It was also during this time that his company attempted to acquire Ferrari but failed to because Enzo Ferrari was not ready to give up control of his racing division. The mill would have produced 340 hp (345 ps) when new and was mated with a three-speed manual transmission.ĭuring the early 1960s, Ford's head honcho Henry Ford II developed an affinity for all things Italian, which explains both the name and the clear Italian influence in the styling of the car. Under the hood, the Italien had the much-loved 390 cubic-inch V8 engine fitted with a rare tri-power carburetor setup with finned cast aluminum air cleaner used on M-code production cars. The result was a true showstopper, and the Italien ended up being one of the most popular cars on tour at the time. The exterior was finished in an eye-catching, deep Candy Apple Red hue, a color that evokes power, speed, and boldness. New front fenders and doors from a 1963 Thunderbird, a Ferrari-inspired egg-crate grille that partially concealed the turn signals, a chrome-plated hood molding, and no less than 80 custom trim pieces made the donor vehicle almost unrecognizable.Īdditionally, the interior was customized with bucket seats front and rear, luxurious leather upholstery, faired-in rear seat headrests, and chrome-plated moldings. The car received a dramatic fastback roofline for greater aerodynamics, and fiberglass was used instead of steel to reduce weight. The vehicle started life as a standard 1962 Thunderbird convertible and was subsequently remodeled at the Dearborn Steel Tubing (DST) facility in Michigan based on the drawings sent by Ford Styling. This is the 1963 Ford Thunderbird Italien, a one-off show car developed by Ford Styling and built by long-time Ford prototype and show car supplier Dearborn Steel Tubing (DST) specifically for exhibition as part of the Custom Car Caravan, a Ford factory tour that visited the Autoramas and major dealers between 19. Ford made over 4.4 million units over the model's lifespan, but the car you see pictured here might be the most famous Thunderbird ever.
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