Sold!

1956 Ford Thunderbird, One Owner, Restored, CA Black Plate, Gorgeous!

Harry's Thoughts

THE ESSENTIALS

This is a wonderful one owner, rust free, never wrecked, Southern California since new T-Bird. This is the kind of car you hope to find!  This is a fully documented one-owner (well, very close), Southern California car since new.

This T-Bird was bought by Jimmy Cimarusti as a used car on February 21, 1957 from Montebello Motors, then located at 1112 Whittier Blvd in Montebello, CA.  Jimmy paid $3,541.16 and traded in his 1953 Chevy Bel Air sedan after being honorably discharged from the Army.

This was the beginning of a long time love affair.  Jimmy used the T-Bird to commute to his position with Sears in Los Angeles, where he retired after 50 years.  Jimmy was married to Jackie who is now consigning the T-Bird for us to sell.  Jackie and her family has enjoyed this ’56 T-Bird as a family daily driver for much of their 57 years of ownership!! Jackie has accumulated innumerable memories in the T-Bird.  She obtained her first drivers license in the car in 1964 when she was 25!  Jackie used the car as their family daily driver until 1968 when they bought their first station wagon (She comfortably enjoyed it as a daily driver while being pregnant with her two children).

The car has never been in an accident, has not had rust and has regularly been garaged, enjoyed, driven and loved.  And it shows.

This ’56 Bird is shown today in its original colors of Thunderbird Blue (otherwise known as turquoise) livery (Code T) with the factory original Black and White vinyl interior (Code XA).  It was built specifically to be sold new in Los Angeles on the 17th of January, 1956.

[tmm_video cover_image=”” cover_image_on_mobiles=”1″ width=”” height=”” sc_id=”sc913055975042″]http://youtu.be/e24DTUcWMgo[/tmm_video]

It comes with the original hardtop (soft top delete), non-power steering or brakes, optional heater, aftermarket AM/FM cassette player, original owners handbook, toolkit and tonneaou cover.  Also included with the purchase is the original sales invoice (from 1957) and a wonderful trove of invoices and receipts.

The T-Bird is in beautiful condition.  It is not a trailer queen by any means, it is a car that is ready for touring or exhibiting at your local or regional car shows.  It has been professionally restored recently by the craftsmen at Cavallo Motorsports in Carlsbad, CA.  The restoration was in preparation of Jackie’s High School reunion (Class of ’56).

Overall it has a wonderfully consistent patina throughout.  The paint is high quality and was repainted several years ago.  The chrome and trim are a mixture of restored and original with nothing needing immediate attention.  The interior vinyl is all original and in remarkable condition, with newer carpeting and updating as necessary.  The engine compartment is very clean and maintained, but not detailed or prepped for show.  The chassis was cleaned and painted during the restoration several years ago.

The ’56 T-Birds all benefit from the upgraded 292 cu in V-8 with 200 hp.  This T-Bird features the original Ford-O-Matic transmission.  Mechanically the T-Bird is in very nice condition and needs no immediate attention.

The Hagerty Price Guide values a number 3 (Good) ’56 T-Bird at $31,400.  Normally California Black Plate cars with excellent history are sold one full grade above (Number 2- $47,600).  We have priced this example very appropriately to find a new loving home for this very special T-Bird.  See the details on the Hagerty Price Guide website:  http://www.hagerty.com/valuationtools/HVT/VehicleSearch/Report?vc=1192717

Rarely do you find such a wonderful example as this with all the right elements:  One Owner, Never Rusted, Southern California since new, CA Black Plate, No Accidents, Fully Documented, Sympathetically Restored.  For more information please call Harry at +1.602.245.7200 or email us at harry@classicpromenade.com.

1956 Ford Thunderbird, One Owner, Restored, CA Black Plate, Gorgeous!

PRIVATE SALE STATUS
SELLER NAME
LOCATION USA
VIEWS 341
1956 Ford Thunderbird, One Owner, Restored, CA Black Plate, Gorgeous!
1956 Ford Thunderbird, One Owner, Restored, CA Black Plate, Gorgeous!
PRIVATE SALE STATUS
SELLER
VIEWS 341

Ford Thunderbird

Interesting Fact: The Ford Thunderbird is an upscale vehicle that featured eleven unique generations. This vehicle sparked the expansion of the market segment for personal luxury vehicles that feature a higher emphasis on driving comfort, rather than high-speed performance. Production on the Ford Thunderbird occurred from 1955 to 1997 and then again from 2002 to…
Interesting Fact: The Ford Thunderbird is an upscale vehicle that featured eleven unique generations. This vehicle sparked the expansion of the market segment for personal luxury vehicles that feature a higher emphasis on driving comfort, rather than high-speed performance. Production on the Ford Thunderbird occurred from 1955 to 1997 and then again from 2002 to 2005. By the end of 2005, Ford had managed to produce over 4.4 million Thunderbirds. The car was originally designed as a sporty two-seat convertible but was not marketed as such. Within a few years, a second row was added, and the Ford Thunderbird is known for getting larger and large in size until the late 1970s. Many V8 engines have been used in the Ford Thunderbird over the years. As the size of the model increased, a larger engine was also required to support the vehicle. This resulted in later models having poor fuel efficiency. While they weren’t advertised for speed, Ford used the Thunderbird body in their NASCAR races, with many hitting an average speed of about 200 miles per hour. The final Thunderbird was manufactured in July of 2005, but the vehicle still holds up as one of the most comfortable and high-performing cars to date!

Comments


 

SHARE TO WORLD

Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp
Email
Print

Please Follow & Like Us

Private Message to Dealer

Classic Promenade
Logo
Enable registration in settings - general

Get the Daily Email

Get the latest auctions and market info delivered right to your inbox, plus a heads up on exclusive content from Harry.