"Thunderbird--Unique in all the World"

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64 Thunderbird ~ Pictures and Information

A picture of our 1963 Thunderbird Roadster in Joshua Tree National Park and on Rodeo Drive (see below).  The 340 horsepower, Silver Mink Roadster with stock Kelsey Hayes 42 spoke wire wheels, gets a blazing 13.6 miles to the gallon.   Ah, what luxury, air conditioning, power windows, power seat, power steering and power brakes.   A real "Cruiser" which allows, with the top down, a panoramic view of the spectacular natural environment.  Even at $3.50 a gallon one can afford to take it out of the garage once a week for a "top down" cruise in the National Park.  The picture was the first place international award winner in the Premier Edition of Legendary Ford Magazine winning a one page spread in the first edition.  The picture was also the feature on the rear cover of the VTCI (Vintage Thunderbird Club International) March/April 2003 Thunderbird Scoop Publication.  This Thunderbird came off the assembly line on October 26th, 1962,  less than a month and a half (September 10, 1962 the first 1963 Roadster was produced) after the introduction of the 1963 Thunderbird Roadster.    

Putting the top up is a real Robotic event, as the top emerges out from under the Deck.              

    Rodeo Drive     Top in Trunk    Top up event       Top Up                   Twins        Undercarriage  Current Tire

 (click to enlarge picture) 

                                                  Note: Rare Photo is of Twin Silver Mink Roadsters in the National Park

ANOTHER ROADSTER EMERGES ONCE AGAIN FROM THE BACK OF THE SHOW FIELD. THIS  "BIG BIRD" RESPLENDENT IN ALL THE PRIME REGALIA INCLUDING BLACK INTERIOR, KELSEY-HAYES CHROME WIRE WHEELS,  TILT-AWAY STEERING, ORIGINAL RADIO SYSTEM, POWER STEERING & BRAKES, AIR CONDITIONING, FIBERGLASS TONNEAU, A CHROME ENGINE DRESS-UP KIT AND THE 390 CUBIC INCH, 340 HORSE POWER V-8 ENGINE WITH A 3-2V INDUCTION SYSTEM.   FINISHED IN SILVER MINK WITH BLACK BUCKET SEATS AND BLACK SOFT TOP 

There are only two reasons to put the top up--  Rain and Snow

AND NOW FOR THE REST OF THE STORY 

1963 brought many changes in America. Hordes of middle class students, who normally wouldn’t draw an insurgent breath, were demonstrating against the Vietnam War.  Five U.S. helicopters were shot down in the Mekong Delta, 300 people were arrested in a Mississippi University Race Riot, Khrushchev warned the U.S. that he had a hundred megaton bomb in his back pocket and icon Pres. John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas a year after this Thunderbird rolled off the assembly line.  Bobby Vinton topped the charts with “Blue Velvet” and the World seemed to be coming unglued yet Ford was unleashing the New Third Generation Thunderbird.  

It looked as though it was fired from a rocket silo with its new aircraft/ missile-like shape.  Perhaps it was a carry-over from the Khrushchev declaration of the Cuban Missile Crisis. One of the most glamorous cars on the block was the new Thunderbird Roadster model, which featured Kelsey-Hayes Chrome Wire Wheels and a Two-Seater Fiberglas Panel that covered the back two seats. Arguably this beautiful power plant was the perfect complement to a hot, new two-seater.  If the Sports Roadsters were the leading debutantes of Ford's line-up, then the Triple Carburetor Roadster was surely the "bell of the ball"  The cars, themselves - not the copywriters' words - had cast a spell that defies the years.  Speaking of words, Lee Iacocca had a favorite word that wasn't mentioned in the press kit.  He often used it with the Planning staff to describe what he looked for in new-car designs.  That word was "pizzazz" and the Sports Roadsters had it... in spades.  

If you were lucky, it was also ordered w/ Triple Carburetion that gave “The Rocket” another 40-horse power, Virile, Vast, and expensive it showed America, Detroit wasn’t disposed to making just small, cheap cars.  New for the 1963 Thunderbird were the Alternator, transistor radio, zinc clad underbody, 150 pounds of sound deadener, 10 speed windshield wiper, 18-inch wiper blades, Hypalon insulation on the electrical wiring, and stainless steel drive shafts were among some 30 improvements for the new Roadster.

       The interior, designed by Art Querfield, featured an aircraft control board with a prominent center console and two separate cockpits front & rear. He boasted he had spent more time on designing this interior than any other car (in his 40 years with FOMOCO). He actually eliminated the traditional dashboard glove box door because the seams would interfere with the design of the gracefully turned dash paneling (it was replaced with a center console glove box). He later said that he had conceived two different compartments separated by a prominent console to delineate the positions of driver and passenger.

We find that tall and corpulent collectors love this car for it’s ‘swing-a-way’ steering wheel and loads of leg room.    Despite its weight the 390 cubic inch V8 could crack 60 M.P.H. in 8 sec. with the accessory pack.