Makes › Ford › Thunderbird › Thunderbird Sports Roadster (1962) · Rare specification · 1962 Rare
Ford
Thunderbird Sports Roadster (1962)
Factory tonneau-covered two-seat Sports Roadster package with Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels on the Thunderbird convertible
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA · CC BY 2.0
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Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 1,427 Built
- Years
- 1962
- Engine
- 6,390 cc / 6.4 LFactory: 390 cu in · converted
- Power
- 224 kW / 304 PSFactory: 300 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Bud Kaufman
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Sports Roadster was a 1962 package that made the four-seat third-generation Thunderbird look like a two-seater. It was the most expensive Thunderbird of the year and echoed the spirit of the original two-seat cars.
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 productionSports Roadsters built in 1962 | 1,4271,2 | 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
Ford's marketing department judged that a two-seater would be well received, and the Sports Roadster was added to the "bullet" Thunderbird range for 1962. The package cost $650 over a standard convertible and 1,427 buyers chose it.
The 390 V8 rated at 300 hp stayed standard, with the 340 hp M-code tri-power as a $242.10 option taken by 120 buyers.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Thunderbird Sports Roadster (1962).
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Not yet verified |
| Displacement | 6,390 cc / 6.4 LFactory: 390 cu in · converted3 Independently researchedStandard engine for the 1962 Thunderbird. |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 224 kW / 304 PSFactory: 300 hp · converted3 Independently researchedStandard engine; the M-code option was rated 340 hp. |
| 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 | Independent, coil springs3 Independently researched |
| Rear suspension | Solid axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs3 Independently researched |
| 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.
The key feature is a removable fibreglass tonneau cover with integrated slipstream headrests that hides the rear seats. The package also has four Kelsey-Hayes chrome wire wheels (so the rear fender shields are deleted), a grab bar in front of the passenger and unique chrome badges on each front fender.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
1962 Ford Thunderbird 'M-Code' Sports Roadster (London 2014) Level A RM Sotheby's · 2014
- Thunderbird Sports Roadster production numbered 1,427 units in 1962
-
2
RM Sotheby's – 1962 Ford Thunderbird 'M-Code' Sports Roadster Level B
- 1427 Sports Roadsters built in 1962
-
3
1962 Ford Thunderbird Sports Roadster, chassis 2Y89M147868 (lot 209) Level C Bonhams · 2020-03-05
- big-block V8 had been enlarged to 390 cubic inches
- 390 cubic inches rated at 300 HP
- Independent Front Suspension with Coil Springs
- Solid Rear Axle with Semi-Elliptic Rear Springs
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