Rare 390 HP M-Code Roadster Is A 1962 Ford Thunderbird With Talons

Ford’s Thunderbird has a bit of a reputation as a sports car pretender, but this rare M-Code Thunderbird Roadster proves that some T-birds were good for more than just wafting around town.

It might not handle like a sports car but it certainly has the muscle to leave a few contemporary enthusiasts’ machines questioning their performance credentials.

The T-bird switched from a two-seat to a four-seat layout after 1958, and was restyled again in 1961 with a streamlined fuselage design. But for buyers who still had fond memories of the 1955-56 two-seat originals Ford came up with the Sports Roadster, whose defining feature was a cool fibreglass tonneau that fitted over the rear seat area and swept up behind the front seats, mimicking the look of contemporary racing cars like the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa.

Related: Custom 1963 Ford Thunderbird Clearly Has Your Attention – But What About Your Money?

Almost 1,430 Bird buyers ticked the Sports Roadster option box in 1962, but only 120 decided to back up that sports car image with the M-Code V8, a special Tri-Power version of Ford’s 390 cu-in (6.5-liter) V8 that breathed through three Holley carbs and made a stout 340 hp (345 PS). Of those 120 documented M-Code cars built in ’62, only 40 are thought to survive.

Fresh from a ground-up restoration and a 2021 Best of Show award from the Vintage Thunderbird Club, this car is getting ready to cross the block at Mecum’s March sale. Painted in Raven Black and featuring a Pearl Beige interior, it rides on a handsome set of Kelsey Hayes chrome wires and comes loaded with luxury kit. The list of standard equipment includes power assisted seats, power windows, air conditioning and a tilt-away steering column.

Mecum doesn’t provide an auction estimate but Hagerty’s valuation guide suggests a concours condition Sports Roadster with the standard 300 hp (303 PS) is worth $94,500, versus $65,000 for a regular 1962 T-bird convertible. But with the M-Code option this one is guaranteed to go for a heap more.