My Dad had a 1976 Ford Elite, one of the predecessors of this Thunderbird, and I still remember how quiet it was and how it floated down the road. This one looks particularly classy to me in this Diamond Blue color, and it’s obviously been loved a lot. The big bird is located in Oviedo, Florida, and is for sale here on eBay where bidding is at $6,000 but has not yet met the reserve. Owned by one family since new, this “Diamond Jubilee Edition” retailed for about $12,000 in 1978 and came with every option available on a Thunderbird at the time. The special edition was celebrating Ford’s 75th Anniversary as a manufacturer. This car is absolutely stunning from every angle (ok, at least in stunning condition!), and has no appreciable flaws that I can see, including under the hood. I don’t remember ever thinking of this body style as being particularly desirable, but I really like this one. How about you?
Salvador Dali meets a Ford Granada!
Although in beautiful condition this is from a time when cars were just….well….blah…Grossly under-powered with a 351M I am not what fun it would be. I’d pass in favor of a 68-70 T-Bird with a 429 Thunder Jet.
I have had 2 T-Birds from this body style and the only complaint I ever had was the chronic lack of power…nothing a credit card cannot fix. I LOVE this body style and currently own a ’78 Mercury Cougar XR7 AND a 1977 Mercury Cougar Villager Wagon. Rides better than a Lincoln!
I’ve had 2 T-Birds from this are and loved them both…the only issue is their chronic lack of power. Nothing an account from Summit Racing won’t cure!
My current drivers are this car’s sisters! ’78 Mercury Cougar XR7 and a ’77 Mercury Cougar Villager Wagon. Love em to pieces!
I had a ’77 which I didnt particularly want but I needed a car and the price was right. It had a 302″ which I didnt feel was lacking in any power, It’d do the limit and then some. The more/longer I drove it the more I liked it. Smooth ride, the looks grew on ya, it was RED, RED, RED, . I’d have another one . I’d love this one.
it may be in mint condition, still ugly!
Ugh, 1970s Fords. So ugly on the outside, so tiny on the inside.
That said, this one is mint, and therefore pretty cool. Love the full gauges and the pin striping. Some guy did all that by hand.
My dad bought a new one in ’79 with a 302. Nice ride, not fast…..
A great find, in an effluent area of Orlando.
blindmarc….I, for one, take tissue with your response….
lol
Not a very complimentary comment about the car, even as a pun, this looks to be a very clean well kept example – it may be ugly to some but certainly not a POS or product of effluence!
That is funny, I don’t care who you are…. LOL
The only thing off putting to me is the vinyl on the roof and it is in such good shape it might be years before it needed a paint job…
Gotta agree with Mike, Summit Racing and make it go faster, stop shorter and handle better than Ford could in 1978.
I love it and if it was September I would be bidding for sure….
Don’t know what you’re trying to say, but this was kept by a caring family to preserve it in its current condition.
seller has 4 interesting car on ebay right now. i think this would make a nice driver and way into the hobby if the reserve is not much higher then the current bid. there are a lot of nice cars from this time frame on ebay to choose from. great find
I was selling Fords when these came out in Sept. of 76 as a 77 model. They were hot sellers and well built cars of that era. They were a reskinned Grand Torino but Ford hit the jackpot with this car and sold over 300000 in 77. Sales dwindled in 78 and 79 but still were decent. Then they came out with the Fox bodied 1980 model that was a disaster.
I always wanted a thunderbird with that body style !
We never see them here around the beach anymore.
When compared to the 1955-1957 this things are hideous. I could never figure out why Ford did this.
Really? The ’77, ’78 and ’79 TBirds were the largest production generation of Ford’s Thunderbird line. They were popular in the day and are a really inexpensive way to own a classic car today. They have nice lines and are, for their vintage, pretty well appointed.
I have never seen one in this particular color…
…the limited and rarely seen Bluebird edition..
pretty cool… I’d drive it… (dressed like Liberace’s pool boy)
Wanted one, in this color, when they first came out(though, I, only, was seventeen.) Very nice!
I, really, liked, the T-Birds, of this vintage, as well as the early ’80s design. Great colour, too, this is!(like navy blue/beige, also.)