The intent was to allow the maximum interior space in a relatively small exterior package. The four-seat Thunderbird was designed with unibody construction, eschewing a separate chassis. However, the losing proposal, styled by Elwood Engel, would gain its own place in Ford Motor Company history: after minor revisions, it would become the 1961 Lincoln Continental. The design was one of two proposals, styled primarily by Joe Oros, who later worked on the 1964 Ford Mustang. The design was driven entirely by the styling department and approved before the engineering was considered.
The new Thunderbird had a distinct new styling theme. As a result, Ford executives decided to add a rear seat to the Thunderbird. Market research suggested sales of the Thunderbird were limited by its two-seat configuration, making it unsuitable for families. Similarly, the Collector Car Market Review Online Tool reveals the seller’s asking price falls between this guide’s #2 “Very Good” estimate of $29,400 and its #1 “Excellent” appraisal of $45,500.Īlthough Ford’s original 1955-1957 Ford Thunderbird outsold Chevrolet’s Corvette, Ford executives, particularly Robert McNamara, still felt its overall sales volume had room to improve. Comparing that price against the Hagerty Insurance Online Valuation Tool confirms the private seller has their Square Bird priced between this guide’s #3 “Good” estimate of $31,300 and its #2 “Excellent” appraisal of $45,600. While hardtop Squarebirds always looked a little bulky for our tastes, the convertible model with its clean top-down look is a completely different bird as illustrated by this Raven Black 1960 convertible example originally listed in January 2022 on Craigslist in Pollok, Texas.Ī 62K original mile example benefitting from a newer restoration, the current caretaker has their Square Bird offered for $36,500. With sales totaling near 200,000 units over three model years between 19, Ford sold approximately four times as many Square Birds as the original Baby Birds. FebruUpdate – We confirmed the seller of this “Classifind” deleted their listing, so we’re now able to call this one “SOLD!” While this one got away, please reach out either by email or call us directly if you’d like to be informed when we come across something similar.ĭespite widespread complaints at the time in 1958, when Ford turned the second generation Thunderbird into a four-seat car the sale numbers spoke for themselves.
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