Daytona Beach 1956 Ford Thunderbird Poster 0401-9419

A poster of a dark, streamlined Ford Thunderbird speed trials car on the sand under towering cloud, titled "DAYTONA BEACH" with "FLORIDA 1956" beneath it.

What Is in This Poster?

A bordered colour image above two lines of type on a white sheet. The car sits on hard-packed beach sand in near-black paint, photographed from a low front three-quarter angle: the windscreen has been removed and replaced by a small deflector, a long faired headrest runs back from the cockpit, a tonneau covers the passenger side, and FORD Thunderbird is lettered in white across the flank. Firestone-lettered tyres sit on plain white wheels, and a driver in a red helmet and goggles looks over the cowl. Behind the car the sea meets a low horizon and an enormous cumulus tower fills the sky, lit orange and cream. Below the image DAYTONA BEACH is set in heavy black capitals with FLORIDA 1956 in red italic between two rules.

What Happened at Daytona in 1956?

Ford ran an aerodynamically modified Thunderbird against Chevrolet's Corvette team at the annual Speed Weeks trials on the sand. Chuck Daigh drove a Thunderbird fitted with a bored-out V8 and clean-up bodywork comparable to the work Zora Arkus-Duntov had done on the Corvette, and Daigh took a standing-mile claim (Hagerty, MotorTrend). Aerodynamics were the problem being solved: the production Thunderbird's drag coefficient was high enough that Ford engineers reckoned on needing around 330 horsepower to see 150 mph (MotorCities).

Why Does This Work as a Poster?

Because the cloud does what a designer would otherwise have to draw. The car is small in the frame, low against a pale beach, and the whole upper two thirds is weather; the type then does the locating. It is a travel poster structure applied to a speed record attempt, which is why it hangs as decoration rather than as documentation.

Who Is This Print For?

This Daytona poster print suits Thunderbird owners, land speed and beach racing enthusiasts, coastal and Florida interiors, and rooms that want a big sky. The white margin and clean type mean it needs no mount to look finished. Choose framed print, stretched canvas, ChromaLuxe metal or Giclée.

Poster Details

• Type: Illustrated poster with photographic image
• Subject: Streamlined Ford Thunderbird speed trials car on the sand
• Text: DAYTONA BEACH / FLORIDA 1956
• Historical context: Ford ran a modified Thunderbird against Corvette at Daytona Speed Weeks in 1956
• Archive reference: 0401-9419

This archival poster 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.