1956 Ford Thunderbird Convertible (LHD)

Although Ford's Thunderbird was partly a response to the Corvette, it was intended right from the outset to be a personal luxury car rather than the more overt sports car from Chevrolet. With just two seats, the Thunderbird was a relatively compact, cleanly styled model announced on the 22nd of October, 1954 with a high performance version of the overhead-valve Y-block V8 engine featuring a four-barrel carburettor and dual exhausts to boost power output to nearly 200 hp. All Thunderbirds came with a fibreglass top featuring the distinctive porthole side windows, with a folding rayon hood optional. Ford decided not to modify what had been a successful recipe for the second full year of production in 1956, apart from making the Continental kit (previously an optional extra) standard in an effort to improve boot space. There was also a new rear bumper, with the exhaust routed through the tips, and the compression ratio was raised to increase power output slightly. For those buyers seeking even more performance, a larger 312-cid V8 was made optional. Production of the T-Bird fell slightly in 1956, with 15,631 examples made, and it remains one of the most instantly recognisable - not to mention collectible - American cars of the 1950s.