Bullet Bird - 63 Ford Thunderbird - a photo on Flickriver

1963 Ford Thunderbird

This great looking 1963 (third generation) Ford Thunderbird was on display at the 2022 Ol' Marais River Run held at Forrest Park in Ottawa Kansas. The third generation T-Birds had a very sleek design sometimes referred to as bullet styling.

1963 was not a knockout year for the T-Bird as only 63,313 were sold, about 15,000 less units than the prior year. Some of this was probably due to the fact that Thunderbird would have a comprehensive restyling for the upcoming 1964 model year. Of these units, 5,913 were convertibles and 455 were Sports Roadsters. Only 55 M-codes were sold with their high performance 340 horsepower engines. The base engine for Thunderbird remained a 390 cubic inch V8 rated at 300 horsepower.

1963 was the last year of Thunderbird’s third generation which began in 1961. Of special significance was 1961 was the year that the Swing-Away Steering Wheel was added as a new option. Since the 61 model had entirely new styling it was an opportune time to introduce the Swing-Away Steering Wheel.

The third generation (61-63) Ford Thunderbirds featured new and much sleeker styling than the second-generation cars. The car had an aerodynamic form that was easily 20 years ahead of its time. At the time the third generation T-Birds were designed, bigger seemed to be better. The oil crisis of the early 1970’s was far into the future and there was no reason to think that size and fuel efficiency would be an issue. Ford envisioned the Thunderbird to stand alone to some degree and appeal to those who, while attracted to the car, were not really willing to admit they would drive a Ford. Lee Iacocca, Ford’s president at the time, knew that there were no limits to what some people could and would pay for prestige and the T-Bird gained a reputation of being above the general Ford line.

The 1963 model had minor changes from 1962. Additions to the option list included vacuum assisted door locks and an AM/FM radio. The AM radio and a remote-controlled driver’s side mirror were standard equipment.

1963 Ford Thunderbird Specifications

As mentioned above, the 63 Thunderbird came with a 390 cubic inch V8 rated at 300 horsepower. Optional was the high performance 340 horsepower engine with three Holley two-barrel carburetors.
Transmission was a three speed Cruise-O-Matic automatic.
Brakes were four-wheel hydraulic drums.
Front suspension included upper and lower A-arms and coil springs. Rear suspension included a live axle and leaf springs.

Dimensions included a 113.0 inch wheelbase...205.0 inch overall length…76.5 inch width and 52.5 inch height. The convertible model height was about an inch higher. Weight was about 4,200 lbs. New car price was in a range of $4,500 to $5,500. Total third generation Thunderbird production was 214,375 units. 1962 was the best year with78,011 cars built.

Source: automuseumonline.com/1963-ford-thunderbird-photos-specifi...

Taken on: September 17, 2022

Tags:

Ford

Ford Motor Company

T-Bird

Third Generation

1961-1963

1963

Custom

Sleek

Ottawa

Ol' Marais River Run Car Show

aerodynamic

Cruise-O-Matic

Lee Iacocca « less

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Camera: Nikon D7100, f/6.3, 1/100 sec, 25mm (=37mm), ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D7100
Lens:	18.0-70.0 mm f/3.5-4.5
Aperture:	f/6.3
Exposure Time:	0.01 sec (1/100)
Focal Length:	25mm (35mm equivalent: 37mm)
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Manual
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Scene Capture Type:	Landscape
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop 24.0 (Macintosh)
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