![]() It is also equipped with a new white convertible top, power windows, power seat, power steering and brakes, and plenty of power under the hood with 225 horsepower. It is positively brand new in every detail, from its sparkling under-carriage to its shinny red removable top. This car was a well maintained California car to begin with and was an excellent candidate for a restoration to this degree. Minter's own words is one of his “Best works”. This 1956 is an investment quality restoration that in Mr. The Minter team has sold many of their restored T-Birds at auctions that have seen the finished product net world record results. This Torch Red 1956 Thunderbird was meticulously restored in Dallas, Texas by Amos Minter. The 1956 Thunderbird also saw an increase in price with the hardtop no selling for $2,944 and the convertible selling for $3,019 with options, the priced jumped all the way to $3,800. Last minute improvements including the addition of the optional 312 CID V-8 engine, gave the second edition of the Thunderbird better handling and increased performance. Portholes were now being offered as an option with the hardtop, a move designed to increase visibility, but that went on to become one of the more distinctive features of the T-Bird. Standard equipment included energy-absorbing-passenger side instrument panel padding, a concave safety steering wheel, safety door latches and a shatter-resistant mirror. The 1956 Rarest of classic Thunderbirds with a production total of 15, 631 incorporated Ford's new safety concepts. A young Ford car stylist, Alden Giberson, won a $95 suit and an extra pair of pants from Saks Fifth Avenue for suggesting the name Thunderbird. More than 5,000 names were considered for the new Ford project. It brought forth power, performance and handling with a focus on modern comforts and conveniences. ![]() MULTIPLE CONCOURS AWARD WINNER.įirst introduced at the Detroit Auto Show in 1954, the Thunderbird Roadster was called the essence of personal luxury. That's a hefty celebrity premium, but for fans of the famous sex symbol and of 1950s pop culture more broadly, it doesn't get much better than this.PART OF THE CREVIER COLLECTION. That's against a current market value of $76,000 for a 1956 Thunderbird in #1 condition, according to the Hagerty Price Guide. The pre-auction selling-price estimate is $300,000 to $500,000. The 1956 Thunderbird also saw an increase in price with the hardtop no selling for 2,944 and the convertible selling for 3,019 with options, the priced. Its black exterior is complemented by a black-and-white two-seat interior, period-correct wide whitewall tires, a black soft top, and a black hard top with a porthole window (which was new for '56). ![]() The car appears to be in excellent condition. Monroe died in August of that year at age 36. In 1962, after owning the car for eight years, Monroe gave the T-Bird as a birthday present to Jason Strasberg, the son of director Lee Strasberg, who was also Monroe's acting coach. The front bumper was reshaped, with heavier sides, 'bullets' at the ends of the grille, and the section below the grille dropping down. For 1957, a more radical restyle was performed. Photos show Marilyn waving from the passenger seat with her husband at the time, playwright Arthur Miller, at the wheel, and the auction company reports that the pair drove the car to their wedding ceremony in 1956. Classics on Autotrader is your one-stop shop for the best classic cars, muscle cars, project cars, exotics, hot rods, classic trucks, and old cars for sale near Raleigh, North Carolina. 1956 sales were 15,631, the lowest of all three 2-seater Thunderbird model years. Monroe's ownership is documented, and according to information provided by the auction company, she bought the car in 1955, perhaps as a gift to herself on the release of The Seven Year Itch. Specifically, Marilyn Monroe owned a Raven Black '56 T-Bird, and that car is now headed to auction this November as part of Julien's Auctions Icons & Idols: Hollywood. Today, both the T-Bird and the platinum-blonde movie star are among the most enduring pop icons of the '50s. Ford's original, first-generation T-Bird roadster, which debuted for 1955 and was produced through 1957, was one of the sexiest cars of its time, and Monroe was the pre-eminent sex symbol. Of course Marilyn Monroe drove a Ford Thunderbird. That's not far from the most valuable Thunderbird ever sold: the first 'Bird to roll off the production line in 1954 sold for $660,000 at a Barrett-Jackson auction in 2009. UPDATE 11/19/18: Marilyn Monroe's Ford Thunderbird sold at auction last week for $490,000, almost reaching the Julien auction firm's top estimate of $500,000.
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