1962 Ford Thunderbird Sports Roadster (RHD)

Replacing the 1958-1960 Square Birds, Ford's Thunderbird series underwent a major restyle in 1961, with a distinctive pointed nose, smooth sides and a much sleeker look overall. The Thunderbird had new front suspension and plenty of go from the 390-cid big block V8. For 1962, few changes were made to the T-bird's appearance - changes were limited to trim and colour choices, along with the addition of Landau and Sports Roadster variants to the regular Coupe and Convertible models. It was the Sports Roadster that captured all the attention, becoming the new hero car of the range, and consisted of a fibreglass panel acting as an extension of the rear deck lid, with padded vinyl headrests. The Sports Roadster sat on chrome-plated Kelsey-Hayes 48-spoke wire wheels, which necessitated the removal of the rear spats, and came with unique badges, all at a cost of $5,439 (against $4,788 for the base convertible). A small number of Thunderbirds came with the rare M-series tri-power engine but most buyers were satisfied with the standard four-barrel set-up. Although exact figures for Sports Roadster production in 1962 are known for certain, one source claims just 1,427 (of 78,011 Thunderbirds in total) were made and they have become one of the most collectible of all American classic cars, guaranteed to turn heads wherever it goes.