![]() So for 1958 and beyond, that's what the T-Bird would be. Also, market surveys indicated much greater demand for a four-seater. McNamara, who'd replaced Crusoe as head of Ford Division, wanted much higher volume. Production eased to 15,631, but was still five times Corvette's. Porthole hardtops heavily outsold the nonporthole kind in 1956, and virtually all '57 Thunderbirds had them. Changes were limited to a larger 312 V-8 option with 215/225 bhp (nonoverdrive stickshift cars retained the 292, now up to 202 bhp), plus exterior-mounted spare (answering cries for more trunk space), softer suspension (for a smoother ride), and no-cost portholes for the hardtop (a Boyer idea inspired by vintage coachwork). You don't mess with success in Detroit, and Ford didn't with the '56 T-Bird. It whipped the rival Chevy in 1955 production by nearly 24-to-1 - 16,155 for the model year. With European style and American comfort, convenience, and go, the Thunderbird proved well-nigh irresistible at just under $3000 without options. Styling, conceived by Walker lieutenant Hershey and executed by a young Bill Boyer, couldn't have been better: simple and smooth yet clearly Ford, with rakish long-hood/short-deck proportions recalling the classic early-'40s Lincoln Continental. HERE IS YOUR CHANCE TO OWN THIS GREAT CLASSIC!Bill Burnett supervised the engineering, which relied heavily on passenger-Ford components. THIS IS A VERY NICE COLLECTOR CAR THAT GETS A LOT OF ATTENTION AND WOULD DO WELL AT ANY LOCAL CAR SHOW OVER $3,000 HAS BEEN INVESTED ON THE MECHANICALS TO MAKE SURE THE CAR IS IN GREAT RUNNING CONDITION THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT IS NICELY DETAILED POWER CONVERTIBLE TOP IS IN GREAT CONDITION AND HYDRAULICALLY GOES UP AND DOWN AS IT SHOULDīLACK BUCKET SEAT INTERIOR SHOWS EXTREMELY WELLĭOOR PANELS ARE EXCELLENT AND THE CARPETING IS LIKE NEW THE STAINLESS STEEL TRIM IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION Alternators rather than generators were a new feature on all 1963 Thunderbirds. Small diagonal chrome bars were added in this area on the door. A horizontal styling line was added that ran from the point where the bumper and fender meet back through the door and angled down. For 1963 only, Y-code cars could come equipped with the same 390-cubic-inch V8 also equipped by the factory with tri-power carburetors only if the buyer desired air conditioning.įew other changes were made to the Thunderbird for 1963, as Ford prepared to introduce a new version for 1964. A total of 200 M-Code V8 Thunderbirds sold between 19. The M-Code version of the 390 cu in (6.4 L) V8 was equipped with three two-barrel Holley carburetors, and was rated at 340 hp (254 kW). Newly optional for 1962 was an upgraded version of the 390 cu in (6.4 L) V8 called the "M-Code" (a nickname used in reference to the letter M used as the engine code in the VIN in cars so equipped). The Sports Roadster package was slow-selling due to the high price of the package and the complexity of the tonneau cover. The Sports Roadster included 48-spoke Kelsey-Hayes-designed wire wheels and a special fiberglass tonneau cover for the rear seats, which gave the car the appearance of a two-seat roadster like the original Thunderbird. The new Thunderbird was well received, with 73,051 sold for 1961.Ī vinyl-roofed Landau option with simulated S-bars was added to the Thunderbird for 1962 as was a Sports Roadster package for convertible models. It was rated at 300 hp (224 kW) and was mated to a three-speed automatic transmission. A new engine, the 390 cu in (6.4 L) FE V8, was the standard and only engine initially offered in the Thunderbird. The Thunderbird was redesigned for 1961 with styling that gave the car a unique bullet-like body side appearance. These included a four-seat hardtop coupe, four-seat convertible, five-seat convertible and hardtop, four-door pillared hardtop sedan, six-passenger hardtop coupe, and five-passenger pillared coupe, with the final generation designed again as a two-seat convertible. Introduced as a two-seat convertible, the Thunderbird was produced in a variety of body configurations. The Ford Thunderbird (colloquially called the T-Bird) is a personal luxury car produced by Ford from model years 1955 until 19 until 2005 across 11 distinct generations.
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