Ford Thunderbird (third generation)
The third generation of the Ford Thunderbird is a personal luxury car produced by Ford for the 1961 to 1963 model years. It featured new and much sleeker styling (done by Bill Boyer) than the second generation models. Sales were strong, if not quite up to record-breaking 1960, at 73,051 including 10,516 convertibles. A new, larger 390 cu in (6.4 L) FE-series V8 was the only engine available (in 1961). The Thunderbird was 1961's Indianapolis 500 pace car, and featured prominently in US President John F. Kennedy's inaugural parade, probably aided by the appointment of Ford executive Robert McNamara as Secretary of Defense.
| Ford Thunderbird Third Generation | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Ford Motor Company |
| Production | 1961–1963 |
| Assembly | United States: Wixom Assembly Plant, Wixom, Michigan |
| Designer | Bill Boyer |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Personal luxury car |
| Body style |
|
| Layout | Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
| Chassis | unibody |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 390 cu in (6.4 L) FE V8 406 cu in (6.7 L) FE V8 427 cu in (7.0 L) FE V8 |
| Transmission | 3-speed Cruise-O Matic MX automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 113.2 in (2,875 mm) |
| Length | 205 in (5,207 mm) |
| Width | 75.9 in (1,928 mm) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Ford Thunderbird (second generation) |
| Successor | Ford Thunderbird (fourth generation) |
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