1963 Ford Futura Convertible (RHD)

Description

Overshadowed the legendary Mustang, Ford had an enormous hit with its compact Falcon range first seen in 1960.  Competing with rivals from Chevrolet and Chrysler for the burgeoning compact market, the Falcon offered simple but attractive styling allied with reliable underpinnings and a sturdy 144-cid six-cylinder engine was the only option for the first couple of years.  Ford envisaged the Falcon as an affordable second car for an increasingly affluent American middle class, one suitable for transporting the kids to school and as such only offered a sedan and station wagon in the first year of production.  With sales taking off, Ford expanded the range in 1961 to include a new two-door model christened the Futura and the option of a more powerful 170-cid six.  Few changes took place the following year, although two different lines – the Standard and Deluxe series – were now available.  Bigger things were in store and in 1963 Ford added both a convertible and V8 power to the Falcon range, turning the model’s staid image on its head.  Only sold in upmarket Futura guise (which replaced the Deluxe series for 1963), the convertible was equipped with Ford’s 170 Special engine as standard and a power-operated hood, along with the optional Sprint package that added wire wheel covers, bucket seats and a “personal” centre console.  Other changes for 1963 saw a new convex grille featuring a grid pattern, new brightwork on either side of the body and a revised tail light design.  It’s easy to overlook the importance of the Ford’s compact now but the significance of the Falcon’s place in the history of the Blue Oval cannot be ignored - indeed without it there would have been no Mustang.  Similarly, Ford Australia turned to the American Falcon to provide the basis for its first locally built model and for several years our Falcons closely mirrored their US counterparts.