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2011 Shannons Melbourne Summer Classic Auction
Lot
28

1965 Ford Thunderbird Coupe (LHD)

$6,000

Sold

Specifications

Engine 8 cylinder, 390ci
Gearbox Automatic
Body Work Coupe
Colour Black
Interior Blue
Trim Vinyl
Wheels Steel Disc/Alloy
Brakes Disc/Drum

Description

This lot is no longer available

Ford's Thunderbird series was the ultimate in personal luxury cars, with the first generation cars of 1955-1957 designed to compete with Chevrolet's Corvette before expanding into chrome-laden behemoths - known as 'Square Birds' - in 1958. Ford totally redesigned the Thunderbird for 1961, releasing a car with fresh styling that was longer, lower, wider and much better looking. For 1964 the fourth-generation T-Bird was introduced. Again restyled, the latest car had a squarer appearance though it retained a similar frontal treatment to its predecessor. The latest car could still be had as a hardtop coupe or convertible, with the vinyl-roofed 'Landau' hardtop option also being carried over. Smooth riding, soft suspension settings combined with a comfortable, spacious interior to further enhance the 'personal luxury' theme found in the first Thunderbirds, while a 300bhp version of the 390ci big-block remained as the standard engine. A higher compression version offering 330bhp was available as an option, and both were paired with the three-speed automatic transmission as standard- a perfect combination for boulevard cruising.