Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Craigslist
The T-Bird was born in 1955 out of Ford's desire to compete against the Corvette, though if you ask me, the luxurious touch made it a more exquisite model whose success wasn't by any means surprising.
Launched at the Detroit motor show in 1954, Thunderbird entered production in September of the same year, with Ford eventually building over 16,000 units.
The carmaker only planned to build 10,000, but the T-Bird exceeded everybody's expectations. More than 3,500 cars were sold in the first ten days after launch, despite each unit costing nearly $3,000.
Offered exclusively with a 292 (4.8-liter) V8, the Thunderbird lineup was upgraded with a more potent 312 (5.1-liter) unit when the 1956 model year finally entered production.
The 1956 T-Bird that you see here retained the original 292, with the owner explaining that the V8 was still alive nearly a decade and a half ago when the car moved to storage. The Thunderbird was buried alive in this barn, with the photos published on Craigslist showing that the owner didn’t necessarily care about the car during this whole time.
As it turns out, someone already jumpstarted a restoration, though the project was never finished. The floors are already cut, while the original green paint has been replaced with the yellow finish you see in the photos. Needless to say, the vehicle exhibits typical rust problems, including in the trunk, but this isn't necessarily a surprise. Judging from the photos shared on Craigslist, the T-Bird needs a lot of metalwork, so every potential buyer should just check out everything in person before making a final purchase decision.
In addition to the working engine, the car also comes with other surprises. The odometer indicates just a little over 26,000 miles (that's close to 42,000 km), with the owner claiming the reading is very likely to be original. In other words, the vehicle has spent quite a lot of time sitting, as 26,000 miles on a car that's close to 70 years old is definitely something you see every day.
The soft top is no longer on the car, but on the other hand, it comes with a hard top, obviously not original. Obviously, if you want to restore the vehicle to factory specifications, you'll have to find an original top, and at that mileage, going for anything other than factory specifications would be quite a shame, especially on such a rare model.
The selling price makes perfect sense for this Thunderbird, with the owner expecting to get $13,500 for the car. No trades are accepted, and most likely, no other offers either. The vehicle is parked in Cartersville (close to Atlanta) if you want to check it out in person.
The carmaker only planned to build 10,000, but the T-Bird exceeded everybody's expectations. More than 3,500 cars were sold in the first ten days after launch, despite each unit costing nearly $3,000.
Offered exclusively with a 292 (4.8-liter) V8, the Thunderbird lineup was upgraded with a more potent 312 (5.1-liter) unit when the 1956 model year finally entered production.
The 1956 T-Bird that you see here retained the original 292, with the owner explaining that the V8 was still alive nearly a decade and a half ago when the car moved to storage. The Thunderbird was buried alive in this barn, with the photos published on Craigslist showing that the owner didn’t necessarily care about the car during this whole time.
As it turns out, someone already jumpstarted a restoration, though the project was never finished. The floors are already cut, while the original green paint has been replaced with the yellow finish you see in the photos. Needless to say, the vehicle exhibits typical rust problems, including in the trunk, but this isn't necessarily a surprise. Judging from the photos shared on Craigslist, the T-Bird needs a lot of metalwork, so every potential buyer should just check out everything in person before making a final purchase decision.
In addition to the working engine, the car also comes with other surprises. The odometer indicates just a little over 26,000 miles (that's close to 42,000 km), with the owner claiming the reading is very likely to be original. In other words, the vehicle has spent quite a lot of time sitting, as 26,000 miles on a car that's close to 70 years old is definitely something you see every day.
The soft top is no longer on the car, but on the other hand, it comes with a hard top, obviously not original. Obviously, if you want to restore the vehicle to factory specifications, you'll have to find an original top, and at that mileage, going for anything other than factory specifications would be quite a shame, especially on such a rare model.
The selling price makes perfect sense for this Thunderbird, with the owner expecting to get $13,500 for the car. No trades are accepted, and most likely, no other offers either. The vehicle is parked in Cartersville (close to Atlanta) if you want to check it out in person.
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