The pinnacle of the third generation Thunderbird was the Sports Roadster package introduced in 1962 and only offered through the 1963 model year. The Sports Roadster was accented by special badging, a color matched passenger dash grab handle, and Kelsey-Hayes chrome wire wheels with “knock off” style hubcaps. However the pinnacle difference was the removable tonneau cover that sealed off the back seat and would not limit the use of the power convertible top when in place. This striking addition transformed the four seat arrangement into a sporty two seater that called back to the first generation of T-birds introduced in 1955.
While the new Thunderbird and Thunderbird Sports Roadster were up to par on style, Ford was still looking to dial in more performance. 1962 saw the introduction of the M-code. Displaying the engine code M in the chassis number, the M-code cars utilized three two barrel carburetors. This “tri-power” setup was completed with a special intake manifold feeding Ford 406 heads on top of the Thunderbird 390 V8 block, resulting in an incredible 340hp. Desired by many, purchased by few the M-code was phased out in the middle of the 1963 model year. While Ford produced 1,427 Sports Roadsters for 1962, only 120 were true M-code Sports Roadsters, making the M-code Sports Roadsters the most coveted of all third generation Thunderbirds.
https://www.schmitt.com/inventory/1962-ford-thunderbird-m-code-sports-roadster/
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