No separate boot cover was needed between the back of the rear seat and the trunk lid when the soft top was retracted. The forward end of the trunk lid contained a metal panel that extended upward to cover the area in which the top is stowed. The trunk lid was rear-hinged that raised and lowered by hydraulic cylinders during the convertible top's up and down cycle. This design reduced available trunk space when the top was down. While these Thunderbird models had a true convertible soft top, the top was lowered to stow in the trunk area. The second- to fourth-generation Thunderbird convertibles were similar in design to the Lincoln convertible of the time and used a design from earlier Ford Skyliner hardtop and convertible models. Thunderbird production ended in 1997 and resumed with a two-passenger, marketed from 2002-2005.įrom its introduction in 1955 to its final phaseout in 2005, Ford produced over 4.4 million Thunderbirds. Sales were good until the 1990s when large two-door coupes became unpopular. Succeeding generations became larger until the line was downsized in 1977, again in 1980, and once again in 1983. For 1958, the Thunderbird was redesigned with a second row of seats.
Ford positioned the Thunderbird as an upscale model and it is credited in developing a new market segment, the personal luxury car. Unlike the Chevrolet Corvette, it was not marketed as a sports car. The Thunderbird entered production for the 1955 model year as a sporty two-seat convertible. From 1968 through 1998, Lincoln-Mercury marketed rebadged variants of the Thunderbird as the Continental Mark III, Mark IV, Mark V, Mercury Cougar, Lincoln Mark VII, and Lincoln Mark VIII. Introduced as a two-seat convertible, the Thunderbird was offered variously as a four-seat hardtop coupe, four-seat convertible, five-seat convertible and hardtop, four-door pillared hardtop sedan, six-passenger hardtop coupe, and five-passenger pillared coupe, with the final generation designed again as a two-seat convertible.įord targeted the two-seat Thunderbird as an upscale model, but the 1958 model year design introduced a rear seat and arguably marked the expansion of a market segment eventually known as personal luxury cars, positioned to emphasize comfort and convenience over handling and high-speed performance. Service records are included in the sale along with an owner’s manual, a parts catalog, and a collection of miscellaneous spare parts.The Ford Thunderbird (colloquially called the T-Bird) is a personal luxury car manufactured and marketed by Ford from model years 1955-2005 (with a 1997-2002 hiatus), across 11 generations.
DENVER 1962 FORD THUNDERBIRD WINDOWS
A scratch on the left front fender and cracks around a door lock are shown in the gallery below.Įxterior details include opera windows in the matching hardtop, a hood scoop, faux fender vents, and exhaust tips exiting through the rear bumper.
The seller reports that a previous color change was reverted to the original Thunderbird Bronze in a 2000 repaint, preparation for which involved disassembly and media blasting. This T-Bird is offered with a matching hardtop, service records, a period brochure, and a clean Colorado title in the seller’s name. Work in 2019 after 20 years of storage included installation of a single four-barrel carburetor as well as a new fuel tank and exhaust system. A repaint in 2000 was followed by interior refurbishment in 2018. The car is finished in copper over a matching interior, and power is from a 312ci Y-block V8 paired with a three-speed automatic transmission. This 1957 Ford Thunderbird was acquired by the seller and his brother in 1962 and brought from Nebraska to its current home of Colorado in 1971.
0 kommentar(er)
