I just purchased an original dealer sales invoice on Ebay.1956 Ford Town sedan(like mine).Sold on Sept.24 1956 from a dealer in Blackstone,VA.

Base price-$2479.00.Add Fordomatic $179.00.Safety package "A" which I assume was padded dash and visors-$18.00,312 engine upgrade-$33.00.Add a fresh air heater defroster-$80.00.Windshield washer-$13.00.This particular car was 2 tone Platinum Grey and Colonial White,"Styletone" paint-$35.00.One thing I found interesting was the fact no sales tax as it was"reimbursed by the manufacturer".I guess even back then there were special incentives to buy a Ford.Trade-in was a 1950 Ford 4dr sedan--trade value $1000.00, Wonder what became of this car?

  

Mark:

These invoices are interesting.  I have the one for my '56 Bird.  Base price 2164.67, oil filter 6.53 (huh?), ww tires 23.50, heater 58.50, delivery and prep 284.30, 10 gal gas 2.22, total 2572.92 with tax.  Chicago district car.

As a side note, my Dad bought a '57 Ford promotional car, "A 1957 Ford for $1957".  Custom, 6 cyl, heater, no other options.  As a 17 year old, I hated that car.  Wish I had it now.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Here are some base prices I have for the ’56 models.  These tend to vary somewhat from what is listed on some of the invoices I have laying around.  Dealer markup possibly?

Mainline

Sdn 2dr  $1850

Bus sdn 2dr  $1748

Sdn 4dr  $1895

 

Customline

Victoria htp cpe  $1985

Sdn 2dr  $1939

Sdn 4dr  $1985

 

Fairlane

Victoria htp sdn  $2249 

Crown Victoria htp cpe  $2337

Crown Victoriia htp cpe glass top  $2407

Victoria htp cpe  $2194

Club sdn 2dr  $2047

Town sdn  $2093

Sunliner conv cpe  $2539

 

Station Wagon

Ranch 2dr, 6P  $2185

Custom Ranch 2dr, 6P  $2249

Parklane 2dr  $2428

Country Sedan 4dr, 8P  $2428

Country Squire 4dr, 8P  $2533

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Ted! I guess on the invoice I have they must have rolled the delivery and dealer prep into the base price.

  

This brings up a subject that I find interesting. As you can see from the prices we have had at least 1000% inflation since the mid-50s. Probably closer to 1200% now. I have an ad for an Edelbrock 3-2 intake from 1957, $66.00. That's over $700.00 today! Isky was charging around 49.00 to re-grind a V8 cam back then. Around 575.00 today.

So when I see new intakes today for 119.00 I have to think that would have been less than $10.00 in mid-50s dollars.

Yes, life was simpler but things were not as cheap as we remember.

http://ford-y-block.com 

20 miles east of San Diego, 20 miles north of Mexico

Off topic but cant stop.  You have to wonder where the $119 intakes are made?  My wife bought two toothebrushes yesterday.  Found they were chinese so I'm returning them.

Mike, located in the Siskiyou mountains, Southern, OR 292 powered 1946 Ford 1/2 ton, '62 Mercury Meteor, '55 Country Squire (parting out), '64 Falcon, '54 Ford 600 tractor.

How about the warranties from  1956...they sure weren't 36000 miles or 36 months or 100,000 miles and 6 years. The warranty on my '56 was thirty days, don't have it with me so I don't remember if it hada milage llimit or not. I sell cars and every once in a while someone will say "boy they sure don't have warranties like they used to" Ive bee tempted to bring in the warranty certificate for '56 and show them. Of course they they dealers help out a lot if you had a problem.

Location:Washington,Ia

I remember an ad from 1956, which advertised a new "56 Ford for $56 a month". I imagine that would have been for 24 months. I bought my first Ford for  $125. Wasn't new, but a chopped '40 convert (Carson top, 48 Merc flatmotor) would be worth slightly more today.

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart) 

That $56.00/month deal was a Lee Iacocca brainwave.He was district sales manager and his district was last in sales.He came up with a brilliant idea.Buy a 56 Ford with 20% down and payments of $56.00/month for 3 years.His district was soon first in sales.

  

Mark,

         Figures it'd be Iaccoca

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart)