[10][7] While light weight for its era and fitted with a standard V8 engine, the Thunderbird focused more on driver comfort than speed, and was not a direct rival to either the Corvette or European sports cars.

It was constructed using a body-on-frame technique using a version of the standard Ford design cut-down to a 102-inch wheelbase identical to the Corvette's.

[15] The engine was paired either with a Fordomatic automatic or manual overdrive transmissions, and the car featured four-way powered seats and pushbutton interior door handles.

A rare domestic two-seater for the era, it was designed to be a brisk luxury tourer and not a sports car,[17] capable of attaining speeds of 100 to 115 mph (161 to 185 km/h) depending on the transmission ordered.

[18]For the 1956 model year, more trunk space was added, the spare wheel was mounted outside (which helped free up trunk space),[15] the exhaust tips were moved to the ends of the bumper, and air vents were added behind the front wheels to improve cabin ventilation.

A new option was "Dial-o-Matic" 4-way power seats that would move rearward when the ignition was turned off to allow easier exit and entry.