As a one-year-only model, the Diamond Jubilee edition of the Ford Thunderbird was made to commemorate the company’s 75th anniversary. Some of us could only dream of living to age 75, and Ford’s 75th anniversary was 46 years ago. Time flies. This gorgeous 1978 Ford Thunderbird Diamond Jubilee Edition won’t last long. It looks like a true time capsule. Thanks to Spencer D. for the tip!
The seventh-generation Thunderbird was made for just three years: 1977, 1978, and 1979. That’s always surprising to me, as it seems like a design that would have lasted longer than that. The Diamond Jubilee Edition was a one-year-only model, as mentioned, and in 1979, they offered a Heritage Edition, which was somewhat similar. This car appears as new; I don’t see a flaw inside or out.
In the late 1980s, my brother had a seventh-generation Thunderbird that he bought from friends who owned a farm in Iowa, where he had been living to help them out for a summer. They’d get a new car, a Ford, of course, every two or three years after getting a giant check from selling crops, and he bought his silver-over-red T-Bird for a ridiculously low price. Despite the negative connotations of late-1970s cars, it was a nice car.
The seller has posted some good photos and the interior looks like it’s right out of a brochure or dealer’s showroom in 1978, it looks perfect. With only 37,000 miles, I’m assuming this car was purchased with the idea of not piling on miles and using it as a daily driver, given its limited edition status. The Diamond Jubilee Edition would have been $12,000 in 1978, which is $57,800 today. They have it listed at basically #1 Concours value, according to Hagerty.
The engine looks appropriately spotless and the seller says it’s Ford’s 351-cu.in. OHV V8, which would have had 160 horsepower and 315 lb-ft of torque when new. The seller has posted a video here on YouTube showing this gorgeous car inside and out while it’s running. They have it posted here on craigslist in Dallas, Texas and they’re asking $14,400. Here is the original listing. Have any of you heard of a Diamond Jubilee Edition Thunderbird?
I loved the looks of the Diamond Jubilee T-Bird back when it was new and I was 13 and dreaming about cars! Thought the vinyl on the back side instead of the window was so cool, and I still do. Great post Scotty, this one’s a beauty.
I owned a new 1977 Thunderbird. The 1977 & 1978 were the same body style
I think the only defferance may have been in the taillights. This looks like
a1977 model to me.
Very nice car. These Diamond Jubilee editions are oh-so-70’s. Which makes them a great representation of their era. I always think of the silvery blue ones, I didn’t remember them being available in this color combination. Nice find and write-up Scotty.
This car has been on FB and Craigslist for a loong time. Speaking as someone who has seen it for a long time on those platforms. It’s too much for a malaise era car imo, and I love land yachts so yeah.
Great find! I grew up in NW Indiana…a kid who was a few years older than me bought a triple brown/bronze Diamond Jubilee T-Bird after hiring in at one of the steel mills. One of neighbors was an exec at Bethlehem Steel in Burns Harbor…. bought his son a new 79 “regular” T-Bird and daughter a new 79 Mercury cougar …both were in high school
Still in NW Indiana and NOW a Vintage Rolls Canardly, Roll down one hill and Can ardly get up the next! 😉 Unfortunately after 79, Thunderbird took on a whole new downsized look. IMO after 79, TBirds became lame ducks. The HERITAGE edition was the most impressive. Dad spent 45 years at Inland Steel so anything from across the pond was a big NO! NO! In 77, I wanted a Cougar XR7, but couldn’t strike a deal, so bought a 77 Monte Carlo.
Anyone else remember the 78? Thunderbird with faux leather straps on the trunk? Frequently called Bondage Bird 🐦 ⛓ 😲 ⛓ 🤣
I learned to drive in my parents 77 T-bird. I even took my driver’s test in it. Theirs was a sort of seafood green that I don’t think I’ve ever seen on the road ever. The car stopped running and somehow my father and I determined that the distributor gear that ran off the camshaft had grenades and that was that. I don’t remember how we figured this out. My grandfather had a 78 Lincoln Continental and I always thought they looked too similar. You never see these anymore and this was already gone..
Actually, it is for sale, not sure why that Craigslist link is not working. You can view it on my website http://www.Bobzcarz.com
Thank You Barnfinds for posting!
Submit it and we will auction it for you Bob!
I love the color combo. My recall was that the jubilee edition was the silver blue. This is simply a beautiful car.
I believe the HERITAGE edition was only available in blue.
I was working at a Ford dealership in 1978 and 1979 and can remember delivering a Diamond Jubilee Edition in very deep maroon.
I had a 1977 T-Bird, Red on red. It was a very nice car. I could parallel park it. Not to bad when you get use the length.
Love this car and it’s gone already. The vinyl top should match the interior upholstery though, to my taste. It seems to be a a shade of red like ocher instead of saddle tan like the seats. I think the Lincoln Mark VI was on the same frame.
I bought a Heritage Edition in 1979, it was a new but went unsold. Got a very good deal because most people wanted a smaller car with better gas mileage. It was them most luxurious car I had ever had at that point. It was black with burgundy interior. Was living in Denver Colo. and that summer Mount Helena erupted. The next morning the car was covered with a white powder residue, I proceeded to clean it off. It looked OK but then up close you could still see it. I started the chemical magic,and nothing worked and never did. looked OK from a distance, but it was still there. Probably one of the main reasons I sold it. Every time I looked close at the paint ,I was pissed off!
I had a 1978 Thunderbird Town Landau silver over red I traded my 1977 White red stripped Cobra 2 in on @ 19-20 yrs of age .The owner of the company I worked at had the Diamond Jubilee ,there was a Diamond in her Opera windows and as can be see vinyl extended top where mine was glass .Mine had the 400m Engine ,Im surprised this dosent as well.
The Diamond Jubilee Edition was available in Diamond Blue and a deep red-orange called “Ember.” This car was either subjected to a color change, or is an undocumented color choice.
The 77-79 T-Bird were very nicely styled cars. Was Ford celebrating the Anniversary of the T-Bird in 1978? I haven’t looked it up the year the Thunderbird first came into production. It’s either 57 or 58 not sure, I’m wondering because Ford only introduced the “Diamond Jubilee” edition in 1978. Although the Mercury Cougar 77-79 along with the T-Bird were very stylish models, In my opinion I always felt the interior design of both models were kinda outdated and dull looking. The dash instrument panel were very bland. The gauges were not stylish and Ford even designed the gear gauge on the steering column…So old school, but nevertheless nice T-Bird. My cousin bought a brand new redesigned T-Bird in 1980, the ‘Town Landau” edition with all the toys. Push button keyless entry, digital dash, leather seats, flip headlight, very nice. The 80-82 T-Birds thoroughly had gotten dumped on for years. In my opinion I didn’t see any flaws in that model. The design was “80’s” the V-8’s were not crappy, depending on model you bought whether it be the base model or the top of the line Town Landau it just wasn’t a bad car. I believe GM simply won the war with the Grand Prix, the Regal, the Monte Carlo, and the ever popular Cutlass Supreme. Sales was just very low and I Ford was forced to redesign that particular model and come out with a redesigned T-Bird in 1983 which was in my opinion not that great looking and bland until 1988 when they introduced the turbo edition in the last year for that design. And from there the Thunderbird went downhill till it went out of production finally in 2005.