When it comes to low mileage vehicles, most of us would agree that anything below 25,000 on a vehicle over 10 years of age would qualify. However, it takes some very real effort to keep that odometer reading well short of 1,000 miles when a vehicle gets close to 30 years of age. This 1995 Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe has a mere 410 miles on the clock and may very well be the lowest mileage SC in existence. The original owner is still alive and is apparently available to confirm the details of this survivor’s incredible state of preservation, and it’s listed here on eBay with bids to $25,000 and the reserve unmet.
The Super Coupe was the hot ticket for Ford Thunderbird owners going back to the middle 80s, with the upgraded model being seen as a way to attract younger buyers to the brand. Whether you bought one in 1985 or 1995, you were treated to a factory aero kit, unique alloy wheels, performance suspension tuning, and of course, a more powerful engine. In the case of this generation, the engine in question was a supercharged 3.8L V6 good for about 230 horsepower and 330 lb-ft of torque. Overall, it was an interesting alternative to the likes of the Toyota Supra and other sporty coupes that were more of a grand tourer than a raw performance car.
For some reason, the Thunderbird S/C never became the superstar it should have been. The package was certainly compelling overall, especially when equipped with the elusive 5-speed manual transmission. I suppose if you were shopping for a Supra, a Thunderbird may not have been under consideration as a viable alternative. Unfortunately, it was always viewed as more of a competitor for other domestic two-doors that fell well short of the S/C in terms of overall performance capabilities. The comparison usually included the likes of the Chevy Monte Carlo and the Buick Regal, which were much different vehicles in terms of packaging and mission. As you’d expect, the interior of this Thunderbird S/C is immaculate.
The engine bay shows no signs of modifications, which is a relief as these cars certainly have potential for being tuned up. However, it’s virtually impossible to imagine a scenario where someone puts a car like this on ice and then decides to modify it; there was a clear choice to leave this Thunderbird virtually untouched by the original owner. That being said, I’m not sure how much sense it made considering these rarely seen S/Cs never become legitimate collector’s cars, and the next owner will likely feel similarly compelled to never drive it. What do you think is a fair final bid number for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity like this?
Interesting car. Great shape. Super-low mileage introduces the issue of — what do I do with it. From the Marti Report, I didn’t realize how few Super Coupes were built this model year. The phone, as a period-correct item, is really cool.
My Great Uncle was the original owner of this car. It’s the real deal.
I used to have one but mine wasn’t a sports coop, it had 105,400 miles on it but I loved it if I could afford this one I would buy it in a heartbeat
Why did he never drive it? There must be a story there.
Love this generation of the T Bird. When I bought my 92 Sport, I had the choice between it with the 5.0 and a 93 Super Coupe. I really loved both of them, but the 92 was just a bit less expensive and I had the worry the supercharger on the Super Coupe might give problems later on. It was probably no problem, but you tend to shy away from the unknown. The 5.0 was a proven engine, so I went that way. Kept that car for three years without any problems, and hated to let it go, but two teenaged boys with long legs and not enough room was getting old. Traded it off for a 94 Explorer. I toyed with the idea of getting another one a few years ago, but Sport models are nonexistent, most Super Coupes have been ran ragged, and even LX models are few and far between. Apparently they became disposable cars, when the miles got high people threw them away,
Even though this one is spectacular with only some 400 miles on it, it would need a total inspection. Seals, gaskets, and rubber lines dry out and crack and break without use. Owner must have had plenty of disposable money to sit on this one all these years in hopes of a big return on investment.
I love this generation of T-Bird and have had a 94 LX since 95. It’s a great driving car. It may not be the fastest car out there, but then again IMO that was never it’s intent. It was to be a great driving and handling car and for that, it did very well.
I can’t imagine someone buying one then parking it but it takes all kinds. I wouldn’t mind giving it a spin.
Looks like an automatic.
From the ebay pics, definitely an automatic.
Nice car. The SHO Taurus, this SC bird and the 3.7 Mustangs are all V6 Ford beauties. 😎
Yea but the V6 in the original SHO Taurus was not a Ford engine but Yamaha designed and built. Definitely the best V6 ever used by Ford.
It’s a beautiful example of a Super Coupe. But, what do you do with it? Unless you’ve got a museum or a huge heated building. Then you could wipe the dust off it, every once in a while.
I’ve got the same problem. I bought a 90 Anniversary SC with 27K miles on it. It’s the only car I’ve got that I’m afraid to drive because the adding of miles supposedly decreases the value. Love the car, but really oughta find it a new home.;
Had a 1990. Loved the car…when the brakes worked
He buys an automatic for investment, interesting choice.
Super Coupe was not on the market until 1989, I know, I bought one with a 5 speed (quite clunky). I also owned an ’83 Turbo Four 5 speed and an ’86 Turbo Four 3 speed auto. The ’83 was the best of the lot.
I would drive it I don’t care what mileage it has that’s what I would be buying it for
Meh….these were ok back then. And this one is nice, but not the asking price…IMO. It’s a “collection” piece. Most anything made of rubber would need to be changed if considered for the road.
Inspect it, replace questionable parts and drive it. I’d stick close to home for the first 1000 miles, and then you could enjoy it fairly worry free. My daily driver is a 30 year old Lincoln. I drive it all over the country.
Beautiful car. One of my faves from the era but usurped by the Cougar. This car has sadly not been utilized enough despite its PRISTINE trappings. The work to get this to be reliable is going to be costly. Demand is not high. 12-15 would be more reasonable
Interesting you would mention the Cougar. I like the roofline on the T-Bird but somehow the signature vertical roofline on the Cougar looks good too. Zeroing in on the XR-7, Google says only 4463 1989 Cougar XR-7’s were built, half and half manual and automatic, with a similar number of 1990’s (more of them were automatics). Few show up for sale.
They were never something that interested us. Too heavy to be a real performance car, certainly no competition for a Grand National. But if you have to have one, this could be it. One thing of note, these cars are notoriously complicated, and difficult to service. Try taking the fuel pump out sometime.
Just my personal preference, but with the horsepower under 250 it would be a much better driving experience with the 5 speed manual. I would take one of these with 4000 miles and a manual over 400 miles and an automatic.