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 '58-'60 Ford Thunderbird -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally Published: 2/28/2003
THE SQUARE BIRD - Ford’s goal for 1958 was to make the Thunderbird more family friendly while retaining its sporty spirit. Ford took a risk with such a radical redesign of the popular and successful two-seater from the previous 3 years. 1958 was one of the automotive industry’s worst ever for sales of new vehicles, yet the square bird was the only American car other than Corvette to increase its sales from the previous year. Production failed to meet demand for this new model, nearly one thousand buyers were forced to wait until the following year. 1959 saw few changes from the previous year - the addition of the 430 C.I. engine from Lincoln and the late in the year addition of the convertible proved to be a huge success with sales reaching more than 67,000 – the gamble of changing from the 2 seater proved to pay off. An industry first for 1960 was the manual crank operated sunroof – only 2500 of these models were produced and are highly collectable today. The small chrome roof molding in front of the sunroof - commonly called the “Bird Catcher Strip” added even more to the special look. 1960 saw more than 78,000 hardtops sold and nearly 12,000 convertibles making 1960 a record year for Thunderbird. While not as collectible as the very popular 1957 model these Square Birds are very desirable, comfortable to drive and continue to go up in value. Excellent: a low mileage original with less than 50,000 miles and in excellent condition: (or a perfectly restored example) Hardtop $15,000 - $17,000 Hardtop/Sunroof $18,000 - $20,000 Convertible Up to $30,000. Very Good: A totally restored or actual miles at less than 100,000 with no flaws visible from 15 ft.: Hardtop $10,000 - $12,000 Hardtop/Sunroof $14,000 - $16,000 Convertible $18,000 - $20,000. Good: May have minor visible flaws but looks excellent from 30 feet away - you would still like it in your driveway: Hardtop $5,000 - $7,000 Hardtop/Sunroof $7500 - $9,000 Convertible $10,000 - $12,000. Additional adds to above: 352/360H.P. - 40%
(very rare) 430 V-8 - 20% A.C. - 10% Wire Wheels
- $1500 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ford Thunderbirds: 1983-1988 at tbirdclub.com |
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