Makes › Ford › Thunderbird › Thunderbird M-code Sports Roadster (1963) · Rare specification · 1963 Ultra Rare
Ford
Thunderbird M-code Sports Roadster (1963)
1963 Sports Roadster with the 340-hp 390 tri-power M-code V8
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 37 Built
- Years
- 1963
- Engine
- 6,390 cc / 6.4 LFactory: 390 cu in · converted
- Power
- 254 kW / 345 PSFactory: 340 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Not yet verified
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The M-Code was the Tri-Power 390 option on the Thunderbird Sports Roadster. Ford built only 37 in 1963, which makes it the rarest of the two-seat style Thunderbirds.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Factory package productionM-Code Sports Roadsters built in 1963 | 371,2 | Factory production | Factory reported |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Lee Iacocca had designer Bud Kaufman create a removable fibreglass tonneau for the Thunderbird convertible, which hid the rear seat and gave the car a roadster look. It became a Sports Roadster package for 1962 with wire wheels. Sports Roadster production was 1,427 in 1962 and 455 in 1963, and only 37 of the 1963 cars were M-Codes. eBay's blog says 119 M-Code roadsters were built in 1962 and 1963 together.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Thunderbird M-code Sports Roadster (1963).
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | M1 Independently researched |
| Layout | Not yet verified |
| Displacement | 6,390 cc / 6.4 LFactory: 390 cu in · converted1 Independently researched |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Induction | Three Holley two-barrel carburettors1 Independently researched |
| Power | 254 kW / 345 PSFactory: 340 hp · converted1 Independently researched |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
M-Code cars carry an M in the VIN. The engine is the 390 cubic inch V8 with three Holley two-barrel carburettors, rated at about 340 hp. Sports Roadsters have the fibreglass tonneau with headrests, Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels, a passenger grab bar and no rear fender skirts. The original build sheet is the usual proof of a genuine car.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
1963 Ford Thunderbird 'M-Code' Sports Roadster (Arizona 2014) Level A RM Sotheby's · 2014
- Ford turned out just 37 M-Code Sports Roadsters in 1963
- designated by an M in the VIN
- 390-cubic inch tri-power V-8
- three Holley two-barrel carburetors
- some 340 horsepower at the crankshaft
-
2
RM Sotheby's – 1963 Ford Thunderbird 'M-Code' Sports Roadster Level B
- 37 M-Code Sports Roadsters built in 1963
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