The story of how this 1956 Ford Thunderbird came to be in this sorry state is an unfortunate one. Apparently it is being sold to settle the estate of the late owner who had no heirs. The car was parked in a leaky barn so there’s plenty of rust. These were special cars though so hopefully someone with the right resources will see this and be able to give this bird a brighter future. Find it here on eBay where bidding is currently at $8,350 with no reserve. The car is located in Manassas, Virginia. Thanks goes to Mont H for sending it in!

Of all the Thunderbirds built over the years, the very first ones are still my favorite. In my opinion, the lines were more pure and the whole concept of “personal luxury car” was better executed. Later models offered a back seat, but at the same time lost some of the character that made the first generation Thunderbird so special. I mean what could be more “personal” than seating for just two? Well, and in this case, a few squirrels…

European sports cars were mounting a massive attack on the US market when Ford decided to build the Thunderbird. Instead of taking them straight on though, they focused more on luxury than full out performance. For whatever reason, car manufacturers here have always assumed that American consumers prefer comfort over cornering ability. Maybe they were right though because they sold quite a few of these two-seat Thunderbirds (over 50k) before the four-seater was released.

Not that these were slouches though. Power was provided by either a 292 or 312 V8 engine. I’m not sure which one this car has mounted under the hood, but obviously all the folks bidding don’t care. They all want the most iconic of all Thunderbirds and are willing to pay the price of entry. Perhaps they have memories of riding in one when they were younger? Or maybe they are just banking on the fact that these have been known to sell for close to $70k in restored condition?

This is one of my all time favorite Fords so I wouldn’t mind having one either. The only problem is that when people are willing to pay close to ten thousand dollars for a rusty project that doesn’t even have a title… well, that’s just a game that is getting hard to play. I’m grateful that there are enthusiasts out there with the means and motivation to do it though. This will be quite the looker when it’s all cleaned up!