1963 ford thunderbird coupe4/15/2024 ![]() The 1950s T-Birds are some of the most recognizable American cars of all-time, with their classic tailfins and headlights. It did make one last comeback from 2002–2005 for an 11th generation, but Ford has since retired the moniker again.Īlso known as the “T-Bird,” in 1957 the Thunderbird became one of the first production cars with a factory equipped supercharger. The original run of the Thunderbird lasted for 10 generations from the 1955–1997 model years, before Ford briefly halted production. First introduced for the 1955 model year, Ford marketed the Thunderbird as a personal luxury car that featured outstanding performance from big-block V8s. Since its breathtaking restoration was completed, the Sports Roadster has earned many high-level awards, including a perfect 300-point score at the 2014 VTCI Convention and a perfect 400 at the 2014 AACA Annual Grand National, among many other prestigious honors.Spanning 50 years, the Ford Thunderbird is one of the most iconic cars in American history. The exhaustive research collected for this restoration will be incorporated into the 1961-63 Official Factory Specifications Manual by acclaimed model expert Alan Tast’s Vintage Thunderbird Club International – thus making this vehicle’s restoration the standard by which others are judged in the future. The restoration was revisited and brought to concours standards, using the original build and gate release to ensure accuracy. In 2011, it was sold and delivered to respected Thunderbird restorer Jim Wulf of Doylestown, Pennsylvania. The MSRP for this top-of-the-line Thunderbird was $6,868.19, a staggering figure in 1963.ĭiscovered in unrestored condition in 2007, this Thunderbird was rescued and treated to a multiyear restoration. ![]() As delivered, this Thunderbird was opulently appointed with Rangoon Red paint, a luxurious black leather interior, engine dress-up package, air-conditioning, power windows, power seats, seat belts, tinted glass, heavy duty battery, windshield washers, and even the exceedingly rare vacuum-assisted power door locks. It produces 340 HP and an impressive 430 lbs. Its M-Code 390 CID engine boasted high-compression (10.5:1) and three Holley two-barrel carburetors. This cars in one of only 37 Thunderbird Sport Roadsters built in 1963 with the formidable M-Code engine and one of fewer than 25 believed to exist today.Īccording to Ford factory records, this rare Thunderbird was built on October 5, 1962, and shipped to Twin County Motor Co. The Sport Roadster package included a passenger grab bar, unique side badges, and stunning 48-spoke Kelsey Hayes wire wheels. Kaufman returned with the stunning Sports Roadster, which built upon Thunderbird’s sweeping lines with a unique fiberglass tonneau cover extending from the trunk to behind the front seats, effectively transforming the four-passenger Thunderbird to a two-seater. Division Chief Lee lacocca tapped designer Bud Kaufman to develop a solution. While sales were strong through the late 1950s and early 1960s, purists besieged Ford with demands for the return of a two-place Thunderbird. The 1961-63 Thunderbird in considered by many to ne the most beautiful Thunderbird ever built, largely due to aerospace on the Alex Tremulis design. ![]() AACA National Awards Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 2015 (Outstanding Postwar Car Award).AACA Grand National Lebanon Tennesse, June 2014 (Senior Grand Natinoal).Vintage Thunderbird Club International, New Orleans, Lousiana, May 2014 (First Place Senior, Best of Show).Vintage Thunderbird Club International, Houston, Texas, September 2013 (First Place Senior, Wixom Authenticity Award).AACA Annual Grand National, Moline, Illinois, June 2013 (First Grand National, Preservation Award).AACA National Fall Meet, Hershey, Pennsylvania, October 2012 (National First Place Senior). ![]() Vintage Thunderbird Club International, Charleston, South Carolina, September 2012 (First Place Primary).International Thunderbird Club, Wilminton, Delaware, June 2012 (First Place Formal).Live rear axle with semi-elliptical leaf springsĪACA National Fall Meet, Hershey, Pennsylvania, October 2011 (National first place Junior) One of only 37 M-Code 1963 Sports Roadstersīuild with nearly every available factory optionĮxceptional restoration by noted model expert Jim Wulfģ-Speed Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmissionĤ-wheel power-assisted hydraulic drum brakes
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