![]() ![]() The Thunderbird for 1961 introduced several firsts for the automotive market. 1961 1961 Ford Thunderbird interior with "Swing-Away" steering wheel Kennedy's inaugural parade, probably aided by the appointment of Ford executive Robert McNamara as Secretary of Defense. The Thunderbird was 1961's Indianapolis 500 pace car, and featured prominently in US President John F. A new, larger 390 cu in (6.4 L) FE-series V8 was the only engine available (in 1961). Sales were strong, if not quite up to record-breaking 1960, at 73,051 including 10,516 convertibles. It featured new and much sleeker styling (done by Bill Boyer) than the second generation models. When restored, the seller feels his car would be valued at least one-third of the $660k brought by the original, and even as it sits he believes it is likely worth one-third of that amount, so I gather it’ll take roughly $73,000 to buy.The third generation of the Ford Thunderbird is a personal luxury car produced by Ford for the 1961 to 1963 model years. We only get one shot of the interior, but it’s enough to reveal that plenty of attention will be needed inside and possibly some new floorboards. It’ll be quick too, as an M-Code 390 V8 is under the hood with a trio of 2-barrel carbs on top, although there’s no word on exactly what kind of and how much mechanical work will be in the next owner’s future. The seller says some restoration work has already been started, with obviously quite a bit more left to go, but the roof structure and rear area seem to be in decent shape structurally so I’m guessing when the body gets smoothed out and painted this one’s going to be a real head-turner. The story goes that the first car ended up in the hands of actor Dale Robertson, the Wells Fargo man, and then went to a T’Bird specialist in Hollywood who took a stock car and copied the details from the first vehicle, with one key difference being he incorporated a steel trunk and roof. The Thunderbird for sale here is car number two, which has a much different history and is probably somewhat less desirable. The original auto, pictured above, was restored and fetched $660,000 at a Barrett-Jackson auction back in 2008. The idea started as a plywood roof concept, then a clay model was sculpted, followed by a plaster from which the actual fiberglass top and deck lid were made. Numskal, thanks for the great tip here!Ĭomparing the #1 and 2 cars is sort of a gray area, as the first one was a true Ford project brought on by the Thunderbird design team toying around and studying what a Thunderbird would look like with a different roof. The car is located in San Diego, CA, and can be spotted here on Craigslist, and if I did my math correctly the owner is looking at somewhere around $73k to let it go. The car is a project, but one the seller believes is well worth the effort, so if you’ve been looking for something in the Ford family that nobody else on your block has this should do nicely. What we’re seeing here is known as a 1963 Thunderbird Italien Fastback concept, with this one being the number 2 example made but it’s got a different history from the first. If you’ve been in the market for a rare or unusual Ford Thunderbird to take on as a project, this one will satisfy both objectives as it’s only the second and final example ever produced. ![]()
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