![]() (emails are monitored for fraudulent activity. The advertiser about this 1963 Thunderbird Of the 1,981 cars that were made available to the American public, only 15 are known to still exist. This model is considered three times more rare than the 1963 Thunderbird convertible. ![]() It has never been put on display out of respect for the beloved Princess and actress. Upon the death of Princess Grace, car #1 was officially retired and placed in storage in Monaco's Royal Museum where it remains to this day. To further the promotion of the cars, #2 thru #19 were sent to Ford district offices and used as displays at auto shows around the U. The car, dubbed the "Princess Grace" model by Ford salesmen officially hit the showroom on February 22nd 1963. Near the end of the trip to Monaco Ford representatives mailed 900,000 sales letters to prospective customers in the U. On September 19th 1962, Ford representatives had a meeting at the Royal Court of Monaco and consulted with Princess Grace on a color scheme for the car.īenson Ford presented car #1 to Prince Rainier and Princess Grace at a grand ceremony that was held at Grimaldi family palace on January 2nd 1963. Ford had learned that Princess Grace was considering re-establishing her acting career, and preliminary feelers were extended to determine the royal couples willingness to participate in what would be a promotional opportunity for Ford. On the dashboard of each car was a special gold-toned nameplate with the car's special serial number.ĭuring 1962, the American movie going public had a fascination with Princess Grace of Monaco, formally the Academy Award winning movie star Grace Kelly. The interior was white leather with a white steering wheel and simulated rosewood trim. This color combination was never offered on any other Thunderbird model. The cars came in Corinthian White and had a vinyl top in a maroon color called Rose Beige. Only 2000 of these cars were produced, each individually numbered 1 through 2000. The Principality Of Monaco was a one-year-only design, and it was actually a mid-year offering that didn’t become available until February of 1963. On February 7th 1963 Ford introduced a special Limited Edition Thunderbird Landau called the "Principality of Monaco". The princess chose Corinthian White with a rose-colored landau roof, a combination of which all 2,000 examples wore from the factory. "Principality of Monaco" 1963 Thunderbird please read below for history of this vehicle. NADA has average retail of $24,000.this car is BETTER than average and offered by private party at only $17,900. Strong 390 engine and smooth shifting automatic. In excellent condition inside/outside,including factory air conditioning, power windows, tilt away steering wheel, creme leather seating etc. Approximately 200 examples of the M-Code engine were placed into the Thunderbird between 19.Unique, more rare 1963 Thunderbird Landau, Principality of Monaco special edition. An upgraded version of the 390 cubic-inch V8, called the M-Code, came with three two-barrel Holley carburetors, larger cam, special heads, larger dual exhaust, and was rated at 340 horsepower. Due to the steep price, sales were sluggish.Īnother new addition for the 1962 Thunderbird was the vinyl-roofed Landau option with simulated S-bars. The Sports Roadster package came with 48-spoke Kelsey Hayes wire wheels, unique side badges, and a passenger grab bar. This design effectively transformed the four-passenger Thunderbird into a two-seater. Kaufman penned a Sports Roadster that used the Thunderbird's sweeping lines with a unique fiberglass tonneau cover extending from the trunk to behind the front seats. Division Chief Lee Iaccoca commissioned designer Bud Kaufman to develop a solution. Mr. Sales were strong but demand still existed for a two-place Thunderbird. Kennedy during the inaugural parade (who appointed Ford executive Robert McNamara as Secretary of Defense) helped boost sales. Promotional appearance at the 1961 Indianapolis 500 where it served pace car duties and its use by U.S President John F. During its first year, 73,051 examples were sold. Under the hood was a new 390 cubic-inch FE V8 rated at 300 horsepower and backed by a three-speed automatic transmission. ![]() View info and historyHaving spawned the personal luxury car segment and proven adequate demand, the Thunderbird was redesigned for 1961 with styling that earned it the nickname the 'Bullet-Birds.' It had a unique bullet-like body side appearance with aerospace influences by Alex Tremulis.
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