1963 Ford Thunderbird Sport Roadster Convertible - Interior
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This 1963 Ford Thunderbird Convertible has a "Dealer Installed" Sports Roadster package. This car was built by Ford as a convertible, not as a Roadster. The car has a tonneau cover, Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels and a Roadster fender tag. Slightly over 5,900 convertibles were sold in 1963. It was not uncommon for dealers to upgrade the convertible with a Dealer Installed Roadster option.
The interior of the 1963 Thunderbird was designed by Art Querfield. This car was an excellent example of a true luxury prestige car. The interior is fuuristic in design and resembles the controls of an airplane. Notice how the center console splits the cabin into two separate cockpits. The control switches for the power windows are located on the center console, just ahead of the storage compartment. The glove compartment was eliminated as it interfered with the sweeping design of the interior.
The 1963 Thunderbird sat very low to the ground, lower than most vehicles at the time. A "Swing Away" Steering Wheel made entering and exiting the vehicle less cumbersome. Standard power steering allowed the driver just three and one half turns to lock the wheels in either direction.
Construction of the body was dual unitized with separate front and rear sections welded together at the cowl. The heavy unitary body allows for a solid feel with no shakes, rattles or rolls when the car is on the road. With the top down the streamlined 1963 Thunderbird with its fiberglass tonneau made this model reminiscent of the 1955 two seater Thunderbird.
