Meet the 1963 Thunderbird Italien, a custom-bodied present automotive. Its recent sale racked up a determine excessive sufficient for the document books: $456,000 together with charges, over 600 p.c larger than the worth of a 1963 Thunderbird in #1 (Concours) situation. The distinctive design is one factor, however the motive for its existence is much more exceptional: The coachbuilding firm that made the automotive additionally saved it from sure dying.
First, a bit of concerning the automotive itself. According to RM Sotheby’s well-researched public sale description, the Thunderbird Italien was a one-off byproduct of Henry Ford II’s curiosity in all issues Italian. His fascination reportedly stemmed from a widely known failure to buy Ferrari in 1963, and a courtship with an Italian socialite who turned his spouse in 1965. The description additionally makes the legitimate connection between the T-bird and Ford’s Total Performance promoting marketing campaign, which initially centered on motorsports however rapidly pivoted into the promotion of the superior design, luxurious, and sturdiness of vehicles just like the 1965 Ford Galaxie. Ford’s Total Performance was a good way to provide an more and more various market something it wanted in an vehicle.
Enter the Thunderbird Italien: a custom-bodied hardtop coupe based mostly on a 1962 Thunderbird convertible, bearing a reputation that’s a bit extra, ahem, continental than the normal American spelling. The automotive was made by Dearborn Steel Tubing (DST), the oldsters behind Ford’s well-known Thunderbolt drag racing machines.
But DST had a distinct purpose with this T-bird: It was meant to be a showy magnificence that may take part in Ford’s Custom Car Caravan, an in-person advertising marketing campaign to drum up consideration to the Ford model with closely modified autos usually sporting the “Kustom” modifications typical of the period. And whereas the design was penned by the stylists at Ford, DST did the heavy lifting to make the Thunderbird Italien idea a actuality.
The fastback roofline of the Thunderbird Italien is product of fiberglass, thanks partially to Vince Gardner, a designer who labored with DST on several vehicles for Ford. A set of 1963 Thunderbird fenders and doorways had been added to the present automotive, which established a basis for distinctive fender vents and vibrant facet molding design for the Italien. A bigger chrome strip above the grille was applied, and the hood integrated the Thunderbird emblem. Below was an egg-crate grille, a standard selection of texture for everybody from Ferrari to Carozzeria Ghia on this time interval. Candy apple pink paint completed off the look, a period-correct end for the period. A cloth commonplace in Italian cars was additionally current within the cabin: Leather, and intensive quantities of it—the headliner, every little thing across the beltline, and the complete dashboard.
As with most ideas, the Thunderbird Italien was purported to be crushed after serving its promotional goal. But because it was based mostly on a manufacturing automotive, DST had the motivation to provide it a brand new lease on life. And that life story is advised within the auction’s details, right down to the intensive restoration by Tom Maruska in 2005. What’s fascinating right here is the truth that DST truly saved this present automotive within the first place. Turns out they made a behavior out of this observe. But don’t take my phrase for it:
Apparently DST made a big chunk of its revenues by turning an OEM’s leftover vehicles into one thing extra worthwhile than mere steel scrap. Removing “non-compliant parts and using OEM street legal replacement parts” feels like a labor-intensive job, however DST overtly promoted that they will “take what would be a junk car, and turn it into a profit for an OEM.” They partnered with Ford in 1955 and did every little thing from {custom} vehicles to auto present shows to publicity stunts on the Empire State Building, fixing seemingly infinite logistical challenges for his or her neighbors in Dearborn.
Do your self a favor and take a look at the behind-the-scenes images on Dearborn Steel Tubing’s Facebook page proper now. (Time may be of the essence, as the corporate closed its doors again in 2020, and the account might not be up for lengthy.) The variety of initiatives that DTS has engaged (and documented!) is fairly astounding. According to its former CEO Brenda Lewo, DST as soon as employed “130 certified automotive technicians and mechanics” with three amenities located on 29 acres.
While it’s unhappy to see an organization like Dearborn Steel Tubing exit of business, maybe the 1963 Thunderbird Italien proves that its legacy of saving/repurposing the “surprise and delight” of an idea is an everlasting one. The Thunderbird Italien each survived and thrived, as witnessed by the intensive restoration carried out by the fifth of its seven homeowners after DST saved it. Who is aware of what different classics DST saved from imminent destroy, after spending a lot time and money to carry them to life within the first place.
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