Ford Thunderbird 1963 Convertible

This 1963 Ford Thunderbird convertible represents one of the rarest factory configurations of its generation. While most 1963 T-Birds carried a 300-horsepower 390 V8, this triple-carb “M-code” version bumped output to 340 horsepower — and Ford sold just 55 of them all year. Add in that only 5,913 of 63,313 Thunderbirds built in 1963 were convertibles, and a well-preserved example like this becomes genuinely hard to find.

This really is a great looking car .. with an untouched original V8 under the hood and a very stylish interior…

Most 1963 Thunderbirds rolled off the line with the same 390 cubic-inch V8, but a tiny handful of buyers checked a box almost nobody else did, and that choice is what makes engines like the one under this convertible’s hood worth a second look. Ford’s standard 390 was rated at a solid 300 horsepower, plenty for a personal luxury convertible of the era, but a rare “M-code” version of that same 390 swapped in three two-barrel Holley carburetors and bumped output to 340 horsepower. So why did almost nobody actually order it, and how many of these triple-carb Thunderbirds are even left today?

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The Engine Almost Nobody Ordered

The standard 1963 Thunderbird 390 produced 300 horsepower at 4,600 rpm and 428 lb-ft of torque, more than enough for a car built around comfort and style rather than outright speed. The optional M-code version, fitted with triple two-barrel Holley carburetors instead of the standard single four-barrel, pushed output up to 340 horsepower — yet Ford sold only 55 M-code Thunderbirds for the entire 1963 model year, making it one of the rarest factory engine options of the entire third-generation run.

The Last of the Jet-Age Birds

1963 closed out the Thunderbird’s third generation, which had launched in 1961 with jet-age styling cues — a bullet-like front end and taillights borrowed straight from fighter jet design language that spoke directly to an upwardly mobile, suburban-bound America. The 1963 refresh brought a new vertical-bar grille and updated body sides and taillights, riding on a 113.2-inch wheelbase and stretching 205 inches long. Of the 63,313 Thunderbirds Ford sold that year at a base price of $5,563, only 5,913 were convertibles like this one — making a droptop ‘Bird a genuinely uncommon sight even when the model was brand new.

Between the rare engine option and the low convertible production numbers, a well-preserved 1963 T-Bird ragtop represents one of the more overlooked chapters of Ford’s personal luxury story.

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