Arrival

Strip & Metal Fab

Mechanical

Body and Paint

Trim and Detail

Finish

The first generation of the Ford Thunderbird is a two-seat convertible that was produced by Ford for the 1955 to 1957 model years.  The first 2-seat Ford since 1938, the Thunderbird was developed at nearly the same time as the Chevrolet Corvette.  Rather than becoming a rival to the European sports cars imported into the United States, Ford created a completely new market segment around the Thunderbird, the personal luxury car.  While a performance car in its own right, the Thunderbird focused more on comfort than speed.

Until the eleventh-generation Ford Thunderbird was unveiled in 2002, this was the only version of the Thunderbird to be produced as a two-seat convertible.

For the 1956 model, more trunk space was added, the spare wheel was mounted outside (which helped free up trunk space), the exhausts were moved to the ends of the bumper, and air vents were added behind the front wheels to improve cabin ventilation.  To improve rear-quarter visibility with the removable hardtop in place, “porthole” windows were made available as a no-cost option.  An optional 312 Y-block V8 was made available for those that wanted more performance.  1956 production was 15,631 units, the lowest of all three 2-seater Thunderbird model years.

Read More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Thunderbird_(first_generation)