1963 Ford Thunderbird Convertible - 32k Original Miles! Survivor!

Description for Ford Thunderbird 1963

View our eBay StoreSign up for our Email Newsletter 1963 Ford Thunderbird Convertible offered with a reserve This exceptionally rare and original car has covered only 32. 00 miles from new. has been kept in climate controlled storage. and presents as a new car for all effective purposes Everything works in the car and the only flaw noted is the small tear in the top (pictured). Finished in a desirable and striking color combination. this "in the wrapper" example is just the thing for the preservation class in AACA judging or Concours Circuit. But this is not a trailer queen- the car runs and drives without fault and can be driven cross country today! Bullet Birds are really coming on value wise and are truly a time piece that perfectly personifies the early 60's nuclear age design. The 63 convertible is one of the most rare Thunderbirds. I doubt you will find one that has had the excellent care this car has had its entire life. We have many more photographs of this car. please click on any image to be taken to our full-size image list! The Ford Thunderbird is an Iconic car. no collection is complete without at least one. Three men are generally credited with creating the original Thunderbird: Lewis D. Crusoe. a retired GM executive lured out of retirement by Henry Ford II; George Walker. chief stylist and a Ford vice-president; and Frank Hershey. a Ford designer. Crusoe and Walker met in France in October 1951. Walking in the Grand Palais in Paris. Crusoe pointed at a sports car and asked Walker. 'Why can't we have somefdthing like that?' Walker promptly telephoned Ford's HQ and told designer Frank Hershey about the idea. Hershey took the idea and began working on the vehicle. The concept was for a two-passenger open car. with a target weight of 2525 lb. an Interceptor V8 and a top speed of over 100 mph. Crusoe saw a painted clay model on. which corresponded closely to the final car; he gave the car the go-ahead in September 1953 after comparing it with current European trends. Unlike the Corvette. the Thunderbird was never a full-blown sporting vehicle; Ford's description was personal luxury car. and the company essentially created this market segment. There was some difficulty in naming the car. with suggestions ranging from the exotic to the ridiculous (Hep Cat. Beaver. Detroiter. Runabout. Arcturus. Savile. El Tigre. and Coronado). Crusoe offered a $250 suit to anyone who could come up with a better name. Stylist Alden "Gib" Giberson submitted Thunderbird as part of a list. Giberson got the idea from the native american image on a coffee cup he had received as a child while living in Los Alamos NM. which he kept on his drafting table at Ford. Giberson never claimed his prize. settling for a $95 suit and an extra pair of trousers from Saks Fifth Avenue. The car was shown at the Detroit Auto Show in 1954. The first production car came off the line in September. 1954. and went on sale in October as a 1955 model. and sold briskly; 3. 00 orders were placed in the first ten days of sale. Ford had only projected building 10. 00; eventual 1955 sales were 16. 55. Although the original Thunderbird was successful. the corporation's executives -- particularly Robert McNamara -- felt its sales volume was small. Market research suggested that sales were limited by its two-seat configuration. making it unsuitable as an only car for families. The second generation. introduced for the 1958 model year. was designed as a four-seat car. 1961 saw new and much sleeker styling for the Ford Thunderbird. Sales were strong. if not quite up to record-breaking 1960. at 73. 51 including 10. 16 convertibles. A new. larger 390 cu in (6. 4 L) FE-series V8 was the only engine available. The Thunderbird was 1961's Indianapolis 500 pace car. and featured prominently in US President John F. Kennedy's inaugural parade. probably helped along by the appointment of Ford executive Robert McNamara as Secretary of Defense. The Thunderbird for 1961 introduced several firsts for the automotive market. The most distinctive feature of the 1961 to 1963 Thunderbirds was the highly touted 'Swing Away' steering wheel. with the transmission in the park position the steering wheel would slide approximately 18 inches to the right allowing the driver to exit the vehicle easily. Other innovations include a floating rear view mirror. Common on all autos produced today. this feature was first found on 1961 Thunderbirds. Depending on variable options Thunderbirds for 1961 could be purchased with options like air conditioning. power windows. power seats. AM radio. fender skirts and white wall tires. Several standard features. like power steering and power brakes. back up lights and bucket seats were costly options on most other autos. Changes for 1963 were relatively mild. Some additions to the option list included vacuum assisted door locks and an AM/FM radio; an AM radio and a remote drivers side mirror became standard. In 1963. only 5. 13 convertibles and 455 Sports Roadsters sold. 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