Everyone has their favorite Thunderbird, but few can argue with the jet-inspired styling of the 1961-63 “Bullet Birds.” A clean sheet design that wiped out the chunkiness of the earlier 4-seat Thunderbirds, the Bullet Birds remain some of the best-looking designs of the early ‘60s with none being more appealing than the Sport Roadster. Added to the roster in late 1961, it was an answer to customer demand for a 2-seat Thunderbird without the expense of retooling an all-new car. The Sport Roadster package included the iconic tonneau cover that gives the appearance of a 2-seat car (the back seat remained untouched, however), standard wire wheels (which didn’t clear the fender skirts, so they were left off the Sport Roadsters), and a few other details like special badges and a grab handle for the passenger seat. Early Sport Roadsters are difficult to document, but by the time this 1962 model was built, they had their own body style designation, 76B, plus an ‘89’ in the VIN, both of which conclusively prove this is a real Sport Roadster.

This is actually a rather remarkable Sport Roadster. Firstly, it’s Diamond Blue, one of the less common Sport Roadster colors. It was treated to a prize-winning restoration back in 1983 and remains in excellent condition today. It is also heavily documented with its original window sticker, TWO build sheets, original invoice, restoration photos, receipts, and title work dating back to 1962. If you’re looking for a Sport Roadster, this one gets a lot of things right.

Yes, the restoration is 35 years old, but it sure doesn’t look it. No, it’s not perfect but at the same time, it remains excellent throughout. The restoration photos that accompany the car show a very straight, solid car to begin with, so the fact that the results have withstood the test of time shouldn’t be a surprise. Diamond Blue is a very light blue but it gives the Thunderbird a clean, uncluttered look that works extremely well with the fuselage-like bodywork. There are a few minor signs of use and age, but nothing major and you’ll have to look very closely to find any issues at all. The doors close better than any Bullet Bird we’ve ever featured and the super straight sheetmetal looks fantastic out in the sun. The ‘62s are easy to spot with their quarter panel ornaments, which work rather well with the other wonderful details such as the chrome strip that runs from nose to tail and forms the door handles. Too cool! The unique Sport Roadster badge is under the Thunderbird script on the front fenders and the taillights continue to emulate jet exhaust, a favorite Ford styling detail. The chrome is in excellent condition and the car is just beautiful from any angle.

The blue interior has also been fully restored to stock specs and remains in excellent condition. Factory-style upholstery and patterns maintain the original look and with very little use in the intervening years since it was finished, the seats remain firm and comfortable today. Dark blue carpets provide some contrast and the blue anodized aluminum strip through the center of the dash is a nice touch. The tilt-away steering wheel makes getting in and out easier and there’s a leather wrap on the wheel itself (we have not removed it, so we don’t know the condition of the wheel underneath—we expect it to be as nice as the rest of the interior). All the gauges are functional and the factory A/C blows ice cold thanks to modern hardware working under the hood. Lift off the tonneau and you’ll find a back seat that looks virtually new and it has no effect on the convertible top’s operation. And speaking of the top, yes, it works properly! The blue vinyl is in excellent condition with a crystal clear rear window, and with a touch of the door-mounted button, it stows itself in the trunk in one of the most magnificent mechanical ballets you’ll ever see. With the top up, there’s decent space in the trunk, which is finished with a plaid mat and what might just be the original spare tire.

The only engine available in the Thunderbird is the Z-code 390 cubic inch V8 rated at 300 horsepower. It’s a great choice: smooth, torquey, and energetic enough to make the Sport Roadster feel sporty. In practice, this car drives superbly. The engine starts quickly, idles well, and pulls the car around with vigor, yet there’s not a lot of noise, no squeaks or rattles, and a tight feeling that’s impossible to restore back into a car. The engine bay is correctly detailed with silver tinwork, which was correct for 1962, and a black engine block. It isn’t ready for show any longer, but it’s quite clean and there’s plenty of evidence of proper maintenance. As I mentioned, all the A/C components are new, there are fresh tune-up parts, and on a car this big, it’s a good thing that power steering and brakes were standard equipment.

Thunderbirds were automatic-only by 1962, a 3-speed Cruise-O-Matic transmission that works pretty well in the big luxury ragtop. By putting the selector in the position with the green dot, you will find that it’s a lot more energetic, perhaps an early attempt at a sport setting. Out back, there are easy-cruising 3.00 gears that give this Bird the ability to eat pavement all day long. This is a car made for a road trip. The underside is in great shape with a light dusting of undercoating that protects the metal without hiding anything. These are unit-body cars so there’s no frame, but you’ll note the heavy outer rockers are in excellent condition and the subframes are solidly attached to the original floors. The suspension is definitely tuned for comfort rather than performance, but the car feels nimble enough on the road and it’s very enjoyable to drive. The dual exhaust system burbles appropriately but never gets annoying. And yes, those are original Kelsey-Hayes chrome wire wheels, now fitted with 215/75/14 Michelin whitewall radials.

As I mentioned, there’s a huge amount of documentation accompanying this car, including the original window sticker from the Eck Motor Company in Haven, Kansas. The original sticker price was a rather stout $5760.40, which was pretty profitable because the factory invoice shows the dealer paid $4531.86 for it. Nice! We also have two original build sheets from under the back seat, an album full of restoration photos, the original owner’s manual, and a few articles featuring the car.

Sport Roadsters remain A-list collectables and are among the most popular of all Thunderbirds. In our professional opinion, the Bullet Birds are the only Thunderbirds that are still showing gains on the market, and none are more desirable than the Sport Roadster. This one drives better than any Bullet Bird we’ve had, is heavily documented, and still looks great, all for a price that’s quite reasonable. If you’re in the market for a Thunderbird, this is what we’d call a no-brainer. Call today!