IN MEMORIAM: Policeman Roger R. Warren
Los Angeles Police Department
End of Watch: May 8, 1967
(Policeman Warren was killed on duty and inspired the television show, Adam-12)
(1967 Ford Thunderbird Tudor Hardtop shown at left)
1967 Thunderbird Trivia:
Did you know that 1967 was the fourth best sales year to date for the Thunderbird?
It's true! While many may regret the absence of a convertible and the introduction
of a 4-door sedan to the line, it's a fact that personal luxury car buyers
endorsed the changes made for 1967 in near record numbers! And this was accomplished
in a market segment growing more competitive each year. For 1967, the Cadillac
Fleetwood Eldorado personal luxury coupe was introduced, featuring landmark
styling by Bill Mitchell. It was reported that the factory strained at
times during the production run to keep up with orders for the new car.
The Tudor Hardtop and the new Fordor Landau appeared in most of the advertising
for the year, but the most popular model for sales was the Tudor Landau—despite
the fact that virtually all of the 1967 advertising ignored it! And speaking of advertising, take a close look at some of the ads for '67. If you look closely, you may spot the tops of thin-backed contour bucket seats from a 1966 Thunderbird, instead of the thicker, more squared '67 style.
While appearances may suggest otherwise, very few parts are interchangeable
between the 1967 Thunderbird and its 1968-1969 counterparts, making this
year one of the most difficult to find parts for since most of them are
one year only parts. For instance, the front fenders do not have the side
marker light openings that the later cars have, the interior door panels
attach to the door inner panels differently, and even the instrument panel,
gauges, radios, and other accessories were exclusive to 1967. Things you'd
never expect to change between '67 and '68 did, for instance the standard equipment driver's
side remote control rear view mirror. The glass and mirror housing were
enlarged slightly for the 1968 model year, a requirement mandated by the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Act. The change is minor and the mounting
bracket is still the same, but the smaller 1967 mirrors are not correct
(and are actually illegal) on the later models, which could explain why
so few cars during this period have the companion right hand manual rear
view mirror: dealers by law couldn't install them on later models!
An interesting option available only this year was the "rolling door
lock" feature that was part of the Convenience Check Group. It automatically
locked all doors at approximately 8 mph. Vacuum pressure was applied to
prevent the doors from being unlocked accidentally until the car slowed
below 8 mph, at which point the doors could be unlocked with the door lock
control switch mounted on the center console, or by pulling up on the lock
plunger manually. This feature was discontinued during production, so cars
built later in production with vacuum door locks don't have the rolling
door locks.
This would be the final year for Tilt-Away Steering Wheel, Front Bucket
Seats and Console, and Deluxe Seat Belts to appear on the standard equipment
list. The competition was selling well with a front bench seat, which also
increased available passenger capacity to a new level in the T-Bird, so
Ford decided that increased passenger capacity might also help improve
sales in the personal market segment, which was getting more crowded every
year.
Quality control issues dogged some early production '67 Thunderbirds, so much so that Ford initiated a program to have dealers check all vehicles in stock at their dealerships, as well as inspect and make corrections to T-birds that had already been sold and were in service. Some of the things were minor, such as adding a front to rear fader on cars that had stereo systems installed to correct an issue with low volume from door stereo speakers. Another fix called for replacing the air conditioning thermostat with a revised part that allowed the evaporator to reach a lower temperature before turning off the compressor. This program was almost unprecedented, but clearly shows Ford's dedication to reliable, quality-built cars. Since the Thunderbird was the top of the line for Ford Division, issues with that model reflected on the other models in the line as well.
