1963 Ford Thunderbird Sports Roadster

The Ford Thunderbird was introduced in 1955 and improvements and changes continued throughout the years. The two-seater's popularity grew through 1958, when Ford added a back seat to the car. By 1960, the final year of production for the second-generation 'Squarebird', the Thunderbird outsold its rival - the Corvette - nine-to-one.

The third-generation Thunderbird was introduced in 1961. By this point in history, the car had become much more of a personal luxury coupe than a sports car. The four-seater, third-generation Thunderbird was nicknamed the 'Bulletbird' due to the vehicle's sharply pointed noise and rounded sides. Sales were strong but slowing by this time. Lee Iacocca appointed designer Bud Kaufman to try to fix this concern.

Kaufman's solution to the slowing sales was to introduce a removable fiberglass tonneau that would both cover up the Thunderbird convertible's rear seats and incorporate headrests for the front seat occupants. This was originally a dealer-installed option, but in 1962, it came from the factory as part of the Sports Roadster package, which also included a passenger side grab bar, Kelsey-Hayes chrome wire wheels with knock-off center caps, and a rear fender skirt delete, to clear those gaps.

There were 1,427 examples of the Thunderbird Sports Roadster produced in 1962, falling to just 455 units in 1963. Even rarer were Thunderbirds ordered with the 390 cubic-inch tri-power V8, which was designated by an M in the VIN, resulting in the nickname of 'M-Code' cars. The engine breathed through three Holley two-barrel carburetors and offered 340 horsepower at the crankshaft. In total, Ford produced just 37 M-Code Sports Roadsters in 1963.

This particular example is finished in Corinthian White with a black Haartz power convertible top, and original factory red interior. The car has been given a recent cosmetic refurbishment. It is equipped with the optional power windows, a power driver's seat, optional factory air conditioning, and the unique Thunderbird Swing-Away steering wheel.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2014