Makes › Ford › Thunderbird › Thunderbird Sports Roadster (1963) · Rare specification · 1963 Very Rare
Ford
Thunderbird Sports Roadster (1963)
Second and last year of the Sports Roadster package
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
- 455 Built
- Years
- 1963
- Engine
- Not yet verified
- Power
- Not yet verified
- 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 turned the four-seat Thunderbird convertible into a two-seat style car with a fibreglass tonneau. Only 455 were built for 1963, down from 1,427 in 1962.
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 1963 | 4551,2 | 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
Sales of the third-generation Thunderbird were strong but slowing, and Ford listened to dealers and customers who wanted a two-seat roadster again. Designer Bud Kaufman created a removable fibreglass tonneau that covered the rear seat and carried headrests. It was first a dealer-installed option and became a factory Sports Roadster package for 1962.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Thunderbird Sports Roadster (1963).
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 | Not yet verified |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | Not yet verified |
| 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.
The package consists of the fibreglass tonneau with headrests, a passenger-side grab bar, Kelsey-Hayes chrome wire wheels with knock-off caps and deletion of the rear fender skirts. 1963 cars also have the AM radio that became standard that year.
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
- just 455 in 1963
-
2
RM Sotheby's – 1963 Ford Thunderbird 'M-Code' Sports Roadster Level B
- 455 Sports Roadsters built in 1963
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