While the 1960 Chevrolet Corvette was a hard-edged two-seat sports car offering exhilarating performance, the 1960 Ford Thunderbird Convertible could comfortably seat four, offering a more luxurious motoring experience. If that prospect sounds enticing, our feature car deserves a close look. Its exterior presentation is almost flawless, with only its interior requiring attention to present at its best. Otherwise, potential buyers can consider this T-Bird a turnkey proposition. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Curvette for spotting the Thunderbird listed here on Craigslist in Independence, Oregon. The seller set their price for this beauty at $44,900 and appears willing to negotiate shipping, if required.
Ford released its Second Generation Thunderbird in 1958, marking a dramatic shift in philosophy. No longer a two-seater, the company increased the badge’s versatility by enlarging the passenger compartment to accommodate four. The styling was radically different from its predecessor and generally polarized opinion. It earned the vehicle the handle of the Square Bird, but sales remained extremely strong. This Convertible rolled off the line in 1960, and looks stunning in Raven Black with a matching power top. The depth of color and shine is impressive, and if there are any panel or paint shortcomings, they are too minor to show in the listing images. The top fits as tight as a drum, and the car’s overall appearance is enhanced by the Continental Kit and wire wheels, wrapped in wide whitewalls. Rust doesn’t appear to be a concern, and with clear glass and sparkling trim, this T-Bird looks like a winner.
The seller’s listing causes some confusion. They confirm the 352ci V8, power steering, and power brakes that we would typically expect. However, the description briefly references a four-speed automatic transmission. The seller doesn’t elaborate on this, suggesting it could be a typographical error. The V8 should deliver a factory-quoted 300hp and 381 ft/lbs of torque. That makes the Convertible a surprisingly energetic performer for a car weighing over 4,000 lbs. The seller recently replaced the original generator with an alternator, which is the only specified upgrade. They state that the T-Bird runs and drives perfectly, and is ready to hit the road with a new owner behind the wheel.
The interior shots reveal one of this Thunderbird’s genuine shortcomings. Trimmed in dazzling Red to contrast the exterior paint shade, it makes a bold visual statement. However, life inside this Convertible is far from perfect. The seatcovers exhibit splits and other problems, and are probably beyond repair to an acceptable standard. Therefore, sourcing replacement covers would be the most logical approach. I performed an admittedly brief online search and made a startling discovery. While some companies retail a complete set for around $1,200, I found one that will supply leather covers in the correct shade and with the correct stitching for $700. It might be a case of getting what you pay for, but the new owner may choose to investigate that option further. Otherwise, this interior has no other needs. The dash is excellent, there is no significant carpet wear, and it also features air conditioning, power windows, and a pushbutton radio.
The 1960 model year marked the most successful in the Ford Thunderbird’s three-year production run. It found buyers for 92,843 vehicles, a figure its successor would fail to reach. This T-Bird looks stunning, and with new seatcovers, its appearance would be almost beyond criticism. The seller’s price is at the top end of the market, especially considering the existing interior issues. However, it isn’t unprecedented, and it only takes one enthusiast who lets their heart rule their head for it to find a new home. Do you think it will happen, or will the seller have to compromise to taste sales success?
It’s always amazed me how bad a continental kit makes a very good looking car look like crap.
I agree. To me the only T-Bird that looked good with the Continental kit was the ’56. I might be wrong, but I believe the reason it was only standard factory equipment was due to the extra weight affecting the steering. Other than that a beautiful car. I had a ’60 hardtop when I was in high school that was on its last leg but was still very fast with the 430.
IMHO continental kits, like fender skirts, only are attractive on vehicles originally designed and produced to have them. My ‘56 Baby Bird was so designed. The spare was moved to the rear bumper to provide more trunk space from the ‘55 model only to find that it affected handling therefore, for ‘57 the trunk was enlarged and the spare went back there. I put spring reinforced shocks on the rear of my car and it helped considerably. Ride is more stiff but improved handling. Lose the “kit” on this one. Otherwise, beautiful ride!
Seriously, lose the ‘Kit. It ruins the rear end, with those six tail lights, it was the best looking of the Square Birds.
Yes the kit takes away a good looking rear. The front reminds me of a Catfish!! I never care for this model year. But I will say its sharp looking in black/red setup. Good luck to the seller 🇺🇸🐻
1-2-3-R= 4 speed? And yes! Lose that Continental Kit!
My mother had this exact car other than the Continental kit on the back. Hers also had factory AC which was weird for a convertible at that time other than Lincolns or Cadillacs. What I remember most was taking the console apart to get the beach sand out of the window switches and the fact that she got a new dual exhaust system every other year because it would rust out.
Lose the Continental Kit, otherwise, stellar ride.
…..it i only had the money…..
What a beautiful Thunderbird. Take away the tire kit and it’s even better.
It is unanimous loose the continental Kit!
That continental kit has to go. It looks totally wrong on this car, and as others have mentioned, ruins the great rear end.
Continental kit …….I only like the ones that look like a toilet seat on the trunk. .
Back in the early 70’s a friend of mine named Richie had an identical car to this one, right down the the color of the body and Interior. But Richie’s car was a real ‘beater’ even though it was less than 15 years old. Anyway, one night in the summer of 1973 or 74, Richie and I drove over the Bayonne Bridge to buy some beer in a liquor store on Staten Island. We also smoked a couple of ‘joints’ that night. So as we were riding around, I were dying from the heat inside the car because none of the power widows worked. Finally when we got back into Jersey City, I told Richie I couldn’t take the heat anymore and told him to put down the top. So he pulled over and we unlatched the top from the windshield header, Richie hit the switch and the first thing that happened was the trunk lid opened backwards as it was supposed to do and the convertible top started to fold itself up to go into the trunk cavity. But as the top continued to fold and go down, it stopped because Richie had so much crap on the trunk, (tools, a couple of jack stands, a couple of old car batteries, the spare tire that was just laying on the floor of the trunk and many empty quart bottles of beer), the top stopped going down because there was so much junk in the space where the top needed to go. So now the top was only partially in the trunk, the trunk lid itself was standing straight up in the air and I guess because one of the ‘servos’ in Fords’ overly complicated system didn’t get tripped, the top won’t go back up either. So worrying that the cops in Jersey City would see us on the street, I told Richie to pull into the parking lot behind the loading dock of an A & P. It was 2:00 in the morning and with no other choice, I climbed into the trunk to try and remove whatever was preventing the top from going all the way down. Finally after getting one of the dead batteries out of the way and pulling out what must have been the tenth empty quart beer bottle, in a fit of anger, I threw it against the door of the loading dock only to hear a loud ‘scream’. In the darkness, neither Rickie nor I had noticed that, sleeping on the platform in front the doors to the loading dock were two bums and I had hit one of them right in the head with that empty beer bottle. The next thing I knew, the bum came over to the car with blood dripped from his forehead asking me for cigarette. Well he not only got the cigarette but two of the quart bottles of beer we bought earlier. Finally I was able to get ‘all the crap’ out from under the partially folded top and the top went all the way down and then the trunk lid came back down and locked. When we finally got back to Riches house, he hit the switch and the trunk lid opened and the top came back up. Funny the s**t you remember when you think about the cars from years ago.
If I can remember correctly, it was during the summer of 1967 about six months before I went into the Air Force. I had just turned 18 that June, so I wasn’t legally old enough to buy any alcohol in the state of New Jersey, nor was my friend Rickie Cardello who owned an identical 1960 Thunderbird convertible to this one right down to colors of the body and interior. The difference was, as nice as this 60 T-bird is, Rickie was a ratty mess even though at the time it was only seven years old. Anyway around 1:00 AM we drove over the Bayonne Bridge to buy some bee, in a liquor store on Staten Island because it was legal to buy alcohol In New York State at 18. We also smoked a joint or two that night. Well on our way back to Jersey City, I told my friend Richie to put the top down because none of the power window in his T-Bird worked and it was terribly hot in the car. So Richie pulled over, we unlatched the top from the windshield header, Richie hit the switch and the trunk lid of the T-Bird opened opposite of the way it would open if you were opening the trunk. In other words it was standing straight up in the air at the very rear of the car. Then the top started to fold up and go into the recess in the trunk where it was supposed to reside. But the it stopped. The problem was Rickie had so much junk in the trunk, tools, jack stands, the spare tire which was just laying on the floor of the trunk, a couple of old dead car batteries and maybe a dozen old empty quart beer bottles. So now with the trunk lid standing straight up in the air at the rear of the T-Bird, with the top partially folded into the trunk, the top could not go any further because something was in the space where the top needed to go. But also because of Fords overly complicated system, the top wouldn’t go back up either. Some SERVO needed to be tripped that didn’t happen. So fearing that the cops would see us out on the street like that at 2:00 AM in the morning with a few open quart bottles of beer and a couple of marijuana joints in our pockets,I told Rich to drive a coupe block over to the back of an A & P, by the store’s loading dock. Then in the bitch black, I climbed into the trunk and tired to remove whatever it was that was preventing the top from going all the way down. Finally in a fit of anger and frustration, I found one of those empty quart beer bottles and I threw it against the doors of that A & P’s loading dock only to heard a loud scream. In the total darkness, neither Richie or I noticed that there were two bums sleeping on the loading dock in front of the doors and that beer bottle projectile I threw hit the poor b**tard right in the head.