It’s a well-equipped Bird, with automatic transmission, cruise control, power steering, and probably not the snappy tilt steering wheel. The car is said to have 137,000 miles on it, so a rebuild is probably in the cards anyway.
We don’t know if it’s the 2-barrel carb version at 265 hp or the 4-barrel at 320. We’re told the 390 cubic inch engine is stuck, which was the only engine choice for the Thunderbird in ’61. This 1961 T-Bird looks to have been dormant for quite some time if the amount of dust, dirt, and grime on it are any indication. The source for background info was Automotive Mile Posts. While sales were surprisingly off slightly from the prior year, Ford sold 73,000 Thunderbirds for 1961, with 85% of them being coupes like the seller’s car. The ’61 T-Bird quickly gained celebrity status by serving in the inauguration parade for President Kennedy (Ford executive Robert McNamara was Kennedy’s new Secretary of State) and appearing as the pace car for the 1961 Indianapolis 500 (both used T-Bird convertibles). Another goodie was its “floating” rearview mirror which was mounted to the windshield glass instead of at the top of the windshield. With the transmission in Park, the steering wheel would slide some 18 inches to the right. One of the most creative options on these cars was the highly touted ‘Swing Away’ steering wheel which provided easier access to the driver’s seat. One of the advertising slogans for the third generation T-Birds was “Unmistakably New, Unmistakably Thunderbird” and that’s not likely an overstatement.
The car is in Morristown, Minnesota and available here on Facebook Marketplace for $2,700. This 1961 coupe looks to have been inhabiting a barn for quite some time, but there are some rusty floors and a stuck motor to be dealt with. It featured sleeker, less boxy styling than its 1958-60 predecessors and could arguably be considered the best-looking of the T-Birds, except for maybe the original 2-seaters. After a successful three-year run as a personal luxury car with a back seat, the Ford Thunderbird was redesigned again for 1961.
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