In 1966, this self-proclaimed car nerd put together a scrapbook of cars for a cub scouts project. I remember cutting out and pasting in a cool, full-page ’66 T-Bird ad with a blue-clad pilot behind the wheel (and apparently in the sky since puffy clouds were everywhere) touching an overhead control panel. A beautiful blue Thunderbird Town Landau with a black vinyl top just like this one was featured in the ad with a headline reading, “The Thunderbird Touch: An overhead Safety Convenience Panel.” This particular Blue Bird is nesting at VMC Auto Group in Houston, Texas and is for sale at No Reserve here on eBay. As of this writing, 10 bids had been placed with the current bid sitting at $7,000.
Thunderbird’s 1966 model would be the last year of the fourth-generation ‘Birds and from the outside, it was given a revised front end, the rear taillights with the sequential turn signals were made full width, and a more formal-looking roofline (but at the cost of visibility) was offered on the new Town Hardtop and Town Landau models. Based on the many photos provided, this looks like a solid car but no history or details are given by the Dealer on what this ‘Bird’s been up to the past 57 years.. The ad just lists the basic information of what’s on this ‘Bird and also refers to it as “Another Fine American super sports car from the 60’s” That’s a head scratcher because Thunderbird rightfully advertised itself as “America’s Personal Luxury Car,” not a sports car. The T-Bird’s current paint is presentable and has a decent shine, but I’m not sure if it left the factory in its current Sapphire Blue (the data plate appears to indicate “L” as the color which is Honeydew Yellow). Overall, the chrome, trim, glass, and black vinyl roof with the “s-bar landau irons” look to be in good shape and I’m not spotting any rust.
Except for obvious wear on the driver’s side arm rest, the rest of the ‘Bird’s black jet-inspired cockpit looks very good. This one has the overhead Safety/Convenience Control Panel (just like in the ad) where you can activate the emergency flasher system and view indicator lights for low fuel, seat belts, and doors ajar, and T-Birds’ Highway Pilot Controls (they were really pushing the Pilot theme) which were fingertip toggle switches on the steering wheel that let drivers control the ‘Bird’s cruise control. Other creature comforts include A/C, power steering, brakes, windows and locks, plus Thunderbird’s unique Swing Away Steering Wheel.
Under that restyled hood for ’66 is Thunderbird’s standard 390 cubic inch V8 that had upgraded horsepower from the previous year’s 300 to 315. It’s paired with a Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission and the mileage on the odometer reads 2,959. The new Town Landau model proved popular with buyers with 35,105 units sold, which accounted for nearly 50% of the total 69,176 Thunderbirds produced in 1966. On the surface, this ’66 Blue Bird looks solid and stock, and with Hagerty’s estimating the value of a ’66 Hardtop in #3 Good Condition at around $14,000, it’s possible, with a No Reserve auction, for the next owner to get a good deal on it.
One of the best 60’s interiors. Lots of chrome accents and a back seat that could double as a booth in a Vegas casino. Sold mine to a guy in his 30’s that apparently has a soft spot for 66’s.
Mike, I agree. And your comparison of the “curved cove” back seats to a booth in a Vegas casino is spot on…or a Vegas lounge circa 1960. And with no side windows for the rear passengers, I bet it was dark and private back there…just the way Sinatra would’ve liked it.
Already pulled from Ebay.
I like this in blue, would also have liked it in yellow. These were cool and stylish in their day, especially (as Mike notes) with that interior. Would be a fun cruiser.
I took a quick look at the seller’s web site. It is still listed there. Looks like the selling entity deals in specialty used cars (e.g. Porsches), but not low-mileage ones.
My remembrance of the 66 T-Bird was that the owner of the small ma and pa oil company my dad worked for had one as his daily driver. He had a company pickup but rarely drove it, preferring the T-Bird. As he was out in the oil field, he didn’t mind taking it on the often-poorly-maintained, rarely all-weather lease roads. Yes that made for some ‘bad’ situations and, I’m sure, did the car no favors.
Nice write-up.
Pure class from end to end. Get nothing but respect when you roll in this ride. And she gone!!
When I was 18 I worked at an auto electric and I fell in love with this guy’s 1966 triple black T-Bird this thing was absolutely gorgeous he promised to sell it when he was ready to trade and somebody broadsided him and totaled it out it ruined my day
I don’t normally like the 9 mpg cars. But that TBird was to my eye the best of the line. It kept a connection to the American Graffiti first series, but added NASA space age styling very cleverly with also sort of jet age styling as well. If you’re just cruising casually getting point A to point B, this ride is one that gets noticed. Not a car for the wallflower sect.
nice well built automobiles. but the 1966 Toronado makes the T Bird suddenly old and quaint, and about 20 years behind
How does a beautiful car like this only have three thousand miles in fifty years? I know the odometer probably rolled but the condition belies that.
My 66 Town and Country Landau was triple black, with the 428 and would run like a scalded dog. That 9″ would put down about 10 ft of rubber and it was gone! I ran 70 series tires and yes they cleared the skirts.Got usually 10 to 12 mpg but it was one of the nicest cars I think I have owned. Out ran a few muscle cars. Would spend an afternoon washing and waxing go inside to clean up and it was already showing dust. Black is so hard to keep clean! But oh it was a ride!
I have a 66 ThunderChicken and even the 8 track still plays it needs paint tires and a fuel pump to be road worthy the inside looks like new the car has no rust I can start and run it with the electric fuel pump and a gas can fires right up if you are interested email me at. Priced to sale I am 71 years old and just can’t do the work anymore.
Send it in and we can help you get it sold: https://barnfinds.com/sell/auction/
The last of the unibody T-Birds Wixon cranked out. It can be a bit of a surprise to some that this T-Bird shared some components with the contemporary Lincolns, but I know the history behind that.
Although this year did have some nice improvements to its look, I still have reservations with this look which started in ’64. Compared to the ’63, this looked like a big step backwards in styling; it looks like a post-’50s design, which was what the whole industry was stuck with in ’61, save for the T-Bird of that year and the then-new Lincoln, which changed the way the industry designed cars. The smoother lines and curved profile glass sent other designers back to their drawing boards. Then this model came out in ’64, looking like an evolution of the overdone Squarebirds of the late-’50s, with heavily-sculpted flanks and flat side glass (thank Eugene Bordinat for holding fast to that fading fad). Sure, flat glass was still cheaper to produce then, but it was a fast-fading standard; by ’66, every other car made aside from pickemups had already switched to curved side glass, leaving this style of ‘Bird in the nest of planned obsolescence.
But, from a purely-nostalgic perspective, this example in this condition should command a reserve of at least $20g’s.