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| Production Numbers | |||
| 1965 THUNDERBIRD |
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Landau shown at left
with rare Brown Vinyl Roof |
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TOTAL PRODUCTION
63A - Hardtop 63B - Landau 76A - Convertible 63B/D - Special Landau* |
74,972
42,652 ($4,486) 20,974 ($4,589) 6,846 ($4,953) 4,500 ($4,638.60)* |
*The first printing of the 1965 Thunderbird Shop Manual listed a 63D Body
Style Code and an 81 VIN/Body Serial Code for the Special Landau models,
but our research shows that the 1965 Thunderbird Special Landau models were coded at the factory the same as the standard Landau models,
using Body Style Code 63B and a VIN/Body Serial Code of 87. The only way
to verify authenticity of this model is by the paint code of M - Wimbledon
White, T - Navaho Beige, or V - Emberglo, combined with an interior trim
code of 7D or XD on the data plate. They are listed separately here for
reference purposes only.
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INTRODUCTION DATE
Production Started Production Ended |
September 26, 1964
August 3, 1964 July 9, 1965 |
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In 1964, Thunderbird had experienced its second highest production total
to date. There was no reason to believe that 1965 would be anything other
than another record year for the car. After all, with new standard features
like reversible keys, keyless door locking, power front disc brakes, and
sequential rear turn signals, the Thunderbird was one of the best equipped
cars in the world. New options such as power vent windows, power radio
antenna, and an automatic deck lid release for hardtop models made the
T-Bird more comfortable to drive than ever before. But fate would not allow
the Bird to soar as it did the previous year. And this time, the object
of attention was coming from within the Bird's very own family.
On Friday, April 17, 1964, Ford dealers across the country unveiled the
long-awaited Mustang. Ford had bombarded the public with an unprecedented
amount of publicity leading up to the event. People flocked to their local
dealer to get a look at the new sensation. Time and Newsweek magazines both carried the Mustang as their cover stories for their issues
dated April 17th. Ford also bought out ALL of the advertising on all three
networks for the 9:30-10:00 p.m. time slot! Viewers watching their favorite
shows (Perry Mason, Hazel, and The Jimmy Dean Show), couldn't escape Ford's clever publicity. Ads also appeared in about 2,600
newspapers, 24 national magazines, virtually every market - coast to coast
- was covered.
What impact did this have on the Thunderbird? Reports of new owners, who bought the last Mustang their dealer had, sleeping overnight in their new car at the dealership - waiting for checks to clear their bank the following morning - are just the beginning. A truck driver, apparently staring at a new Mustang in a showroom window, drove his truck straight through the window! Ford salesmen were forced to lock the doors and roll up the windows on new Mustangs on the showroom floor - so many people were crowding into them, the salesmen feared someone would get hurt. It's a fact that the Mustang would have been more popular than it was, had Ford been able to build them fast enough! Perhaps a few people who would have normally purchased a Thunderbird, got caught up in the Mustang frenzy, and decided they could do without sequential signals - and save a couple thousand dollars, too! Ford continued to promote the Thunderbird with beautiful advertising, highlighted with gorgeous color photography. Ad copy focused on "The Private World of Thunderbird", and the "extras that you don't pay extra for." The next time you have the opportunity, drive a 1965 Thunderbird, and discover the special feeling that only Thunderbird drivers know. |
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