1963 Ford Thunderbird Production Numbers

Perhaps in response to new competition from GM, which debuted the beautiful 1963 Buick Riviera this year, Ford's advertising for the Thunderbird focused on the fact that it was an original, which had developed and evolved over the years, thus it had stood the test of time by 1963. One particular ad (the same one mentioned in the next paragraph), further explained that no car could truly reach this level of achievement without enduring this period of development over time. So, in a nice way, Ford put people on notice that no new comer to the market could truly be in a position to challenge the Thunderbird without a bit of time behind it. Clever, and effective since the T-Bird remained the number one personal luxury car in its third year of styling that didn't exactly wow the public as had been hoped. Buick announced first year Riviera production would be limited to just 40,000 units, and every one of them was sold, but the fact is Ford still sold over 50 percent more cars.

In the January 2, 1915 edition of The Saturday Evening Post, Cadillac ran an ad entitled The Penalty of Leadership. To this day, that ad ranks among the greatest of all ads ever written. Perhaps one of the greatest ads ever written for the Thunderbird appeared for the 1963 model year. A two page ad, it featured profiles of every Thunderbird—1955 through 1963. Set against a black background, the colorful illustrations were striking. The second page cleverly addressed the fact that Ford was aware of imitators, but advised that the Thunderbird was a decade of development ahead of the others, and that no car could match the silky silence and perfection the Thunderbird had achieved. It proclaimed 1963 was the best year yet. The final paragraph of the ad stated: "...our own very deep pride in the Thunderbird stems in no small measure from the manifest loyalty and pleasure of its owners—as well as the satisfaction any manufacturer can take from creating an unduplicated triumph that has stood the test of time."

No doubt today there are quite a few 1963 Thunderbird owners who would verify that statement is still true! Thunderbird—unique in all the world.

Production Numbers
1963
TOTAL PRODUCTION: 63,313 63A - Hardtop 42,806 ($4,445) 63B - Landau 12,139* ($4,548) 76A - Convertible 5,913 ($4,912) 76B - Sports Roadster 455 ($5,563) Limited Edition Landau 2,000* ($4,748) Limited Edition Landau production totals included in 63B - Landau numbers. No special Body Style Code designation was provided. See our 1963 Thunderbird Limited Edition Landau page for information specific to that model. INTRODUCTION DATE: September 28, 1962* Production Started: August 20, 1962 Production Ended: July 17, 1963 First production 1963 Sports Roadster: VIN 3Y89Z100043, built 9-10-62 Last production 1963 Sports Roadster: VIN 3Y89Z161422, built 6-18-63		1963 Ford Thunderbird Hardtop in Champagne

The Story of A Classic Perhaps in response to new competition from GM, which debuted the beautiful 1963 Buick Riviera this year, Ford's advertising for the Thunderbird focused on the fact that it was an original, which had developed and evolved over the years, thus it had stood the test of time by 1963. One particular ad (the same one mentioned in the next paragraph), further explained that no car could truly reach this level of achievement without enduring this period of development over time. So, in a nice way, Ford put people on notice that no new comer to the market could truly be in a position to challenge the Thunderbird without a bit of time behind it. Clever, and effective since the T-Bird remained the number one personal luxury car in its third year of styling that didn't exactly wow the public as had been hoped. Buick announced first year Riviera production would be limited to just 40,000 units, and every one of them was sold, but the fact is Ford still sold over 50 percent more cars. In the January 2, 1915 edition of The Saturday Evening Post, Cadillac ran an ad entitled The Penalty of Leadership. To this day, that ad ranks among the greatest of all ads ever written. Perhaps one of the greatest ads ever written for the Thunderbird appeared for the 1963 model year. A two page ad, it featured profiles of every Thunderbird—1955 through 1963. Set against a black background, the colorful illustrations were striking. The second page cleverly addressed the fact that Ford was aware of imitators, but advised that the Thunderbird was a decade of development ahead of the others, and that no car could match the silky silence and perfection the Thunderbird had achieved. It proclaimed 1963 was the best year yet. The final paragraph of the ad stated: "...our own very deep pride in the Thunderbird stems in no small measure from the manifest loyalty and pleasure of its owners—as well as the satisfaction any manufacturer can take from creating an unduplicated triumph that has stood the test of time." No doubt today there are quite a few 1963 Thunderbird owners who would verify that statement is still true! Thunderbird—unique in all the world.
1963 Thunderbird Sports Roadster shown above in Silver Mink Metallic