided the style and color combination were exactly right for Shelby.
He purchased the car in August 2012. The seller agreed to meet Shepherd in Texarkana, where the swap took place. When Shepherd arrived back at his Virginia home he gave the car a thorough examination and discovered nothing amiss.
The well-equipped Thunderbird has factory air conditioning and power-assisted brakes, as well as Master Guide steering. The windows and seat are powered as well. The automatic transmission gear selector lever is on the floor.
On the engine hood of the 3,038-pound Thunderbird is a non-functional air scoop. The 312-cubic-inch V-8 engine delivers 225 horsepower thanks to its dual fourbarrel carburetors.
On either side of the see-through 150-mph speedometer are pods that house the 5,000-rpm tachometer and the clock. In a nod to safety, the three-spoke steering wheel is of a deep-dish design.
When the top is removed, the flow of air through the cockpit is controlled by the side vents on each front fender and the external wind vents.
All of the 6.70-by-15-inch white sidewall tires on the 102-inch wheelbase Thunderbird feature wire wheel hubcaps. The rear ones are partially hidden by the fender skirts.
“The Thunderbird is picture perfect to me,” Shepherd said. He will happily hand the car over to his fortunate granddaughter Shelby when the time comes.