Quirk Database1960sUnited StatesNormal-looking, weird inside
Ford Thunderbird (1961–1963)
The Ford Thunderbird (1961–1963) is a personal luxury car made by Ford in the United States for the 1961 to 1963 model years. Its weirdest quirk: The Swing Away steering wheel slides about 18 inches to the right when you're in Park, so you can get out more easily. It locks the gear selector until you swing it back.
The 1961 Indianapolis 500 pace car, and a star of President Kennedy's inaugural parade. Ford sold 73,051 of them in 1961.
Weird features:Steering & ignition
Quick facts
- Maker: Ford
- Years: 1961–1963
- Country of origin: United States
- Body type: Personal luxury car
- Engine: 390 cu in FE V8
- Weirdest quirk: The Swing Away steering wheel slides about 18 inches to the right when you're in Park, so you can get out more easily. It locks the gear selector until you swing it back.
- Sold prices logged: 1 (latest: $8,800 at Bring a Trailer, Oct 23, 2026)
Sold prices
| Date | Venue | Car | Price | Mileage | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bring a Trailer | 1961 Ford Thunderbird | $8,800 | 90k mi shown | Result for 1961 Ford Thunderbird at Bring a Trailer ↗ |
Prices as published by each auction site, in the currency the car sold in. "TMU" means total mileage unknown.
Fact-check pit lane
Specs, dates and production figures on this page were checked against:
- Wikipedia: Ford Thunderbird (third generation)
- Sold prices: each auction result linked in the table above