“I always wanted one,” John Beckner said with a gleam of pride in his eye as he looked at the 1956 Ford Thunderbird sitting on the parking lot asphalt. The T-Bird, introduced in 1955 as a competitor to Chevy’s Corvette, was never technically listed as a sports car but anyone taking a look at the early models wouldn’t mistake it for anything else.
John, though, as much as he wanted one, didn’t find himself in a position to own a T-Bird when they first came out. “I was in the Marines from 1954 until 1958 and when I got out I got married,” he said. A man of honor, he served his country and then the needs of his new family and put aside his dream of owning a Thunderbird for nearly 30 years.
So about 20 years ago he finally found himself in a position to buy one.
“It was in pretty decent shape,” he said. Still, he oversaw a complete frame-off restoration that took about three years to complete. One of the most noticeable changes that came from the restoration was a change in the color. “It was originally white,” John said, “but I always like red real well. It makes it stand out.”
John chose the ’56 because of the look of the car that year. “1956 was the only year that they had the Continental tire on the back. Then they extended the length of the car in 1957,” he said.
While the early T-Birds competed against the Corvette, there was really no competition between the two in John’s mind. “It rode so much better than a Vette,” he said. And he still believes that as he adds, “It rides great.”
He admits that he drives the car quite a bit, more than just going to the various car shows that he enjoys.
“The most fun is going to the car shows and talking with people,” John said. He often comes with a collection of miniatures and models to give away. “I’m always giving models away to the kids,” he said.
John is proud of the fact that he has won quite a few trophies at car shows. “I love to show it,” he said, then added with a smile, “I love to drive it, too.”
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