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| 1956 Ford Thuderbird by Franklin Mint |
The Ford Motor Company begins making plans for its own sports model as early as 1950. However it was not until the introduction of GM´s Corvette that Ford responded by making available to the public the now-legendary Thunderbird. The strategy was that while Americans had taken so enthusiastically to European sports car, there was still a preference for such refinements as more powerful engine, greater comfort and more luxurious appointments.
The first generation of the Ford Thunderbird is a two-seat convertible that was produced by Ford for the 1955 to 1957 model years. The Thunderbird was low-slug and of all-metal construction, powered by V-8 engine with roll-up windows, and a removable fiberglass hardtop. The 1956 Thunderbird remained mostly unchanged, though the hard top received 'porthole' quarter-windows, the spare became a 'Continental' kit to gain trunk space, and a 312 cubic-inch 'Thunderbird Special' V8 engine as optional equipment. It was a smaller two-seat "personal luxury car", compared to many other much larger cars that were on the road in the 1950s. It was designed to be a brisk luxury tourer, and not a sports car. Its original sales triumphed over the Chevy Corvette was the result of clean styling, creature comforts, and V8 refinement. The total number of these automobiles produced in 1956 was 15,600!
It is difficult to decide which model of this iconic car to have in my collection. I decide between Brooklin, Franklin Mint and Minichamps. Finally, the decision was made in favor of Franklin. Brooklin is proportionally too large; it seems a bit like a tank. Minichamps compared with cars 1/43 from other companies seems smaller and has an ugly antenna.
Franklin´s T-bird has nice detailed removable Hard-Top with so-called opera window and „Continental“ type spare tire mounts carries the rear. Painted in the car´s original factory color of Peacock Blue/White. There are many beautiful chrome parts.
With only few scale models 1/43, you can also enjoy the pleasure of exploring the V-8 engine, chassis and open the door.
And important info - it is still easy to buy this classic model on e-bay for a relatively affordable price.
| Manufacturer: | Franklin Mint |
| Scale: | 1/43 |
| Year of Production: | 1987 |
| Part Number: | KC32 |
| Material: | DieCast |
| Rating: | 8/10 |
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