Sep 29, 2021  •  For Sale  •  13 Comments

No Reserve: 1968 Ford Thunderbird Landau

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To the winner goes the spoils. That is the philosophy behind this 1968 Ford Thunderbird Landau. It has many positive attributes, including immaculate presentation, a known ownership history with the same family since Day One, and a giant of a V8 under the hood. As icing on the cake, the owner has listed it for sale here on eBay with No Reserve. That’s right. The highest bidder could be driving away in a turn-key classic that seems to need nothing. The Thunderbird is located in Denver, Colorado, and spirited bidding has pushed the price to $6,800. It seems that a few people like what they see with this giant.

I’ve often wondered how you could go wrong with any car with suicide doors, and these are one of the defining features of this Thunderbird. They speak of an era long passed, and I’m struggling to think of a new car in today’s market that comes with them. The original owner ordered this four-door hardtop in Candy Apple Red with a White vinyl top. The seller admits that he treated the car to a repaint in its original shade in 1996, but the T-Bird remains otherwise untouched. The paint still maintains a deep and appealing shine, and while the owner says it isn’t perfect, any defects are difficult to spot in the supplied photos. I tend to agree with his claim that it could be displayed proudly at any local show. The panels are straight, there’s no evidence of any prior accident damage, and rust is not a consideration with this classic. The chrome shines as impressively as the paint, and the windshield is brand new. The remaining glass appears to be flawless, meaning that this classic has no apparent cosmetic needs.

Buyers in 1968 had the choice of a couple of different engines for their new Thunderbird, and this owner went to the top of the class. This engine bay contains the 429ci “Thunder Jet” V8 that pumps out an impressive 360hp. Rounding out the package is a three-speed automatic transmission, a 3.00 limited-slip rear end, power steering, and power brakes. At 4,563lbs, it is obvious that this classic’s leanings are more towards comfort than outright performance. However, poke this beast with a sharp stick, and it can respond impressively. The result is that it should be capable of storming the ¼ mile in 15.9 seconds, which is not an embarrassing number in a vehicle of this type and age. As if the specifications aren’t enough to bring a smile to our face, the car’s mechanical condition helps widen that grin. The owner claims that it has a genuine 89,700 miles on the clock, and it seems that he holds verifying evidence. He has recently treated the transmission to a service, installed new shocks, and bolted on a fresh set of tires. The car runs and drives perfectly, and it appears to be a turn-key proposition for the buyer who wants to fly in and drive this classic home.

With cars of this type and age, a history of neglect or abuse is often apparent when we open the doors and examine the interior. There are no such concerns with this Thunderbird. It seems that this family has cherished the vehicle from the day that they drove it off the showroom floor, and this has paid dividends when you consider its current condition. The seats are upholstered in a combination of red cloth and vinyl, and they appear to be close to faultless. The same is true of the remaining upholstered surfaces, while it seems almost miraculous that there is no visible wear on the carpet. The dash is immaculate, the faux-woodgrain shows no evidence of lifting or deterioration, and there’s no wear on the wheel. The owner notes that the air conditioning doesn’t blow cold but suggests that a recharge would soon fix that. In addition to the A/C, the buyer will receive power windows, power locks, power seats, a swing-away wheel, and what I believe to be an AM/FM radio.

The 1968 model year saw Ford sell 64,931 examples of the Thunderbird. Of those, a mere 21,925 were the four-door Landau derivative. Our feature car is one of those vehicles, and it ticks many of the right boxes for an enthusiast seeking a luxurious classic. It seems to need nothing beyond an A/C recharge and is a car that could be driven and displayed at a Cars & Coffee with pride. Given its condition, odometer reading, and ownership history, the bidding remains well below what you might expect to pay for a spotless example. If it manages to remain below about $12,000, this could be a great buy for the right person. If it ticks the boxes for you, maybe you should keep a close eye on this listing.

Comments

  1. Pathwayrev
    Sep 29, 2021 at 8:28am

    With a car like that why wouldn’t the seller pull it out of the garage for better pics, including one with the doors open? Makes me go “hmmmm.”

    Like 1
  2. fran
    Sep 29, 2021 at 9:20am

    Nice car, but no console, column shifter, no manual, 4 door, no wonder nobody really wants them.
    I have a 02, its a completely boring car to drive, I only wanted one because of my 55 Bird.
    I am a Ford guy, I have several Fords and Shelbys today, but back in the 60 and even into the 70’s GM was at the top of the game. All the So Called American companies have sold us out today. At least the above Thunderbird will not track you, I wonder if we all should own something like this the way things are going?

    Like 8
  3. Patrick Curran
    Sep 29, 2021 at 9:43am

    I can’t believe some bozo would actually affix the dealership tag where this one is located.

    Like 3
    • Ignatius J. Reilly
      Sep 29, 2021 at 12:58pm

      Agreed. Wonder why that dealer logo wasn’t removed at the 1996 repaint, unless the owner wanted to give the dealer (who is still around) some free advertising?

      Like 2
  4. Angel_Cadillac_Diva Angel Cadillac DivaMember
    Sep 29, 2021 at 10:01am

    Today’s Rolls Royce has suicide doors on it’s 4 dr’s and even 2 dr convertible .
    Lincoln Continental tried a special edition with suicide doors.
    That’s about all I can think of todays cars with suicide doors

    Like 4
  5. Steve Cook
    Sep 29, 2021 at 10:20am

    Do cars like this pre. low compression early 70s require any type of additive due to no lead in today’s fuel. Steve

    Like 0
  6. KC JohnMember
    Sep 29, 2021 at 12:49pm

    It should be illegal for this car to not be wearing white walls. I really appreciate the seller taking the time to back it out of the garage too.

    Like 9
  7. Miminite
    Sep 29, 2021 at 12:49pm

    You know, back in ’71 I had a girlfriend that was from a family of much better means than my own. Her Dad didn’t like me that well at first, but warmed up to me later on. He had a TBird very similar to this one, same yr or yrs, and with the suicide rear door.

    After quite a while, he finally let me take it out with her on a date. Damn that thing was nice! Of course, back then you couldn’t feel the steering at all and it just floated along. Not sure if that one was 428 or what, but it would “get it” when you pushed the go pedal. (Oops,my foot must have slipped!)

    Nope, didn’t marry that girl and she’s long gone, but it was good while it lasted! This car ad sure takes me back.

    Like 8
  8. Autoworker
    Sep 29, 2021 at 5:33pm

    Super nice, clean car.

    Like 1
  9. Sam Shive
    Sep 29, 2021 at 6:32pm

    Love These BIG BIRDS.

    Like 1
  10. Ernest Schaedlich jr
    Sep 30, 2021 at 10:32am

    Nice family car for car shows etc.

    Like 0
  11. Pit Stop Pauly
    Oct 1, 2021 at 9:44pm

    I absolutely love this car. In this body style I always preferred the 4 door, although the two doors were sharp too. One of my high school buddies drove a black 4 door with Black leather (Pleather?) interior. The interior was extremely comfortable and looked amazing. Wish I could afford it…

    Like 1
  12. PRA4SNW
    Oct 10, 2021 at 8:07am

    SOLD for $10,700.

    Like 0

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