The Thunderbird was a different kind of American car when it debuted in the 1950’s. The Ford Thunderbird was in production for decades and is an iconic American classic car. Thunderbird 1958 – 1963 TPB Performance Portfolio. The Ford Thunderbird Anthology 05 by Harry IIaria. The Book of the Ford Thunderbird From 1954 by author Brian Long. Reference material for this article includes. Related Auto Museum Online articles are found on the links below. Total 1962 Thunderbird production was 78,000 vehicles. Weight for the convertible was 4,320 lbs. Rear had semi-elliptic springs with hydraulic shocks.ĭimensions include a 113.0 inch wheelbase, 205.0 inch outside overall length, 76.5 inch width, 53.3 inch height for the convertible model. Transmission was a 3-speed Cruise-O Matic MX automatic.įront suspension was independent with coil springs with an anti-roll bar.
1969 THUNDERBIRD ENGINE OPTIONS CODE
The M Code 390 High Compression engine sported three two barrel carburetors. Two configurations with horsepower at 300 and 340. The new car price range was about $4,500-$5,500.Įngine for the 62 Thunderbird was a 390 cubic inch V-8. These were the Hardtop, Convertible, Sports Roadster and the Landau.
Very streamlined and many would say ahead of it’s time in styling and very different than second generation TBirds.įour Thunderbird models were offered for 1962. These models had a pointed nose, recessed head lamps, twin round taillights which were sculpted to look like exhaust ports of fighter jets, a swing away steering wheel and small tail fins. The new third generation models most often referred to as the Bullet Birds were received well by the public. Simply put, the models were much sleeker than what preceded them. With that being said, Ford did have a very good 1957 model sales year.įord completely restyled their third generation Thunderbirds. Ford sold 20,766 retractable models in 1957, but after that sales would begin to taper off. The Ford Skyliners were produced for only three years, 1957 through 1959. If passengers had luggage they would have to stow it in the trunk area in a certain or it could be damaged from the retractable mechanism. At times the retractable mechanism would just not work. While the public liked the car there were problems. Ford Motor Company was not the inventor of the retractable hardtop but was the first automaker to mass produce it.
The vehicle was the highest priced Ford model and it was quite popular with the public. The big news for the 1957 Ford lineup was the exciting Fairlane 500 Skyliner Retractable Hardtop. Ford’s first retractable convertibles during the late 1950’s were hardtop models, With the TBird’s it was a soft top that folded out of site into the trunk.įord Unveils the Retractable Hardtop in 1957 Thus, the Thunderbird retractable convertible. The Ford Motor Company spent quite a bit of money for their retractable hardtops during the late 1950’s and needed to amortize it. As the Thunderbird is thought of as competition to the mid 1950’s Chevy Corvette, the Thunderbird itself was never a total sports vehicle as the Corvette was. Ford’s Thunderbird was offered as a personal luxury automobile. This was part of Thunderbird’s third generation which included the 1961, 1962, 1963 model years. 1962 Thunderbird Retractable Hardtop Convertible
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