![]() ![]() Could it be this song related to a real event? Rumor has it Salt Lake resident Shirley England, whose father was a local radio station owner, borrowed her father’s ’63 T-Bird. Trying to capture their feeling of the T-Bird in their song ‘Fun, Fun, Fun’, The Beach Boys sang “And she’ll have fun fun fun, til her daddy takes the T-bird away,”. It also benefitted from product placement, notably on the popular private detective drama television series 77 Sunset Strip. Plus, it was featured prominently in US President John F. In early 1960’s the Thunderbird was even an Indianapolis 500 pace car. Marilyn’s Thunderbird is “not only part of automotive history but comes with an aura of glamour, romance, and tragedy of a true Hollywood legend,” said Darren Julien, the president of Julien’s Auctions, that sold the car. Reportedly, some have detected the aroma of Chanel 5, her signature perfume, wafting from the glove compartment. Later, when her car was taken to auction, it went under the hammer, fetching a cool $250,000. ![]() Not long after buying her T-Bird, she married Arthur Miller, the famous playwright. With a raven black paint job, powered by a 312 cubic-inch V8 engine, delivering 225 horsepower, it had a top speed of 113 mph. Marilyn Monroe owned a 1956 T-Bird for more than six years. Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn reportedly owned a 1961 T-Bird. Frank Sinatra was said to have owned a 1955 Thunderbird. The T-Bird was part of the celebrity lifestyle because of its cool factor. The last Thunderbird was manufactured on July 1, 2005. With sales dropping off significantly after its 2002 model year, Ford ended Thunderbird production with the 2005 model year. These included a two seat coupe, four-seat hardtop coupe, four-seat convertible, five-seat convertible and hardtop, four-door pillared hardtop sedan, six-passenger hardtop coupe, and five-passenger pillared coupe, with the final generation designed again as a two-seat convertible. Introduced as a two-seat convertible, the Thunderbird was produced in a variety of body configurations. The Ford Thunderbird was a personal luxury car produced by Ford from 1955 until 1997 and again from 2002 until 2005 across 11 distinct generations. The time was ripe for new styles in the automotive industry, which opened the doors for the Ford Thunderbird to be revealed to a car hungry public. Society and innovations were moving at a rapid pace and the public wanted more. The transistor radio was introduced in 1954. The first transistor computer was built in 1953. The TV set was starting to show up in homes across the country. ![]() The mid 1950’s brought about several changes and advancement in society, politics and technologically. So, let’s talk about what Frank Sinatra, Marylin Monroe and NASCAR have in common? Said another way…it’s about allowing our memories to travel back in time and experience our special car moments all over again. You know, reliving the events, sights, smells, and emotions of special memories connected to our first rides. The top offer at the time of writing is $5,000, but of course, there’s a chance it’ll go higher as we approach the last hours of the bidding wars.This Ford T-Bird in 2014 My wife and I enjoyed driving There’s no rust on this barn find, and this is clearly good news for someone planning a full restoration, especially given the car has been sitting for so long.Īs for the price, this is something we’ll find out in about 6 days when the auction comes to an end. The odometer indicates about 37,000 miles (59,500 km), and the seller says this is fully accurate. This Thunderbird is also unrestored, so everything you find inside and outside is exactly the way Ford wanted it to back in 1961 when the vehicle rolled off the assembly lines.Īnd last but not least, the mileage is impressively low as well, which kind of makes sense given the car has been sitting for a long time in a barn. This means both the engine and the transmission are still there, and while the car drives, it should still be towed because the radiator leaks. Then, it’s complete, as no parts seem to be missing. Of course, a visual inspection is definitely recommended to sort this out and determine what was the original color of the car. eBay seller shelbob originally said the black finish you see in the photos is fully original, though, on the other hand, they claim there are signs the Thunderbird actually left the factory in lavender. But the 1961 Ford Thunderbird convertible that we have here appears to be ticking pretty much all the boxes that you can have on a list for a restoration candidate.įirst of all, it’s fully original with one unclear exception: the paint. ![]()
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