President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave his "Farewell Address To The Nation"
on January 17, 1961; Roger Maris hit his 61st homer of the Season at half-empty
Yankee Stadium, with only 23,154 fans present to watch. "West Side
Story" won the Academy Award for Best Picture, Maximilian Schell won
Best Actor in "Judgement At Nuremberg," and Sophia Loren won
Best Actress for "Two Women." A specially-painted Gold 1961 Thunderbird
Convertible served as the Official Pace Car of the Indianapolis 500 Race.
Rock Hudson, Doris Day, and Tony Randall starred in "Lover Come Back",
the second of three movies the trio made together. It was a huge hit, and
a young Ann B. Davis, who would later portray Alice on TV's "The Brady
Bunch" had a supporting role.
Swing-Away Steering Wheel option introduced
Thunderbird 390 Special V-8 engine introduced
Standard power steering, power brakes, back-up lamps,
glove and luggage compartment lights, and
Cruise-O-Matic transmission
Full Wheel Covers standardized
Electric Windshield Wipers
Foot-operated parking brake release with warning light
Optional AM Radio is fully transistorized
First use of PCV system (California delivery only)
1962
Four New Thunderbirds
On January 17, 1962 television quiz show contestant Charles Van Doren and
others were convicted in New York of game show fixing; President John F.
Kennedy learns of Soviet missile deployments in Cuba on October 16, 1962,
and demands their removal. The United States and Russia were on the brink
of thermonuclear war before Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev agreed to
remove the missiles on October 28, 1962, ending the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Landau and Sports Roadster models introduced
Thunderbird 390 High Performance Sports
V-8 engine option
Kelsey-Hayes Wire Wheel option (standard on
Sports Roadster)
Swing-Away Steering Wheel added to standard
equipment list early in production
Instrument and door trim panels revised in April 1962
to achieve a better fit where they meet. The new design is
NOT interchangeable with the previous parts
1963
Unique In All the World
On April 6, 1963, Skeeter Davis started a 4 week stay at the number one
position on the Top 30 Radio charts with "The End Of The World",
which kept Andy Williams' "Can't Get Used To Losing You" from
rising above the number three position on the charts. On Friday, November
22, 1963 President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas during
a motorcade. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the killing. Oswald was
shot and killed at the Dallas City Jail garage by nightclub owner Jack
Ruby 2 days after Kennedy's assassination, and was never brought to trial.
Simulated Walnut woodgrain introduced on steering
wheel, console, instrument panel, door and rear
quarter trim panels, and seat back emblems on
Landau models
Dark Blue and Dark Brown vinyl roof colors
Deluxe Wheel Cover with Simulated Knock-Off
Spinner option
Automatic Door Lock option
AM Radio standardized
MagicAire Heater-Defroster standardized
Hydraulic Windshield Wipers
AM-FM Radio option
Rear Seat Speaker option
Sports Roadster and Sports V-8 engine option quietly
discontinued mid-year
Limited Edition Landau debuts February, 1963 (2,000 built)
Exterior hood release
Remote Control Left Exterior Rear View Mirror
Hand release parking brake
Courtesy lights in door trim panels
Tachometer option
Alternator introduced as standard (testing began on
some late 1962 models)
Optional SelectAire Conditioner vent regulator
featured new toggle controls
StudioSonic Sound System option
1964
So Different...So Beautifully Different!
The 1964 Fall television schedule featured several popular new shows, among
them "Voyage To the Bottom of the Sea," airing on ABC Monday
nights at 8:00; "Shindig!" was also on ABC at 8:30 on Wednesday
nights; NBC offered "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." at 8:30 on Tuesday
night; and two ghoulish families appeared for the first time: "The
Addams Family" and "The Munsters," both of which put the
Ward Cleaver's in a very separate class. If you were driving your new Thunderbird
the week of May 2, 1964, chances are you heard Louis Armstrong's "Hello
Dolly" on the radio. It was the number one song in the land that week,
its first of three weeks at the top spot. Dean Martin closed out 1964 with
his new chart debut "You're Nobody Til Somebody Loves You" on
December 26, 1964.
Automatic Parking Brake Release
Coved Rear Seats with Center Fold-Down Armrest
Retractable Front Seat Belts with Reminder Light
introduced as standard
Rear Seat Speaker option on Convertible
Windshield Washers standardized
Gauges for oil pressure, fuel level, engine
temperature and ammeter
Front fender tip turn indicators
Reclining Passenger Seat option
Automatic Speed Control option
Crank operated vent windows introduced as standard
Silent-Flo Rear Ventilation System introduced
Safety-Convenience Control Panel option
Transistorized Ignition System option
Last year for Sports Tonneau Cover and Wire
Wheel options
Courtesy lights no longer in door trim panels on
Hardtop models only
Low profile tires
15 inch wheels (except Wire Wheels)
1965
The Private World of Thunderbird
The number one box office hit of the year was "The Sound of Music,"
starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. Nominated for ten Academy
Awards, it won five of them for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Sound,
Best Score, and Best Film Editing. "The Sound of Music" became
the biggest box office hit of all time, surpassing "Gone With the
Wind." Motown artists held two of the top five songs on the charts
at radio station WTRY in Albany, New York. "Can't Help Myself"
by The Four Tops was number one, and The Supremes were at number five with
"Back In My Arms Again" for the week ending June 11, 1965.
Sequential Rear Turn Signals introduced as standard
Power Front Disc Brakes introduced as standard
Reversible keys introduced
Keyless Door Locking introduced
Special Landau model introduced Spring, 1965 (4,500 built)
Power Antenna option
Remote Deck Lid Release option
Power Vent Window option
Rear Roof Bow Courtesy Light introduced as standard
on Convertible model
AM/FM Radio pushbuttons can be set for either AM
or FM stations for the first time
Headliner color-keyed to interior for first time
Courtesy lights in door trim panels return to Hardtop
models as standard
Floor console trim has black finish on Hardtop and
Convertible models
Final year Hardtop was most popular model
Switch added to "Fasten Seat Belts" light during
production to extinguish light when driver's side
retractable seat belt was pulled out
1966
America's Personal Luxury Car
ABC launched the biggest hit in its history in the Fall of 1966, with "Batman."
Adam West and Burt Ward starred in this offbeat show as the "Caped
Crusaders", protecting the fine citizens of Gotham City from fiendish
criminals like Catwoman, The Joker, The Riddler, The Penguin, and King
Tut.
If one campy show was good for the ratings, two must be better. "The
Green Hornet" also debuted, but lasted just one year. The Surveyor
One Probe was launched on May 30, 1966, and landed on the Moon June 2,
1966. It was the first U.S. spacecraft to make a safe landing on the Moon,
and its purpose was to obtain close-up images to determine if the terrain
was suitable for manned landings in the future.
On the radio, Petula Clark was riding high on the charts with hits "I
Couldn't Live Without Your Love" and "My Love", and The
Mamas and The Papas continued their popularity with "Words of Love"
and "I Saw Her Again Last Night".
428 V-8 Engine option
390 Special V-8 receives horsepower increase
to 315, up from 300 in 1965
AM Radio/StereoSonic Tape Player option
Highway Pilot Automatic Speed Control option
Full-width tail lamps with integral back-up lamps
Town Landau and Town Hardtop models
introduced (1966 only)
Safety Warning Flasher standardized on all models
Overhead Safety-Convenience Control Panel
standardized (Town models only)
Chrome trim on wheel openings (1966 models only)
Convertible model discontinued at end of model year
Rear Seat Belts introduced as standard
Parchment and Sage Gold Levant Grain Vinyl Roof
colors introduced (available in 1966 only)
6-Way Power Seat option
Grille-mounted Thunderbird emblem
Reclining Passenger Seat option mandatory with
Leather trim option (1966 only)
Pleated and biscuit-design upholstery pattern
introduced
Timer added to "Fasten Seat Belts" light circuit
during production to extinguish light automatically
1967
Did You Know We Make a 4-Door Thunderbird?
The movie "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner" was released in 1967.
It starred the popular acting team of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn
in their ninth and final film together. Tracy, in poor health for several
years, had to limit his work days to just a few hours at a time. He died
of heart failure in his Hollywood Hills home on June 10, 1967—just
three weeks after completing the filming of this movie. Sidney Poitier
and Katharine Houghton (Hepburn's real-life niece) co-starred as an interracial
couple wanting to marry, a very controversial topic in 1967.
Hollywood goddess Jayne Mansfield was killed in an automobile accident
in Mississippi around 2:00 AM on June 29, 1967 on her way from Biloxi to
New Orleans. Best remembered for her figure, on the set of one of her movies
the chair reserved for her—in lieu of her name—simply said:
"40-21-35½." She was the most publicized actress in the
world in 1957, beating out Marilyn Monroe. Tony Randall once commented
he preferred working with Jayne, because she was more professional than
Marilyn.
Thunderbird Fordor Landau introduced
Concealed headlamps
Automatic Tilt-Away Steering Wheel introduced as
standard (1967 only; optional 1968-1969)
Rolling Power Door Lock option
AM-FM Stereo Multiplex System option
Dual Brake System with warning light
Unipane Side Windows introduced as standard
Articulated Accelerator Pedal introduced as standard
First year for in-dash glove compartment since 1960
Lane changing turn signal indicators introduced as
standard
Final year for standard fold-down rear center armrest
Door pull assist straps introduced as standard (1967 only)
Return to coil spring rear suspension
Return to body on frame construction
Final year for deluxe color-keyed seat belts as standard (Black buckles/webbing standard in 1968)
Front seat belts incorporated into bucket seat frame
1968
New Thunder From the Bird
The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., 39, was assassinated on the balcony
of a motel in Memphis on April 3, 1968; Senator Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated
in Los Angeles on June 4, 1968. Fearing for the safety of her children,
former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy married Aristotle Onassis on October
20, 1968, and moved to an island near Greece.
Full-Width Front Seat introduced as standard
Front side marker lights and rear reflectors
introduced as standard, lights added to rear
markers on January 1, 1968
Shoulder Belts for front seat outboard passengers (on January 1, 1968)
AM-FM Stereo Radio option
SelectAire Conditioner with Automatic Climate
Control option
Rear Window Defogger option
Automatic Tape Eject and radio station push button
presets introduced to StereoSonic Sound
System option
High Level Rear Stop Lamp option
Rear Lamp Monitor option
Cayman Grain vinyl roof introduced on Landau
models (Alligator grain)
Front Cornering Lamp option
Final year for 390 Special V-8 engine (early
production only)
Thunder Jet 429 V-8 engine option introduced (made
standard on January 1, 1968)
Dark Green Cayman Grain Vinyl Roof color introduced
Exterior Remote Rear View Mirror head enlarged
Sequential instrument panel turn indicator (early
production only)
Remote control driver's rear view mirror enlarged from 1967
Final year for Aqua-colored interior trim
1969
3-Door and 5-Door Birds for 1969
This was the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. On July 20, 1969, Astronaut
Neil Armstrong becomes the first man to walk on the Moon. His famous statement,
"That's one small step for...man, one giant leap for mankind"
was not actually what he said. Because of static, that's what the world
heard, but he actually said, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."
Bethel, New York was the host of Woodstock, an outdoor concert that attracted
500,000 people, and caused a traffic jam up to 20 miles long. The concert
ran August 15-17, 1969. "Midnight Cowboy" won the Academy Award
for Best Picture. The X-Rated movie starred Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight,
and dealt with topics never before addressed in a motion picture.
On September 2, 1969 a group of students and a professor at UCLA in an
engineering lab linked two computers together, creating the first network.
Today, it's known as the Internet.
Ever seen a Bird wink?
Mouse over photo above.
Sure Track Brake System option (introduced mid-year)
Interval Windshield Wipers introduced
(very rare option)
Electric Power Sunroof option for Tudor and Fordor
Landau models
Electric Defrost Rear Window option
Thunderbird emblem added to Rear Side Marker Light
Transistorized Turn Signal Sequencer introduced as
standard (mid-year)
Last year for concealed headlamps
Last year for optional front bucket seats and console
in Fordor models (Brougham option required)
Internal spring in headlamp door motor raises doors
automatically if vacuum system fails (1969 only)
Front seat headrests become mandatory standard
item (January 1, 1969)
Dark Brown Vinyl Roof color re-introduced late in year
Color-Keyed Simulated Styled Steel Wheel Covers (available in five colors) (1969 only)
Front Cornering Lamps standardized early in production
Interior door lock plungers on 2-door models moved
forward for easier access from front seat
Optional Power Seat controls relocated higher on seat
side shield late in production
Door pulls/power window control panels in armrests
made wider on late production units
Oil pressure gauge normal band was offset to high side
of gauge, instead of being centered
Front seat belts moved back to floor mounting position
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