![]() These 1/24th and 1/25th scale models were often included in ‘Press’ packages distributed at auto shows and media events and came in a variety of colors including ‘Inspiration Yellow,’ ‘Torch Red,’ ‘Thunderbird Blue,’ and ‘Evening Black.’ For the first buyers of the new Thunderbird, including the limited-edition Neiman-Marcus edition, Ford produced the ‘Manage the Wait’ set. ![]() The first of the die cast models of the 2002-2005 Thunderbird were actually labeled ‘1999’ Concept or ‘Show Car’ models, and were introduced years before the actual car itself. But one of the most widely collectible item for any automobile, including the Ford Thunderbird, is the die cast scale model. Thunderbird scale models were produced for nearly every different T-Bird ever built, dating back to the original 1955-1957 Thunderbird, and come in many different sizes from the tiny, 1/87th, to the most popular1/18th scale. Needless to say, I didn’t win, but it was a great experience and one reason why the Sports Roadster is special to me.Ford’s Thunderbird has inspired hundreds of collectible items including coffee mugs, key rings, pens, pins, badges, coins, and a wide variety of apparel items like T-Shirts, caps and jackets. I loved going by the store and was excited to see my Thunderbird in the window with all of the other models. All of the models were displayed in the front window for about a month for all who passed by the store to see. Once finished, we took it back to Sprouse-Reitz as my official entry into the contest. I painted it red with black interior, a rather lumpy paint job if I recall, but I thought it looked great. I wasn’t going try spray painting again, that was too risky, so I decided to paint it the best way I knew how: with a small model brush. She agreed to pay the $1.98 for the replacement model kit (I must have begged, cried, or something) and we came out with a ’63 Ford Thunderbird Sports Roadster kit. It definitely was not suitable to enter into a model car contest. Well, things didn’t work out very well with the spray paint and I ended up making a mess out of the Fairlane. I wanted to paint it candy apple red over a gold base coat, so we got the spray paint and I was left to my own devices. Using my allowance that I saved up, I purchased an AMT ‘63 Ford Fairlane kit as my entry. My mom, being the supportive stay-at-home mother that she was, took me (and dragged my two sisters) to the store. Part of the requirements of the contest is that you had to buy your model kit at the store and enter it at the time of purchase. The Sprouse-Reitz Five and Dime store in the local shopping center was having a model car contest and I really wanted to enter. I was 8 years old and had been building model cars on my own for a little over a year. The total number of Sports Roadsters produced over the two model years was 1,882 making these cars rare and collectible today.įlashback to 1963. Just 455 1963 Sports Roadsters were produced. did a color survey of their registered cars in 2010 with the following results:įorty-seven percent of the total production of Sports Roadsters was represented, a substantial amount considering the age of the car! This color was exclusive in 1962 to the Thunderbird and the Lincoln Continental (as Platinum) and not available on any other Ford Motor Company product. I couldn’t find a production breakout by color, but the least popular color according to sources on the web was Diamond Blue with only a handful produced. Nearly all of the first 465 Sports Roadsters produced were built in this color combination with the exception of four, which all had red interiors. The most popular color combination was Rangoon Red with Black vinyl interior. Color choices were:Ĭorinthian White, Rangoon Red, Raven Black, Chestnut, Diamond Blue, Silver Mink, and Sandshell Beige. The Sports Roadster was initially available in 7 different colors, an eighth one was added in early 1962. ![]() Ford produced 1,427 Thunderbird Sports Roadsters in the 1962 model year.
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