1960 Ford Thunderbird Convertible

The first year of the four-seat Thunderbird was in 1958. These cars were given then nickname 'Squarebird' because of its boxy lines and wide-pillar roof on coupes. The roofline was styled by stylist Elwood Engel and would become a Ford trademark as it was applied to other Ford models from Galaxies to Falcons in the early 1960s. The four-seat Thunderbird enjoyed strong sales, and by 1960, sales of the Thunderbird were nearly five times that of 1957, the two-seater's last year. 1960 was the third and final year of the four-seat Squarebird, which offered the country's first sliding steel sunroof on coupes at a cost of $242.

This convertible example is painted in Springdale Rose with black top and interior. It was one of just 11,860 convertible Thunderbirds produced in 1960. The car has been in the Clyde Ensor, Sr. Collection since September 18th of 1985. The previous owner was Kenneth E. Gingrich of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

This car is powered by the 352 cubic-inch 'Interceptor' V8 engine rated at 300 horsepower. There is a three-speed Ford-O-Matic automatic gearbox and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes with power assist.

In 2010, the car was offered for sale at the Vintage Motor Cars of Hershey auction presented by RM Auctions. The car was estimated to sell for $30,000-$40,000 and offered without reserve. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $27,500 including buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2010