67 THUNDERBIRD SALE SERIES

Indeed, Ford would not offer a convertible Thunderbird again for 35 years, until the 2002 model. Ford was betting big on the sunroof option to appease open-air enthusiasts, as the fifth-generation Thunderbird would be the first without a convertible model. Ford therefore equipped the five cars produced for Abercrombie and Fitch with prototype ASC sunroofs, with switches located on the center console (production models would have the sunroof switch mounted in the overhead console). Although the sunroof wouldn’t be available to Thunderbird buyers until the 1969 model year, Ford needed to generate massive amounts of excitement and interest in it.

67 THUNDERBIRD SALE SERIES

Keep in mind that in 1966, retail special edition cars were still very much a novelty – Nieman Marcus wouldn’t launch their iconic series of special edition cars until 1970, the first of which was (probably not coincidentally) also a Ford Thunderbird.įord also took this opportunity to showcase the upcoming sunroof option in the Thunderbird, their first since 1960. Collaborating with Abercrombie and Fitch would add a nice upmarket sheen to their new ‘Bird. At the same time, Ford was looking to take their new-for-1967 fifth-generation Thunderbird further upmarket in order to increase the amount of daylight between it and the rest of Ford’s full-size lineup, which was starting to encroach on the T-Bird’s territory with the introduction of the LTD in 1965. In 1966, the story goes, Abercrombie and Fitch approached Ford Motor Company about making some “concept” cars to bolster showroom traffic to their five flagship retail stores (recall that at the time A&F was still a high-end outfitter, akin to a ritzy Cabela’s). I mentioned the Apollo briefly in my Sliding Sunroof Automotive History, but this is an interesting enough car that warrants its own post. I would also include in this elite strata the Cadillac Eldorado and Lincoln Continental Mark III coupes.īut there is also an interesting Ford that deserves not only to be a part of this elite company, perhaps even at the top of the list: The 1967 Ford Thunderbird Apollo. The prototypical ELC is the 1967-68 Imperial Crown Coupe with the Mobile Director package, the legendary option package that alas has yet to be photographed in the metal by any of our contributors.

While the 1970s may have been the golden age of the Personal Luxury Coupe, their inspiration came from the Executive Luxury Coupes of the late 1960s.

67 thunderbird sale