A classic piece of American history will be auctioned off at the Dallas Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center on September 7. The stunning yellow 1956 Ford T-Bird is rocking a 312 CI (5,112.8 CCs) V-8 engine capable of producing 225 HP (228.1 PS). But how fast it can go is not the most important part here.
As a response to the 1953 Corvette, the Ford Thunderbird was first introduced to the general public during the 41st Annual Detroit Auto Show in 1954. Back then, the event was being held at the Michigan Fair State Grounds. The 1954 show itself was an important one because the previous one took place way back in 1940, before putting it on hold because of World War II. So this was a soft reboot if you will. Also, its lineage can be traced back all the way to 1899.
After 42 years of production, the ol’ T-Bird model couldn’t survive the changing of times. It lasted from 1955 until 1997. Then it saw a modernized look comeback in 2002 that lasted for another three years.
In total, there are eleven generations of the Thunderbird, many of which are part of cinematographic history. It appeared in famous Hollywood productions spanning over decades like George Lucas’s 1973 “American Graffiti,” Frank Miller’s 2005 “Sin City,” “Dirty Dancing,” and “Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie” in 1980.
However, one of the T-Bird’s most notable appearances was the 1966 model in the buddy road comedy “Thelma & Louise” from 1991, starring Geena Davis as Thelma and Susan Sarandon as Louise.
While not everyone is a fan of the more recent models, one thing’s for sure. The mid-’50s was a great period for the Ford Thunderbird to be alive. It sure left an impression, and to this day, those models look as breathtaking as ever.
Especially the yellow one in question, with the removable white porthole hardtop that would suit any suburban-like type of driveway. The speedometer has a maximum of 150 MPH (241.4 KMH), and the odometer said it has 87,100 miles (140,174 km) on it. Not too shabby for a 66-year-old car.
