ITEM AA-1 1962
THUNDERBIRD
ITALIA LANDAU
THUNDERBIRD
ITALIA LANDAU
ITEM AA-2 1962
THUNDERBIRD
ITALIA XL GT
THUNDERBIRD
ITALIA XL GT
ITEM AA-7 1962
THUNDERBIRD ITALIA
XL GT (LAVENDER
COUPE)
THUNDERBIRD ITALIA
XL GT (LAVENDER
COUPE)
ITEM AA-8 1962
THUNDERBIRD ITALIA
XL GT LAVENDER &
WHITE COUPE
THUNDERBIRD ITALIA
XL GT LAVENDER &
WHITE COUPE
ITEM AA-9 1962
THUNDERBIRD ITALIA
XL GT (RED COUPE)
THUNDERBIRD ITALIA
XL GT (RED COUPE)
ITEM AA-3 1962
THUNDERBIRD ITALIA
LANDAU
(BLUE WHITE COUPE)
THUNDERBIRD ITALIA
LANDAU
(BLUE WHITE COUPE)
ITEM AA-4 1962
THUNDERBIRD ITALIA
LANDAU (CYAN & WHITE
CONVERTIBLE)
THUNDERBIRD ITALIA
LANDAU (CYAN & WHITE
CONVERTIBLE)
ITEM AA-6 1962
THUNDERBIRD ITALIA
SPORT 500
(BLACK CONVERTIBLE)
THUNDERBIRD ITALIA
SPORT 500
(BLACK CONVERTIBLE)
ITEM AA-10 1962
THUNDERBIRD ITALIA
SPORT GT 500
THUNDERBIRD ITALIA
SPORT GT 500
The Whitfield Editions / 1962 Thunderbird Italia
ITEM 7-B-7 1962
THUNDERBIRD ITALIA
(RED & WHITE
FASTBACK)
THUNDERBIRD ITALIA
(RED & WHITE
FASTBACK)
| COMING SOON, The original 1963 Ford Thunderbird Italien |
1963 ITALIEN - This rare automobile started life at the Ford Wixom
Assembly Plant just as every other Thunderbird that was ever built. It
was destined to be a 1962 model Thunderbird.
By chance, this lucky car happened to roll off the assembly line at the
time the Ford Styling Design team was exploring building a fastback
thunderbird. The design team took the car into their shop and removed
the production roof system and deck and built a roof buck from plywood.
Although Ford designed the car, at this point we believe they delivered or
sold the car to Dearborn Steel Tubing where the actual modifications
were done. You may remember that DST did the body and performance
modifications on the 100 Thunderbolts that were built. It was sometime
later in the Italiens finishing stages that Ford delivered the '63 Fenders
and doors to DST for installation on the car because by the time DST
was nearing completion of the ITALIEN, The 1963 model year
Thunderbirds were in production and Ford didn't want a 1962 model
concept/show car touring with the Custom Car Caravan.
After a very successful tour in Fords first of three "Custom Car Caravan"
Car shows, in conjunction with the "ISCA"(International Show Car
Association), unlike most Ford concept cars, The Italien escaped the
crusher and was given or sold to Dale Robertson who starred in TV
Westerns such as "Tales of Wells Fargo", Wagon Train" and others.
Assembly Plant just as every other Thunderbird that was ever built. It
was destined to be a 1962 model Thunderbird.
By chance, this lucky car happened to roll off the assembly line at the
time the Ford Styling Design team was exploring building a fastback
thunderbird. The design team took the car into their shop and removed
the production roof system and deck and built a roof buck from plywood.
Although Ford designed the car, at this point we believe they delivered or
sold the car to Dearborn Steel Tubing where the actual modifications
were done. You may remember that DST did the body and performance
modifications on the 100 Thunderbolts that were built. It was sometime
later in the Italiens finishing stages that Ford delivered the '63 Fenders
and doors to DST for installation on the car because by the time DST
was nearing completion of the ITALIEN, The 1963 model year
Thunderbirds were in production and Ford didn't want a 1962 model
concept/show car touring with the Custom Car Caravan.
After a very successful tour in Fords first of three "Custom Car Caravan"
Car shows, in conjunction with the "ISCA"(International Show Car
Association), unlike most Ford concept cars, The Italien escaped the
crusher and was given or sold to Dale Robertson who starred in TV
Westerns such as "Tales of Wells Fargo", Wagon Train" and others.
| The Official Automotive Artwork of Danny L Whitfield |
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