This 1956 Ford Thunderbird in Peacock Blue Is What All Barn Finds Hope To Become

Although it wasn't a big sales success compared to other nameplates initially, the Thunderbird remained in continuous production for 42 years. Ford turned it into a four-seat vehicle in 1958 and downsized it three times from 1977 to 1983. Discontinued in 1997, the Thunderbird briefly returned as a back-to-the-roots two-seater from 2002 to 2005.

Will Ford revive the Thunderbird again in the future? As much as I'd like to see a new two-seat drop-top with a retro-inspired design, that's probably not going to happen. A new Thunderbird won't be nearly as successful as the revived Bronco, so I'm not getting my hopes up. But fortunately enough, there are plenty of early Thunderbirds to drool over out there.

Granted, the survival rate of first-gen Thunderbirds isn't great. But Ford built more than 50,000 of them over three model years, and quite a few thousand units are still around. Some are rotting away in junkyards, while others need a mild restoration to come back to life. But some have already been restored to original specifications and look as gorgeous as the day they left the factory. This 1956 T-Bird is one of those cars.

Spotted at a local car show, this second-year drop top proudly wears a spotless and correct Peacock Blue finish. One of 18 color options offered in 1956, this light blue is one of those hues that perfectly fits the Thunderbird's sporty yet stylish design. The same goes for Meadowmist Green and Mandarin Orange, though I'm also a fan of Sage Green and Sunset Coral (pink).

And in pure 1950s fashion, this T-Bird rocks a two-tone interior that combines white with Peacock Blue. Gotta love matching exterior/interior combos, especially when the cars in question also sport a lot of high-sheen chrome trim. The white hard top is also a perfect match for this two-door.

What's under the hood, you ask? Well, even though it's an early Thunderbird, it doesn't have the 292-cubic-inch (4.8-liter) Y-block this nameplate got upon its introduction in 1955. Ford added an optional 312-cubic-inch (5.1-liter) version to the lineup in 1956, which is precisely what the original owner of this car selected.

While the base V8 delivered 202 horsepower and 289 pound-feet (392 Nm) of torque, the 312 variant came with 225 horses and 324 pound-feet (439 Nm) on tap. Not a massive difference, but just enough to push the Thunderbird from 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) in less than nine seconds. And just like the rest of the vehicle, the 312 V8 looks spotless.

This Thunderbird is arguably one of the finest restorations I've seen recently. And that's because it was performed by top-level T-Bird restorer Amos Minter. He specializes in first-gen rigs, and many of his creations have won awards at various car shows. Needless to say, this Peacock Blue gem is what all barn-found Thunderbirds hope to become.