Vehicle Description
To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Fort Lauderdale event, 6 -
7 April 2018.
Estimates:
$40,000 - $50,000
Last year of third-generation Thunderbird productionStately
Wimbledon White over parchment color combinationWell-optioned
example with air conditioningFitted with dealer-installed tonneau
coverFully restored, show-winning example
The Thunderbird's reputation as a luxury cruiser was cemented by
the time the third-generation T-Bird hit the road for 1961. Long
gone were any pretensions about sporty road handling, or any hints
about affordability. The Thunderbird was a grand touring car with
styling and performance to match.
Just one engine was offered, a 390-cu. in. V-8, paired exclusively
to Ford's Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission. Coupes and
convertibles were on offer, with buyers favoring the hardtop by a
wide margin. At 205 inches from head-to-toe, the Thunderbird was a
tight squeeze in suburban garages, but it looked right at home in
the wide driveways favored by space age contemporary houses.
By 1963, the last year of the third generation Thunderbird, buyers
were fully acclimated to its luxury touches such as the "Swing
Away" steering wheel that rotated out of the way for easy ingress
and egress. New vacuum-assisted power door locks and an AM/FM radio
were among the few changes.
The Thunderbird convertible offered here is one of fewer than 6,000
drop-tops built for 1963. This well-documented example is painted
Wimbledon White over a parchment interior, a combination that works
well with its Kelsey-Hayes chrome wire wheels wrapped in radial
tires and its dealer-installed tonneau cover. Few Thunderbirds were
sparsely equipped, and this model is highly outfitted with power
windows, the new-for-1963 remote outside mirror, air conditioning,
an AM/FM radio, and a power driver's seat.
This exceptionally well-kept example exhibits few signs of use
inside, outside, or under its hood. Its 390-cu. in. V-8 has been
properly detailed and features a stainless-steel exhaust with
resonators that emit a factory-correct gentle rumble at idle. It
will be delivered to its next owner with paperwork, including the
original gate release from Ford's Wixom, Michigan, assembly
plant.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/FL18.
