Improving the Breed 1956 Ford Thunderbird Making a Good Car Better Ford knew it had a winner with the Thunderbird. For 1956, its second year, they addressed the few problems customers complained about. First they changed to 4-leaf springs which gave a softer ride especially compared to the hard-on-your-back Corvette. To reduce the temperature inside the interior, glass wind wings were added as were flip-open vents in front of the doors. Starting the car was made easier as Ford switched to a 12 volt electric system. Sales were down slightly to 15,631 but the T-Bird still outsold the Corvette 4-to-1. The Controversial Continental Kit One glaring problem with the '55 Thunderbird was the small trunk which the spare tire almost filled. Ford's answer to this problem was to provide the 1956 'Birds with the Continental Kit Spare Tire. Now the trunk had at least enough room for a few suitcases. But by adding 350 pounds of dead weight well behind the rear axle, steering and handling was not as good. But for the one year it lasted, it added more elegance to the high-flying Thunderbird. Features • Opening Hood • Opening Doors • Opening Trunk • Working Steering System • V-8 Engine Was Slightly Upgraded to 202 Horsepower • Controversial Continental Kit Spare Gave trunk More Room • New Recessed Steering Wheel and Optional Padded Dash and Visors Plus Two-Tone Upholstery Equals a Dramatic Interior • Precision Die-Cast Replica • 1:18 Scale Model • 9.5 Inches Long