The “Square Bird” was launched in 1958, a Ford Thunderbird with seating for four adults. Before that (1955-57), it had been a two-passenger personal luxury car. Ford gambled that a 4-seater would sell better, and they were right – by a multiple of nearly four times. This 1959 edition of the bigger ‘Bird was restored a few years ago, but not well (per the seller). It needs some work and comes with a manual transmission, perhaps uncommon for the car in those days. Located in Seattle, Washington, this square project is available here on craigslist for $7,500. Kudos to “Curvette” for this tip.
Development of the 4-seat Thunderbird led to a whole flurry of competition in the 1960s, such as the Pontiac Grand Prix and Buick Riviera. The car even earned a Motor Trend “Car of the Year” award for Ford during this second generation for the hardtop and convertible models. Unibody construction was employed on a product that was now 800 lbs. heavier. In 1959, engine choices were a 352 cubic inch V8 or a 430 CI motor.
No mention is made of what powerplant lies beneath the front-hinged hood, or if it was restored along with the rest of the car. Though the Ford has been garaged for the past five years, new parts have been installed, including a clutch and power steering pump. A new master cylinder comes with the car for the buyer to replace. The “3-on-the-tree” manual tranny seems out of place with the caliber of the vehicle.
The body and white paint look good enough, though the quality of the restoration is rated as “poor.” This is a running and driving machine where everything seems to work except for the turn signals. We’re told the interior looks to be “newish,” but there is a distinct lack of photos in the seller’s listing. The rust-free Ford is said to have tires with few miles. Do these Square Birds appeal to you?
Another manual transmission square bird. They are far and few but they exist. Again I mentioned a fellow airman in Tech school bought a 59 square bird and it had the manual transmission with OD. What was crazy is somebody fixed the worn shifter by installing a conversion shifter into the console. To add to the combination it had the big Lincoln engine. That car would easily eat up the highway.