A 1960 Ford Thunderbird   

at the Promenade on the Peninsula

Coffee & Cars show 

On Saturday June 16 Pelican Parts hosted a Coffee & Cars show on the top deck of the parking garage at the Promenade on the Peninsula in Rolling Hills Estates, California. This gorgeous restored 1960 Ford Thunderbird "square bird" convertible stood  out in the sea of Porsches. 

The first generation of Ford Thunderbirds were two-seaters and though the first year of the Thunderbird in 1955 outsold the Chevrolet Corvette by a massive margin (over 20 to 1), Ford executives believed that the two-seat convertible  body style held back sales, so for the second generation which debuted in 1958, the Thunderbird came a four-seat design available in both a coupe and convertible body style. The executives were proved correct, a Thunderbird sales exploded from over 21,000 units in 1957 to nearly 93,000 in 1960.  

The example on display in Rolling Hills Estates represents  the final year of the second generation production and can be identified as a 1960 model instantly via its triple-row rear taillights. This one was one of nearly 12,000 convertibles sold in the 1960 model year.   

Notice the generous dimensions of the sumptuous interior with a large console separating the front bucket seats.   

Photos by the author