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1961 Ford Thunderbird

The third-generation Thunderbird was known as the 'Bullet Birds' and they wore a design by Boll Boyer. Two designs had been considered for the new Thunderbird - one by body-engineer Bill Boyer and the other by Elwood Engle. Engel's career included tutelage under Harley Earl and later the role of the chief stylist at Chrysler Corporation. Engel's design for the 1961 Thunderbird was adapted to four doors to become the 1961 Lincoln Continental, while Boyer's rocket-inspired model was chosen as the new Thunderbird. 'We wanted to keep it very youthful, and that meant aircraft and missile-like shapes,' Boyer once recalled. Both the Thunderbird and the Continental had many elements in common, shared the same platform in production, and were built on the same assembly line in Wixom, Michigan. Both cars had 'dual unit' body structures using separate front and rear sections that were welded together at the cowl. The side glass and windshield were very similar in size and shape and both featured dash designs that swept around into the door panels.

Its styling was sleeker its design was a far cry from the previous Thunderbird with curvaceous lines, tail lamps, a dramatic and distinct nose, and jet-link fins. The 3rd-gen personal luxury car introduced numerous 'firsts' to the automotive marketplace, most notably the windshield-mounted 'floating' rear-view mirror, an item commonplace on most vehicles today. It could be ordered with the optional 'Swing Away' steering wheel - with the car in park and the driver's door opened, the steering column would slide about 18 inches to the right, affording better ingress and egress for the driver.

The interior was the work of designer Art Querfeld, who penned separate compartments for the front occupants, going so far as to move the glovebox to the prominent center console to avoid any seams in his gracefully flowing design.

The 1961 Ford Thunderbird was completed new; they were wider, lower, longer, and heavier than the prior year's model and rested on a new chassis with 'Controlled Recession Suspension'. Standard equipment included a new 390 cubic-inch V8, power steering, power brakes, and a cruise-O-Matic transmission. The 2-door hardtop sold for $4,170 and proved to be very popular with a total of 62,535 examples sold. A total of 10,516 examples of the convertible were sold at the base price of $4640. A total of 73,051 examples were sold in 1961.

The overhead valve 390 cubic-inch V8 was given a Holley four-barrel carburetor and produced 300 horsepower. The Thunderbird Special V8 engine was also a 390 CID unit with Holley four-barrel carburetors but a higher compression horsepower and 375 available horsepower. A final engine, the Thunderbird Special V8 was similar to the other engines but with three Holley two-barrel carburetors and 400 horsepower.

The innovative and popular 1961 Thunderbird was selected to pace the 50th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 that year, and also featured prominently in John F. Kennedy's inauguration parade. The Thunderbird played a starring role in the popular television series 77 Sunset Strip.

Production of the redesigned Third Generation Thunderbird lasted from 1961 through 1963 when it was replaced by the Fourth Generation wearing a more squared-off design.


by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2013

Related Reading : Ford Thunderbird History

The Ford Thunderbird is an American automotive icon first introduced in 1955. During the early 1950s, military men were returning from fighting in World War II. In Europe, the style of the vehicle was very different from the Detroit American car. The graceful but sporty MG, Triumphs, and Jaguars, to name a few, had found their way into the hearts of many of these American soldiers. In the U.S.,....
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1961 Ford Thunderbird Vehicle Profiles

Recent Vehicle Additions

Performance and Specification Comparison

Price Comparison

1961 Thunderbird
$5,440-$22,755
1961 Ford Thunderbird Price Range: $4,175 - $5,440

Compare: Lower | Higher | Similar

Other 1961 Ford Models
$1,912 - $2,267
$2,540 - $2,965

Thunderbird - Third generation

Specification Comparison by Year

Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
73,051
113.00 in., 117.00 in.
8 cyl., 292.00 CID., 175.00hp
8 cyl., 352.00 CID., 220.00hp
8 cyl., 390.00 CID., 300.00hp
8 cyl., 390.00 CID., 375.00hp
8 cyl., 390.00 CID., 401.00hp
$4,175 - $5,440
78,011
113.00 in.
8 cyl., 292.00 CID., 170.00hp
8 cyl., 352.00 CID., 220.00hp
8 cyl., 390.00 CID., 300.00hp
8 cyl., 390.00 CID., 340.00hp
8 cyl., 406.00 CID., 385.00hp
8 cyl., 406.00 CID., 405.00hp
$4,320 - $5,440
63,313
113.00 in.
8 cyl., 390.00 CID., 300.00hp
8 cyl., 390.00 CID., 330.00hp
8 cyl., 390.00 CID., 340.00hp
8 cyl., 406.00 CID., 385.00hp
8 cyl., 406.00 CID., 405.00hp
8 cyl., 427.00 CID., 410.00hp
8 cyl., 427.00 CID., 425.00hp
$4,450 - $5,560

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