1956 Ford Thunderbird 0401-2722

A pale green 1956 Ford Thunderbird with hard top and continental spare kit, parked on the apron inside a plant gate.

What Is in This Photograph?

A colour front three-quarter view from low down, in flat winter light. The car is a soft willow green with a white hard top, wide whitewall tyres and full chrome wheel covers. The continental kit carries the spare out behind the rear bumper, the front wing carries the Thunderbird script and a row of short louvres sits behind the front wheel opening. Behind the car are a brick wall and a tall chain-link gate with a GATE sign, beyond which rows of parked 1950s cars fill an employee lot. At the right stands a timber guard hut with INFORMATION lettered on its fascia, and bare trees and utility poles run along the horizon.

What Changed for 1956?

Two of the Thunderbird's most recognisable features arrived in this single model year: the exterior continental spare and the porthole hard top, both answers to practical complaints about boot space and rear three-quarter visibility (Classic Cars Arena). The 312 cubic inch V8 joined the range alongside the existing 292, and vent windows became standard; production for the year was 15,631 cars (Over-Drive Magazine, Supercars.net). The continental kit was dropped again a year later.

Why Shoot It at the Gate?

Because the location is the caption. A new car photographed inside the works gate, with the employee lot full of ordinary cars behind it, places the Thunderbird exactly where it came from and gives a period record of what everyone else was driving. The hard top on this car has no porthole, which is worth noticing given what 1956 is remembered for.

Who Is This Print For?

This Thunderbird print suits early Thunderbird owners and clubs, 1950s Americana collectors, kitchens, dens and offices, and anyone who wants soft period colour rather than a hard studio image. The pale green body against grey sky and brick keeps it quiet on the wall. Choose framed print, stretched canvas, ChromaLuxe metal or Giclée.

Photograph Details

• Vehicle: 1956 Ford Thunderbird, pale green with white hard top
• Fitted: Continental spare tyre kit, full wheel covers, whitewall tyres
• Model year notes: 312 V8 added; 15,631 built for 1956
• Setting: Plant gate with employee car park behind
• Archive reference: 0401-2722

This archival photograph is made available through Fordimages.com, the official Ford archive imagery licensee operated by Richard Weedn LLC. Each image is digitally restored before printing and handcrafted to order.

Available as:

• Framed Print — museum-quality paper, archival inks, Acrylite glazing, hanging hardware included
• Stretched Canvas — hand-stretched over 1.25-inch pine bars, heavy cotton poly matte finish
• ChromaLuxe Metal Print — image infused directly onto sheets of alloy metal for maximum vibrancy and durability
• Giclée Art Print — 260gsm satin finish paper, finest archival inks, white border

Made in the USA or Europe depending on your location.

About the Artwork

Artwork in this collection comes from the Ford Motor Company Archives, The Henry Ford Museum, the Carroll Shelby Archives, and the collections of acclaimed photographers and painters from around the world. Reproduction rights are reserved by the respective copyright owners.

Our framed prints feature a black, hand-stained solid wood frame with a white mat, museum-quality paper, archival inks, Acrylite glazing, and hanging hardware. The frame features a slim 0.8-inch face and projects 1.3 inches from the wall, creating a clean, contemporary shadow-box effect. Made in the USA or Europe, depending on your location.

Our stretched canvas prints are produced on acid-free, pH-neutral, and fade-resistant canvas. Each canvas is hand-glued to solid wood stretcher bars and stretched over 1.25-inch-thick pine bars. Mounting brackets are included. Made in the USA or Europe, depending on your location.

Our Giclée prints are produced using premium 200gsm semi-gloss paper and high-quality archival inks. Each print includes a white border around the perimeter.

For the 40 x 60 size, we use 250gsm museum-quality archival paper with an off-white, uncoated finish.

The listed size refers to the overall paper dimensions. The image is printed proportionally within the selected paper size. Made in the USA or Europe, depending on your location.

ChromaLuxe prints use a state-of-the-art coating process that infuses the image directly onto sheets of alloy metal. The result is photography with an exceptional combination of vibrancy, clarity, and durability.

Each print arrives ready to hang. An alloy subframe on the back allows the artwork to float away from the wall for a sleek, modern appearance. This is the finest-quality print we offer. Made in the USA.

All images are digitally restored before printing. Production location varies by product and destination. Shipping is calculated at checkout.